This year being the 40th anniversary of the founding of Rye Conservation Society, to commemorate the occasion we brought a speaker to the Rye Arts Festival. Dr David Heathcote, a freelance historian and former academic, gave a fascinating illustrated talk on the history of The Shell County Guides to a packed audience at the Methodist Church on 18 September. He described how John Betjeman and John Piper were involved in the earlier guides and then many different contributors became authors in recent times.
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| Dr David Heathcote |
The audience was interested and amused to hear of the colourful backgrounds and histories of some of those involved.
That evening, Dr Heathcote joined a group of Society members and our President, Sir Donald Sinden, for a celebration dinner at The Mermaid Inn. Geraldine Bromley, one of the three original founders of the Society, gave a fascinating address on the history of the Society over the past forty years. All those present greatly enjoyed both occasions.
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| Geraldine Bromley |
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| Sir Donald on one table, Dr Heathcote on the other, and a photo of Dr Alex Vidler, our founder chairman, on the mantelpiece |
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