In his series A House Through Time, David Olusoga showed how houses and streets can serve as witnesses to social history, and can act as a time machine, connecting us to broader events.
When we moved to a house in a cobbled street in Rye last year, we didn’t expect to find our own mini House Through Time adventure. But, in a small cupboard, we found a box containing old keys that unlocked hidden doors and passages. And, at the bottom of the box, were some notes and photographs dating from the early 1960s.
This box seems to have been passed down from one owner to the next over six decades.
The photos are of central Rye and the notes contain some amusing “overheard on the street” soundbites from the same era:
“Do tell me. Who is this Mermaid?”
“You can’t really believe that people live in these houses.”
“We’ll soon come to the nice High Street duck. To get there you always have to go through these old back places.”
“Drive me dotty if I lived in a town like this for 24 hours. What on earth do they do with themselves?”
“Look. That sunset’s as good as a picture postcard.”
“Of course, you only exist in a place like this.”
Father, to a group of children studying my doorbell: “That may look like a bell. But I consider that it’s a large snuffer for putting out a very large candle.”
I’ve paired some of the old photos with similar shots today, so you can see how much – or how little – the area has changed over the past 60 years.
Mermaid Street Coffee House, early 1980s
In the case of West Street, seemingly very little, except that the Mermaid Coffee House on the corner is now a private house. But the area to the rear of the Mermaid Inn has changed quite significantly, with additions of an extension, balconies and demolition of the barn. From the windmill and beyond, the view of the horizon seems timeless, a constant over the decades.
These old photographs seem to project a sense of calm, simplicity and tidiness. When looking at these photographs, what feelings do they evoke for you? Leave a comment below or email info@ryenews.org.uk
Image Credits: Phil Gooch .