Some of the volunteers responsible for making sure Rye has Christmas lights this year have been sharing more about the challenges they faced. After plans fell through earlier in the autumn, a small group of Ryers raised almost £30,000 and had new lights installed in just six weeks.
“It was a real roller-coaster,” said Michael Jones from Merchant and Mills. “We’d get a glimmer of hope and then hit a stumbling block which left us all deflated. Once we fixed that problem there was another and another as there were so many moving parts. I still couldn’t quite believe it when I first saw them up.”
For Fran Huxley from Simply Rye, seeing the High Street full of Christmas lights for the first time was also an emotional moment. “I got a lump in my throat at how beautiful and stunning they are. Just look up the street now. Wow!”
The decorations will be in place until the new year along Hilders Cliff, the High Street and parts of The Mint and Lion Street.
“It’s amazing what was achieved in just six weeks,” she said. “In an ideal world we should have had six months to do it and we could have done more and really perfected it. I’m so grateful for everyone who helped pull it off.”
Beating the original target means money will be set aside for next year’s lights. You can contact the team to get involved in 2026 at ryechristmaslights@gmail.com
Much of the last minute logistical work was carried out by Doireann McMahon, who has been living in Rye for four years, working in events.
“It’s a busy time of year for everyone,” she said. “Michael had the launch of the new shop on Lion Street and Fran has been at Christmas markets, so helping them was my contribution, although it did get a bit manic! It’s been a lovely way of getting to know people.”
Sally Abel had a very special reason for raising funds for the lights by shaking buckets for donations – her best friend Bev Brommage Burchill, who will be visiting from Australia on 1 January. “She fell in love with Rye at our wedding when she was a bridesmaid and made the cake. She has an aggressive brain tumour so I wanted Rye to be at its best for her. And it is. It looks beautiful with the lights up.”
Image Credits: Kt bruce .