Opinions

Tempers fray at Rye’s level crossings, folks in cars eager to get on, frustrated by the wait for the gates to open. What’s the delay mate? Get a move on! Gawd, is it him again, the geezer who punishes our impatience? And what, in John Howlett’s imagination, has that got to do with Bertolt Brecht and the night he nearly blew up Royal Tun Wells?

Is there any need for the Rye Partnership to have a hand in the future of Tilling Green’s community centre, asks John Howlett? Let Rye’s town council take charge, he suggests; let it shape the future

The latest design for a Tilling Green community centre does not match the needs of the community, believes John Wylie, a Tilling Green resident. It would be suitable for a village, perhaps, but not for Rye town. He and others who use the hall have been given a preview of what it would look like. Here Wylie explains his opposition to the new proposal

An irritated Rye resident wants to know how a well funded group acting for the economic future and wellbeing of the town can manage to be so long-winded. About 89 months ago, Rye Partnership's chairman expressed the earnest hope that its website would soon be back in action. A website would serve to inform us, tell us what the Partnership does, what it spends, project its vision for a better future. Would someone, any one of its directors - past or present - like to give us the lowdown on why there still isn't one? Here's an invitation to tell all . . .

Once upon a time, after the Germans bombed us rotten, it was thought that the state of our roads was down to the war. Or so the thinking went in Kent. Well that county's roads are a lot better these days. But here in East Sussex, here in Rye? John Howlett shares some more wry thoughts

Not everyone agrees that wind turbines on the marsh are a good thing, but Monday was Global Wind Day so some of us were invited to celebrate the day with a trip to have a closer look at the turbines. But who gets the benefits ?

The best of policing always used to be – “Ask the bobby up the street; he’ll help you out.” The worst of policing now is – “Sorry luv, the cops don’t come here anymore” – the police have gone missing because there’s not enough money to pay for them. We are now told that yet more cuts are expected, so Rye waits for our police station to be definitively shut down........

Holidaymakers were appalled at lack of diversion signage. 'Completely unacceptable in our area' was their view! What do you think?

To an outsider the Town Council could appear to be more concerned with costumes and correct procedures than actual governance and power...... Former councillor Mike Eve reflects.

Following the Rye News report on the difficulties facing the Cricket Club in opening their pavilion, Club secretary, Martin Blincow has written to us with the Cricket Club's view of the current position

"Some of us have seen the ghosts in our car headlights –/ the coffins and the bodies, the pirates and their victims./ You might even have heard a screaming at midday/ or in the night". The narrow lanes and alleys of Rye can be scary at times.........

Yet again Rother District Council demonstrate that they appear to regard Rye as a milch cow from whom money can be extracted but to whom only the minimal of service need be given. The cricket club are the latest to suffer, this time due to the inefficiencies of the Building Control Department