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The port of Rye and a walk down a few memory lanes…

Rye_IMG_4123_d.JPGWhy did I ever leave beautiful Rye?  Rye_Rother_quay_IMG_4125_d.JPG

Unusual for me, I crossed the Channel via Calais to Dover. The last time I crossed via Dover I was 3 years old!

Not entirely surprisingly I know Calais better than Dover.

Last year my excellent friends Gilles Gilles_baffy_IMG_1116_wp.JPG and Brigette Baffy (musicians) Brigette_baffy_IMG_1119_wp.JPGafter my exhibition at the European Parliament (Brussels) gave me a wonderful tour of the Cote Opele and Passe de Calais area (this blog 27 May 2011) including seeing Dover from Cap Blanc and  Calais where at the Hotel de Ville Calais_Hotel_de_Ville_IMG_1146_wp.JPG I was able to marvel at renowned the Rodin statues of the Burghers of Calais.Burghers_of_Calais_IMG_1152_wp.JPG

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I arrived at Dover with the dawn so chose a scenic route to Crowbourgh were I was to stay with friends I’ve known since college days.

My route took me on a beautiful morning past the ancient town of Rye.

Formally the busiest port of medieval England, Rye was re built in 1425 and little changed after the French burnt Rye for the third time while the fleet was away.

At the time Rye was a town vital for the defence of England and then as now a Cinq port. Rye__Church_Street_IMG_4151_wp.JPG

Of Rye it is said the only thing holding the picturesque town together is the Death Watch beetles holding hands and of the 5000 inhabitants 4999 are eccentric… 22 pubs within 10 minutes walk so what do you expect?

Rye__Mermaid_Street_IMG_4130_wp.JPGMermaid Street and the Mermaid Inn have been rightly used in film sets including for Horatio Hornblower starring Gregory Peck.

I wish I could show you all my photos of Rye, better, visit Rye if you can and loiter for a few hours, you will be richly rewarded. Rye__Tea_Shop_IMG_4150_wp.JPG

I lived in Rye for 5 happy hard working years based in Rope Walk (18 to 22) when I was Mr. South East Boat builders Ltd and every day noticed another pleasing detail in the old town.

Our workshops are now an Antique shop and I could have bought the premises for £12,000 – should have asked my dear ol’ Dad for a loan…  Rye__Rope_Walk__formerlysite_of__South_East_Boat_Builders_Ltd_IMG_4153_wp.JPG

On such a beautiful morning after a night on the road and ferry I did not want to resist a nostalgic walk round the town which unlike most of our pasts, to my delight is very little changed from those now far off days in the 1970’s.