In court
A man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder at an address in Guestling. Emergency services were called to the village at 11:45pm on Saturday, April 26.
A 58-year-old man was treated for serious injuries consistent with a stabbing, and was taken to hospital where he remains. Sussex Police officers arrested a 24-year-old man at the scene. Both men are known to each other.
Connor Anderson, 24, of an address in Guestling, was charged with attempted murder. He appeared before Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, April 28 and was remanded in custody. He will next appear before Lewes Crown Court on May 26.
Trial begins
Stephen Castle has pleaded not guilty to murder after 54-year-old Wayne Woodgate’s body was found near Peasmarsh on October 23 last year.
The 59-year-old from Matfield in Kent is on trial at Maidstone Crown Court this week.
Enquires to find Wayne Woodgate began after he was reported missing in Tunbridge Wells on Thursday, October 17.
VE Day 80
Next week sees events to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the second world war in Europe.
At 9am on Thursday, May 8 the VE Day flag will be raised on the flagpole at St Mary’s church in Rye. Town crier Paul Goring will proclaim the official VE Day 80 cry.
At lunchtime the day’s commemorations continue at the Buttermarket at the town hall with songs, speeches and prayers. Starting at 1pm the event will include a recording of the speech Sir Winston Churchill gave announcing the unconditional surrender of Germany.
Church bells are being rung at 6:30pm and at 9:30pm beacons will be lit across the country, including on Udimore Road in Rye.
Rye Heritage Centre is also showing WW2 – Rye’s Story during the week. The interactive show uses the Rye town model to show how the conflict affected life in and around Rye.
Anti social behaviour
What’s your experience of anti-social behaviour in Rye? Ahead of a meeting to discuss the issue on Saturday, May 31, Rye News wants to hear your story. You can email us at info@ryenews.org.uk.
We will have a full look ahead to the meeting, which runs from 10:30am until 12:30pm at the Tilling Green Community Centre, in next week’s paper.
Petition launched
Residents in Fairlight have organised a petition demanding Rother District Council arranges for an independent site survey of a development in the village.
16 homes are being built on the former Market Garden site on Lower Thwaites Road. As well as concerns about the construction work, the petition is also calling for action on the size and scale of the new buildings. The petition is open until May 9.
Election day
There are no elections for East Sussex County Council this year because of local government reorganisation, however in Kent voters have been going to the polls on Thursday, May 1.
81 seats on Kent County Council are being contested, including these two local seats: Romney Marsh and Tenterden (covering Wittersham and Appledore). Rye News will have the results next week.
Romney Marsh captured on camera
Rye Art Gallery celebrates the 60th anniversary of the opening of the gallery and its first exhibition in 1965 a with an exciting new exhibition.
Opening on May 10, A Retrospective, Notes on a Landscape with Terry Hulf, features works by Terry Hulf who has been photographing the local landscape of Romney Marsh, the Lydd army ranges and Dungeness in black and white, for the past 50 years.
Alongside the landscapes one of the galleries will show portraits of local artists including Fred Cuming, Gus Cummins and Norman Ackroyd.
Photographic works will be available for sale and to accompany the show a book called Notes from a Landscape is available as well as a separate full catalogue of works exhibited. Rye Art Gallery is honoured to accept as a gift from Terry Hulf, his complete photographic archive, which will add significantly to their existing permanent collection held in Rye.
Image Credits: John Peters , Sussex Police , KCC , Terry Hulf .