Rye News

Rye News is the volunteer run online local newspaper for Rye and the surrounding villages in East Sussex. Each week around 5000 people read our stories and features, with over a million page views each year.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Rye News. It was set up to bring the community together through discussion and debate, and to let local people know what is happening around town. Recent stories have included: the Military Road landslips, the annual town meeting, the local football team’s successes, the opening of a new art gallery, the sloe gin competition, the latest from Rye Heritage Centre, and the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. Rye News aims to hold local decision makers to account, and to support the community with a broad range of real-life stories and the coverage of local events.

Rye News is increasingly a multimedia operation, with classy social media and an award nominated podcast – Ryecast. We are experimenting with video and have ambitions to be the best local paper in the country.

Twenty or so volunteers run Rye News, doing everything from writing the stories to publishing. Each story is checked for accuracy and grammar by at least two sub editors, before publication each Thursday afternoon. An email alert is sent to over 2000 recipients landing every Friday morning at 8am.

A lot has happened since Rye News began, not least the collapse of the traditional local media. Social media has replaced a once flourishing local paper and several local radio stations which used to cover Rye. Rye News is proud to be local and aims to be the trusted voice of journalism in Rye – independent, accurate, professional, and passionate about where we live.

If you would like to get involved or to share a story, email the team at info@ryenews.org.uk.

James Stewart: Rye News Editor & Ryecast presenter. During a 30-year career at the BBC James worked as a presenter and journalist in local radio covering Kent and Sussex, before moving to London to work on news and some of the BBC’s biggest programmes, including Children In Need and Comic Relief. He moved to Rye in 2021. James sets the editorial priorities for the paper and leads the team of 20 volunteers. If you would like to join the team email info@ryenews.org.uk.

Juliet Duff: Deputy Editor Juliet has an art history degree from Sussex University. She worked as a picture researcher sourcing pictures to illustrate books  and magazines for many different publishers before retraining as a teacher, working in primary schools for 20 years. She brings her passion for history, art and culture, and nature to write book reviews and articles about the arts. She has a monthly column, A History of Rye through Museum Objects, and is another of the dedicated band of sub-editors without whom there would be no Rye News.

Nick Forman: Reporter. Music was Nick’s first career as a professional musician in the armed forces before spending the next 32 years in the property industry. Journalism was always a passion so he joined Rye News in 2018 and has been writing regularly on numerous subjects ever since. As a former Rye News editor he helped to move the paper to the next level, adding new dimensions, and giving the readers what they wanted.

Peter Connock: Company Secretary  Peter has been involved in semiconductor development his entire career. Latterly, he has been instrumental in stimulating the use of advanced technology to help address our current climate change and sustainability crisis. This focus has now broadened to promoting activities that individuals and businesses can adopt to address environmental challenges.

Susan Benn: Reporter Susan is a photo-journalist living in Rye.  She is a former textile designer, childrens book publisher, and co-founder and artistic director of Performing Arts Labs, developing new works in film, theatre and opera from 1987-2015. Susan currently chairs arts and social awareness company Strongback Productions, is founder and co-director of bespoke shirt makers Shirt Story, and co-manages the Herstory of Rye, an oral history project to document women working in Rye.

Christopher Strangeways: Comment moderator Christopher has been a director of Rye News since 2017, and has moderated comments since 2015. He writes occasional articles on environmental and farming subjects. He has been responsible for the family farm, Bosney Fam, Iden since 1990 where he farms organic Sussex beef cattle and Romney sheep.

Dennis Leeds-George: Reporter Dennis is a locally born and bred, now retired, farmer. A co-founder of Rye News he writes about country life, crib, and Petanque while also compiling the occasional quiz for Rye News readers. He also organises and is master of ceremonies for the annual Rye News Sloe Gin competition.

Gill Roder: Reporter Gill is an occupational therapist by profession and worked in both the NHS and social care for 40 years, before moving to Rye. She has been a volunteer on Rye News for seven years where she is one of the dedicated team of sub-editors and often writes pieces of cultural interest to our readers. In her own words, she has so far “coped with four different editors!”

Natasha Robinson: Reporter and social media editor Natasha is a Londoner and fourth generation restauranteur. With her husband, they run a hospitality company and between them have a combined 100 years in the business. Natasha is a regular columnist for Rye News and Instagram editor. Her motto: ‘A citizen of the world is the luckiest citizen anywhere.’

Kt Bruce: Reporter and photographer Kt is a professional photographer living in Rye but working mainly in London and Oxford. She has been a children’s entertainer, cartoonist, graphic designer, and calligrapher, and has written and illustrated various books for children. She is currently a press officer for the RNLI and in 2022 received the Rye News Reporter of the Year Award.

Heidi Foster: Reporter Heidi travelled extensively from West Germany, Austria, East Germany, back to West Germany and on to Dagenham, of all places – quite a culture shock for a teenager! Her working life was as varied as the countries she travelled as a child. From a mental health social worker to managing a homeless centre, a therapist in the USA for damaged young adults, and to mentoring in schools. She settled in Rye and volunteered on various projects with Rye Town Council. She joined Rye News as an outlet for her creative writing about the environment and cutlural interests.

Mags Ivatts: Reporter Mags is a retired NHS IT manager, a stalwart volunteer at Rye Food Bank and a staunch campaigner in support of social justice issues for those less fortunate. Married with a granddaughter, she was born to be wild and loves riding her Harley Davidson – you’ll often see her gliding through the streets of Rye. She feels it’s a privilege to write for Rye News, regarding it as a valuable portal for the community.

Abigail Cooper-Hansen: Reporter Abigail has lived locally for 12 years. Born in Hertfordshire and grew up on a small holding where the family grew 80% of their own produce. She spent 10 years in the USA, at University, graduate schools and working in mental health and health economics. Returning to England working in management consulting, executive coaching and training, which she still does part-time. She loves to learn craft, wood carving, stained glass making, sewing, knitting and clay making. Her passion is gardening and now, writing about it in Rye News. She loves to explore and nurture business talent so writing about local business, restaurants and people is important to her.

Martin Bruce: Reporter Martin finished his teaching career as headmaster of Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford and moved to Rye Harbour where he volunteers for the RNLI as press officer and station chairman. He is a musician, conductor, organist, singer, shanty man, and published composer. And a keen photographer.

Michael Montagu: Reporter Michael began his career in the Diplomatic Service, also maintaining an interest in an antiques business and teaching an antiques course. More recently he has worked as a literary agent and was chairman of the supervisory board of a Frankfurt based publishing group. Also, in Frankfurt, he is a member of the board of governors of a school for writers. He has written for Country Life, The Lady, Sussex Life, Wiltshire Life, Somerset Life, Best of British, Vintage Script and a number of other UK and overseas publications. His first book, Michael Montagu’s Memoirs – aristocratic meanderings and other stories, was published in 2013. This was followed in 2016 by Dover House: A palace on Whitehall, the first book devoted entirely to this magnificent and little-known building.