The weather was pretty kind for the inaugural Green Waves Community Event at Tilling Green: typically British with sunshine and showers.
On Friday, the youth event attracted around 60 young people from age 11 to 17 who enjoyed a penalty shootout, live music, a DJ, and aerial circus performers including a surprise fire-eater.
Saturday saw dogs of all shapes and sizes being judged by Ellie Bourn, dancing and martial arts, and a tug of war. In the evening, the audience was treated to a selection of live music which culminated in the packed marquee singing and dancing along to the ever popular The Rockitmen.
Huge congratulations to Dan and Donna Lake, Graham and Dena Ellis, Andy Croft and Simone Denman who organised the three-day event. Thanks also to Andy and Niki Stuart, our mayor and lady mayoress, who gave so much of their time over the weekend which added greatly to the success, and to Paul Goring and Arabella Ansar, our town criers, who filled the Tilling Green air with their melodic cries.
On Sunday, the final day, Sam Coleman, Game of Thrones actor and councillor at Sidley, Bexhill, opened the Pirate Day with Arabella and the mayor.
Sam commented: “It was a fantastic honour to be asked to help open the final day of this excellent community event. It was great to see so many people involved from the local community and I have to hand it to Dan and all the team involved in putting this event together – a real gem in the Rye calendar! It was also great to finally meet Scorcher, the famous Rye dragon!
“As a Rother Councillor, I can see lots of similarities between the Tilling Green community and Sidley, the village I represent. Both are vibrant, kind communities with high levels of poverty but also a lot of resilience, good humour and compassion. I’ve taken lots of notes from this fantastic event to take back to the organisers of the Heart of Sidley Festival for next Summer – hopefully we might see some Pirates and Smugglers from Rye making the voyage into Sidley for it!”
Over the weekend, there was something for everyone: music, food, entertainment, and loads of fun. The visitors gave generously as they arrived and all this money raised will be used to finance next year’s event.
Chloe Wallace, a local resident, summed up the event: “The three-day Green Waves Festival in Tilling Green was a truly uplifting experience that reminded me just how special our community is. From start to finish, there was a real sense of togetherness in the air with neighbours chatting, families laughing, and friends, old and new, coming together to celebrate. The festival created such a positive spirit, music, food, and activities bringing joy to people of all ages. What stood out most to me was not just the fun of the day itself, but the way it showed the heart of Tilling Green, a community that looks out for one another, shares in good times, and knows how to celebrate. It was more than just a festival; it was a reminder of how good it feels to belong.”
The pictures tell the story and show just how much fun everyone had.
It even made it onto ITV Meridian.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Juliet Duff , Dena Smith Ellis , Graham Ellis , kt bruce , TQ1 2LJ , Nathalie Desgrange , Kt bruce , Arabella Ansar , Dena Smith Ellis .
Greenwaves has been a huge success thanks to Dan, Donna, Graham and others. Congrats on a fantastic celebration of and focus on a period of renewed community building, for and by the Tilling Green Community which benefits and enriches the wider community of Rye. I can’t speak for anyone else but I really feel a sense of dynamic energy and purpose in what the Residents Association are doing that generates a sense of pride and togetherness across the whole of Rye, it’s an inclusive and welcoming approach that speaks volumes about the Association’s approach but also Tilling Green itself. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Thank you for everything you did to help as well Si