It was a packed Tudor Room at The Mermaid Inn on Wednesday 3 June, with standing room only, when the Rye and District Bonfire Society (RDBS) held their annual Grand Auction. Many thanks to owner Judith Blincow for allowing them free range, once again.
Town Crier, Paul Goring, called everyone to order before Kevin Wall from Rye Auction Galleries got the evening underway at 7pm, and whizzed through the 103 lots, all donated by local businesses and friends of the bonfire society.
The much anticipated Captain Horatio Pugwash artwork, kindly given by Isabel Ryan and the John Ryan Estate, was fiercely bid for and was sold for a staggering £1000 when the gavel finally went down.
The ever-present novelty salt and pepper pots, back for their fourth successive year went, once again, for a substantial £50. Other popular lots included a bottle of Bolly, a painting of a burning boat by Prince Romanov and a stunning montage of old bonfire photos arranged in a massive, inscripted frame. It wasn’t even in the catalogue because Angela Delf and Steve Duffy “just dropped it off” at The Mermaid Inn. It was a very unexpected but welcome surprise!
All proceeds from the auction, the RDBS biggest fundraiser, go towards keeping Rye bonfire burning, and this year The Fundraising Females raised just under £8,000.
The fundraising team said afterwards, “None of our events would be possible without the help and dedication of a small team of bonfire society members. Tonight has taken months of planning and the past few weeks especially have been really full on; however, seeing, and hearing, that final total is a real thrill. It makes it all worthwhile knowing that Rye will be burning bright again this November. We really cannot say thank you enough to the businesses and people of Rye who continually support us, and who show Rye Bonfire Society so much love when it comes to fundraising.”
Rye Bonfire Society Chairman James Foster also thanked everyone involved in the event. “The auction is the largest single fundraising event in our calendar and will help bring about a star-lit return for a smashing Rye Bonfire Pageant 2026! It would have not been possible without the support of Kevin Wall from the Rye Auction Galleries, The Mermaid Inn and their fabulous Tudor Room, and all our tireless volunteers.”
All the bonfire society’s events are posted on Facebook and Instagram so be sure to follow them to stay in the know #keepryebonfireburning
Image Credits: Barbara Astley-Morton/John Ryan Estate , Kt Bruce , RDBS .