Rye, East Sussex.
A friend from Israel asked me about Rye in East Sussex, a beautiful town where I lived for 5 years.
For reasons you’ll discover in this text, I’ll share some of my reply with you, post it in full on my blog and save a copy for my forthcoming book.
I wrote, Rye, a beautiful in tact medieval town.
Rye, the Rother Quay.
Rye wasn’t always peaceful.
Rye started life as a small fishing community, almost surrounded by water.
Little know, When Normandy was returned to the French in 1205, Rye went with it and wasn’t reunited with the English Crown until 1247 so for a while Rye was a French town. 🫢
Rye was a most famous pirate port in the 13th century, with a reputation for atrocities.
Rye was incorporated in 1289.
As one of the original cinq ports in 1350, it was at one time busier than London and had to provide ships for the King in times of war.
The French twice burnt Rye to the ground when the men were away for the King.
Edward III walled the town.
St Marys Church originates from around the 12th century.
It has several outstanding features including a very remarkable very old pendulum clock and a graveyard with Yew trees.
The French famously stole the bells during a devastating attack in 1377.
A year later the men of Rye ‘recovered’ from the French, along with other previously stolen loot.
In the 18th century smuggling was rife in Rye.
Rye features in many books including ‘The Bells of Rye” and several smuggler stories.
Rye has been used in numerous films as a set, for example as the home of Horatio Hornblower, starring Gregory Peck.
Rye has been the home and muse of many outstanding literary figures. Including Joseph Conrad, EF Benson, HG Wells, and GK Chesterton and was frequented by many other famous authors, one was Rudyard Kipling.
Thanks to two ‘guardian angels, Jim Thomson and Mike Lingfield, after training at Falmouth Technical College as a ship wright, I founded and ran South East Boat Builders Ltd, eventually employing 9 people.
We built many boats including of the ‘Scorpion’ class,
outfitted yachts, supplied chandlery and chandler shops, we were the majority of insurance company’s preferred repairer and looked forward to storm weather as that meant more repairs!
We had 3000 sq feet of workshop, built a high reputation for sound, fast boats and solid repair work.
The owner of the property offered it to me for 12,000 £, a bargain even then, which in retrospect I should have raised funds for and taken.
Eventually the difficulties of running the business exhausted me, I’d not been trained as a businessman.
The Council generously offered me free use of a warehouse provided only that I kept the doors open so tourist could see and watch us.
Two gentlemen from Sevenoaks offered to invest in my business. Not to interfere they said, just so they could tell their friends they had shares in a boat building business.
I thought that generous and charming.
However with the stress & my marriage breaking down (two young people who’d made a mistake, not really suited to each other) I’d had enough even though we were by then making a profit.
I’ve sometimes wondered what my life would be like if I’d found the key to continue.
I loved building and sailing boats, and my hard but exciting times at Rye, still do.
I’d retire there but property prices are way beyond my means now.
Maybe in a parallel Universe there is another Gordon who did continue?
Now I know how to run a business and I’m sure now he’d have been very successful.
I’d love to meet him ! 😃⚓
