Culture

Up to 200 million people died and Europe was devastated over an eight-year period by the Black Death. It took a generation to recover from the pandemic, which features in Rye's fifth Medieval Conference in October at Rye College on "The Hazards of Life and Causes of Death in Late Medieval England". The conference is organised by Rye Museum and at least 60 academics and others interested in history are expected to attend.

Twenty local snappers, some of them previous winners of the Sussex Trophy, showed off their skills at the annual exhibition of the Rye and District Camera Club. Membership is open to all - whether you have been wielding a camera for years or just started snapping

The town is buzzing - with performers, spectators, music lovers, would-be dancers, artists, artistes and plain old residents. And away from the limelight a lot of chat goes on. Rye News is keeping its ear to the ground . . .

This year's Arts Festival has seen a big input from the schools, including sets and costumes for the opera "La Traviata" and the opening procession, and the Festival itself taking performances and performers into schools.

Rye Studio School students helped to design and produce the sets and costumes for the opera "La Traviata" at the start of the Arts Festival, led by conductor and stage director Alisdair Kitchen and starring Icelandic soprano Rannveig Karadottir in the principal role.

Two young locals from the Rye Wurlitzer Academy, which...

What do you do when your train from Rye is cancelled and you have a bit of time on your hands? Forced to delay his commuting, Dan Scarsy took to composing - a poem

Rye Museum is holding a special exhibition during the festival season illustrating the extraordinary links - both friendly and hostile - between the town and its neighbour across the Channel, Normandy

Sir Donald Sinden who lived in Tenterden has died. John Griffiths pays tribute to the actor who for the last 19 years was president of Rye Conservation Society

Students at Rye Studio School have been heavily involved backstage in preparing for Rye Arts Festival. Their own performance kicks off with a parade. Harley Gentry, a student at the school, has been watching the preparations

Rye Harbour features an art exhibition, a caravan full of crafts and some rocking hot potatoes this weekend as the Arts Festival kicks off

High jinks, high society and hilarity at the annual dinner of the Friends of Tilling, led by Gyles Brandreth at the Mermaid - who will reappear shortly at the Rye Arts Festival on September 21, but in the Milligan Theatre this time... and after lunch.