The William the Conqueror pub hosted the Rye Harbour Herrings on Sunday, April 28.
The group is based in Rye Harbour and is unique to the area because many of the songs its members sing were performed and written in the 60s by the famous Johnny Doughty, drawing in a regular Saturday night crowd in those days. Johnny used to say that he would sing as long as the pints kept coming and he was taken at his word. These nights were the highlight of the fishing community, a chance to have a good old sing-along and forget the worries of the working week when the fishermen had been at sea.
Martin Bruce set up the group in 2019 and the singers are drawn from the local area, mostly from the village: some even remember sitting outside the pub on those Saturday nights whilst their parents were inside singing. On Sunday, listeners were treated to old favourites such as Rye Harbour Girl, The Herring Song and Round Rye Bay as well as new Harbour songs written by Martin: Long, tall Sally and John All-alone and Saving Lives at sea, the RNLI 200th anniversary shanty. The programme was rounded out with well-known classics such as South Australia, The Wellerman, Haul away’ and A Drop of Nelson’s blood. Folk joined in with gusto and £100 was raised for the RNLI. A cracking afternoon’s entertainment.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .