Rye’s twelfth century parish church of St Mary’s, at the top of Lion Street, will be very busy over the Easter weekend – but not quite as busy as first thought.
A wedding rehearsal was due to take place this Thursday, April 13. Not Friday April 13 (believed to be unlucky by some) but then Thursday.
That rehearsal was then to be followed by the wedding at 1pm on Saturday April 15 of Stephen Launch-Paup and Barbara Phillips, and as usual the church (see photo above) would be decked with flowers.
But the bride, from Alabama in the United States of America – apparently arrived at British passport controls and was swiftly on her way back again to the Deep South.
She needed, and did not have, a marriage visa which is required and the government website says applications normally take three weeks to decide.
However the church will be busier than usual compared to recent weeks as the tower’s safety railings have now been fixed.
This long running saga started in 2015 because there were national concerns about the safety of church towers after someone fell off one. Thousands of visitors climb St Mary’s tower to see the outstanding views for many miles around – towards Hastings and the sea, and to the Wealden hills and across the marshes.
But as St Mary’s dates from the twelfth century, church and civil conservationists and planners were involved – and the limestone mortar took nearly as long to dry as they did to take decisions.
All is well now though and the tower can be climbed (for a charge) from 9am to 4:30pm each day, except Sundays. Because of services the tower opens from noon on Sundays.
Photo: Rye News Library