Stay warm this winter - Rye Conservation Society at Rye Energy Day

The Society took part in Rye Energy Day at Tilling Green Community Centre last Saturday 2 November, sponsored by Rother Environmental Group.  There was good attendance from those in the community interested in reducing their home energy consumption and costs, and presentations from organisers of community energy schemes in Lewes and Cornwall.

The  leaflet below was handed out from our stand and we hope it will give you some useful tips on keeping you and your home warm.

Society's Christmas Celebration - Friday 13 December 2013

 We look forward to seeing members for

wine and canapés at our 

Christmas Celebration

to be held on Friday 13 December 2013

from 6-8pm

 in the Council Chamber of Rye Town Hall.

Members £6, guests £8.  

Winchelsea Conservation Society meeting on 5 October

We have been asked by Winchelsea Conservation Society to let members know that they will be having a meeting on 5 October at 10.30am in the New Hall.  Rookery Field has been surveyed and Maggie Henderson (Consultant Archaeologist) is coming to talk about the interesting findings. The Conservation of the Barn and its Archaeology will also be addressed.

£2 per person on the door, tea, coffee etc after the talk/discussion. The National Trust, which owns the land, will be represented and may contribute to the discussion.

Dymchurch open weekend - 10-11 August 2013

The Society has been contacted by Margaret Walker, Secretary of Dymchurch & District Heritage Group. Dymchurch is having its first Heritage Weekend on the 10-11 August 2013. They have produced leaflets that give a heritage trail through the village, giving snippets of history about 30 different properties. The Martello Tower in the centre of the village will be open from 11-5pm both days, along with New Hall & the Gaol, also the church of St Peter & St Paul.

Everyone would be welcome to visit.  If you would like to receive a leaflet, contact Judith O'Connor on 01797 252114 and she will be glad to forward information to you.

Society visit to Rochester, 30 August 2013

The Society is organising a visit to Rochester Cathedral, a tour of the City and Restoration House on 30 August.  Information has already been mailed to all members.  A maximum of 24 people can be taken on the visit, so anyone else who is interested should contact the Hon Sec, Judith O'Connor, as soon as possible.  The cost is £33 per member and £35 for non-members.

Rochester, with its unique atmosphere and wealth of historic buildings, is a pleasure to explore on foot.  We will be following a circular tour to guide the walker to the more important sights, to learn a little of the City’s history along the way.

Many locations in the City, now marked with plaques, are mentioned in the novels of Charles Dickens, who lived in nearby Chatham as a child and came to know Rochester well. Later, as a successful author living at nearby Gad’s Hill, he often returned to see the places of his childhood.

The City of Rochester Society is an amenity and historical Society who will be guiding us on the tour. It is a registered charity and is run entirely by volunteers for the good of the City and its visitors.  It has been successfully organising tours for over 30 years and will be pleased to help organise a memorable outing. Rochester and its surroundings have much to interest the visitor and there are also a variety of restaurants, pubs and picnic areas.

Visit from Friends of Lewes

On Wednesday 12 June, we were glad to welcome eight members of the Friends of Lewes, our sister society from that town.  Some of them already knew Rye well, but for others it was a good opportunity to see the many interesting buildings and gardens of Rye on a conducted tour by members of the Society.

The group saw the town model which provides very good background information about the history and development of the town over the ages.

Visit to Folkestone and Hythe, Friday 19 April

A brisk wind and lowering skies did not make for an auspicious day out, but, yet again, a trip to places that we think we already know well proved to be interesting, informative and, most importantly, highly enjoyable.

The Grand Hotel in Folksone seemed, at first sight, like so many of the Edwardian hotels that proliferate the South Coast, resplendent in their faded grandeur but somehow conscious that their glory days are long gone. However, all was not what it seemed. After a welcoming coffee, we divided into two groups for a fascinating tour of this tardis-like hotel, with stories about such illustrious guests as  Edward V11 and Mrs Keppel , the Belgian Royal family in the First World War, Agatha Christie and Princess Margaret, not forgetting Michael Caine’s debut performance as a child actor.

Society's Annual Garden Party, Sunday 19 May 2013

The weather was very kind to us for our annual garden party this year, after a couple of years when visitors had to take shelter from the rain.  Over 50 members,  guests and visitors saw the garden at Little Orchard House in brilliant sunshine and enjoyed the cream teas and other refreshments.  The "secret" garden is situated in the middle of the Citadel area of the town, not visible from the streets outside, and was looking at its very best.

Winchelsea Conservation Society talk on Saturday 18 May

Winchelsea Conservation Society

invites Rye Conservation Society members to a Talk by

CHALK DOWN LIME LTD OF STAPLECROSS

ON THE USE OF TRADITIONAL & ECO MATERIALS

IN THE MAINTENANCE OF OLD BUILDINGS & HOUSES

SATURDAY 18 MAY 2013 AT 10 AM

NEW HALL, WINCHELSEA

Followed by Questions & Coffee

Society's AGM and Annual Lunch

Committee re-elected

Rye Conservation Society's Annual General Meeting took place at the Town Hall on Friday 12 April.  50 members were present and heard reports and updates from members of the Executive Committee.  John Griffiths was re-elected as Chairman, John Pope as Vice Chairman and Planning Liaison, Julian Luckett as Chair of the Planning Committee, Diana Hajikakou as Treasurer, Judith O'Connor as Secretary, Andy Stuart as Membership and Publicity Officer and Mike Slavin and Rae Festing as committee members.














After the meeting, 47 members enjoyed a very good Annual Lunch at The Mermaid Inn, attended by Sir Donald Sinden, the Society's President, and the two Vice-Presidents Robert Bromley and Paul Blomfield.

Conservation Society events during 2013

We have recently finalised the list of our events taking place during 2013 and they are as follows:

Friday 12 April  11.15am      Annual General Meeting,  Rye Town Hall

                                             Annual Lunch, The Mermaid Inn

Friday 19 April                      All day outing to Folkestone and Hythe

                                                

Sunday 19 May 2–5pm         Annual Garden Party

                                              Little Orchard House

Friday   30 August                 All day outing to Rochester

                                                

September (provisional, tbc)   Sponsored talk during Rye Arts Festival

Friday 13 December 6-8pm    Christmas Party, Rye Town Hall

Information about the AGM and Annual Lunch and the visit to Hythe has already been circulated to members.

If you would be interested in taking part in any of these events (members only, but you would be welcome to join!), please contact Judith O'Connor at ryeconservationsociety@sky.com or telephone 01797 252114.

Rye Conservation Society AGM 2013

The Society's 2013 Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 12 April in the Council Chamber of Rye Town Hall, starting at 11.15am.  It will be followed by our Annual Lunch at The Mermaid Inn at 12.30.

A mailing will be going out to members over the next few days with the Annual Report and Accounts for 2012, the latest newsletter and information about the annual lunch.  We hope to see as many of you as possible at the AGM and lunch.

Winchelsea Conservation Society AGM

The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Winchelsea Conservation Society will be held on Saturday 27 April 2013 at 10 am in the Lower Court Hall, Winchelsea.