Be tolerant for wider benefit

Running in tandem with this Festival is the Wipers Weekends at the Ypres Castle Inn offering a wonderful array of music in its lovely garden.

The landlord of the Ypres Castle has worked extremely hard to bring together a wide range of performers, ensuring that the louder bands perform in the afternoons and the quieter acts in the early evening, so that the least disruption is caused.

So far, this has been enjoyed by a great number of people.

These people are not only residents of Rye, but come from far and wide to enjoy the music.

Rye as a town also benefits from this attraction as visitors spend money here helping to keep this town viable.

So can you imagine how Saturday’s audience of around 200 people felt when an elderly lady, brandishing her walking stick at the band, marched up to the stage demanding that the music be turned down?

The time was approximately 4.30pm, the sun was shining in a clear blue sky and everyone was having a good time.

About half an hour later another elderly lady, this time with a dog, tried to do the same thing, i.e., stop the music which was being enjoyed by this 200-strong audience.

This musical event only takes place on three weekends a year and for those attending is looked forward to with eager anticipation.

For those people residing (some only infrequently in their second homes) in the elitist Church Square, would it not be possible to be a little more tolerant?

This town has little alternative industry to offer other than tourism, so surely, that is why these events are encouraged by our town and district Councils.

As I write this letter at 8.15am on Sunday, August 23, my peace is being shattered, and has been since around 6.30am, by the screams of many motorbikes speeding down Udimore Road in their quest to gather (free of charge) on the Strand.

These motorbikes are very noisy and, at times, very dangerous but no authority stops them as they too bring money, and interest, to the town.

We have to live with this noise week in and week out throughout the whole year.

We have to be tolerant for the wider benefit to Rye, so why can’t the residents of Church Square be tolerant too?

After all, it’s only for three weekends.

Pat Mash

Udimore Road

Rye

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