October Newsletter 2025
- Jane Brook
- Oct 30
- 12 min read
Updated: Nov 1
Welcome New Members
Happy Halloween 🎃!
It's great to see the High Street getting in the mood for this weekend's spooky celebrations. Here's Adams' window display, looking fabulous!
Christmas Window Display Competition💫 & Christmas Tree Festival🎄
Last month we announced the Chamber Christmas Window Display Competition and the proposition has evolved somewhat since we announced the idea. We are excited to announce a partnership with Rye News, The Mayor and St. Mary's Church!
To kick the competition off this year, we have a two-pronged approach.
A traditional judging format - much like our Chamber colleagues in Tenterden - with Rye's Mayor leading the adjuducation together with a small independent panel choosing the winners.
We’ll also be introducing the Rye News People’s Choice Award, with voting taking place on social media @newsrye. This will give the public a chance to show their support for their favourite display and help drive footfall to the High Street throughout the festive season.
Editor of Rye News, James Stewart, commented
"One thing the news over the last few weeks has shown is just how passionate people in our town are about making Rye the best it possibly can be this Christmas. The Rye Window Display Competition is a great innovation from Rye Chamber and I know our readers - locally and around the world - will love seeing what our shops and businesses create".
⭐️ We'll be visiting businesses this weekend with details on how to enter the competition ⭐️
Celebrating the Winners 🏆
We’re looking forward to celebrating our first-ever winners of the Christmas Window Display Competition 💫 at the Chamber Christmas Social on Friday 28th November at St. Mary’s Church where many businesses and organisations from Rye will be erecting and decorating their trees for the Christmas Tree Festival 🎄🎄🎄 The Social is event but would like to have numbers for catering purposes please 😀
Join the festive fun and promote your business for free! Following the success of last year’s inaugural Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary’s, the Chamber is delighted to be sponsoring it again, and this year we want to encourage even more businesses to take part by holding our annual Christmas drinks with entertainment and sing-along at the church on the same evening as Christmas Tree setting up takes place!
Last year, there were over 30 beautifully decorated trees promoting local businesses and causes on display in the church. They were enjoyed by hundreds of visitors during December. We’re hoping that year two will be even bigger and better.
Here's the plan:
To take part in the Christmas Tree Festival 🎄, email the festival organisers Vivienne and Hillary at vivienne.pattison@gmail.com by Friday 14th November and tell them how big you are going to go with your fabulous creation so that they can allocate a suitable spot for your tree and give you further festival instructions.
Pick your tree 🎄! Rye Garden Centre are offering 10% off trees for any business (you don’t need to be a Chamber member) that is taking part in the festival, and they will DELIVER your tree to the church for free, on Friday 28th November, ready for you to decorate!
On the 28th November: Arrive anytime from 2pm to collect and decorate your tree 🎄! Leave flyers, include QR codes, showcase your creativity and promote your business to hundreds of people for free!
Stay after 7pm for the Chamber Drinks and networking - a free event, everyone is welcome, no need to be a member!
At 8pm THE WINNERS of the Christmas Window Competition 💫will be announced and prizes awarded with a English Fizz toast to the winners 🥂 kindly sponsored by Charles Palmer Vineyards.
To finish the evening, join us for a jolly festive sing-a-long led by the Rye's favourite songstress Sally Bayly with Michele Elliot accompanying on Piano🎄🎶 💫.
Need inspiration for the Christmas Window Display Competition 💫?
Tenterden Chamber of Commerce organises their town's annual Christmas Window Competition - now in it's 6th consecutive year and it's going from strength to strength.
We thought you might like to hear from a past winner and runner up of their competition Tara McCarraher of Rising Star in Tenterden - a small independent business that packs a big punch with her now famous, fabulous annual festive displays. As you can imagine, a huge amount of time, planning & effort is put into these too create her magical & memorable displays. We asked Tara to share some inspiration:
Q. What are your top three principles for a show-stopping Christmas window?
Colour. Theme. Impact. Our huge outside floral display Rising Star are hard to miss either driving through the high street or pottering around the high street.
Q. Can you give us one affordable tip for independents getting started?
Any business can make an impact or feature at any scale. I started small and as my business
grew so did my spend on the displays and offer an experience to the customer. Why does that just have to be inside the store? I display outside my shop to make the impact and create a social media experience that inevitably draws the customer into the shop.
Think about what you could forage or make yourself. Source second hand. Grow.
Friends and family with talents ie; sewing or baking.
Its free to collaborate with other independents also. For example: you have a shop on the high street and a florist who is off the beaten track or just started in business - they do a floral display on your shop with their business details on. Win. Win!
Q. Can you tell us some moments of recognition for your displays that you’re proud of?
Well last December I was little overwhelmed - with a mention of were to shop at Christmas in the country homes & interiors magazine. Then to follow my house was front page of the Wealden Times magazine December Christmas issue where the editor Lucy did a beautiful write up on the shop and floral display I had. However, to finish I was made top 5 choice by Mary Portas Queen of shops for the Window of Wonder Instagram hashtag nominations. Hundreds of independent Shops across the UK were tagged for this distinction but I was so shocked to be chosen by the lady herself as her top 5 in the uk which made my heart sing.
Grateful thanks for to Tara for sharing her window wisdom! We look forward to visiting Tenterden to see what she has designed this year. Follow Rising Star on Insta for more inspiration.
Christmas Lights
Last month we reported the Chamber position on Christmas lights.
We’re very grateful to the group of businesses and volunteers working towards a safe and compliant solution to the Christmas Lights for this year. If the support now garnered leads to a robust and sustainable solution going forward then great progress will have been made and we applaud them for their hard work and dedication.
If you are able to contribute could you please pledge can come to the Chamber, in person at Simply Rye or see Brenda Draper on the Mint. There are pledge books in both places or email ryechristmaslights@gmail.com
To support their effort, the Chamber spoke with Rother District Council about possible funding for the electrical works needed to ensure a compliant, long-term install. We were invited to the town hall on 21st October to share an update; the feeling was that no additional funds would be needed, but we stand ready to help if the position on this changes and applying for funding becomes necessary.
Levelling Up - AI Tourism Project Update (Visit Rye)
As we have pivoted to launch the Christmas Window Competition together with Rye News to ease the burden on our volunteer team with the extra moving parts! Launch of Visit Rye looks like mid November now.
Update on Levelling Up Revenue Project - BID consultation
The Task Group held drop-in surgeries on the 20th, 21st and 23rd October.
Businesses had very constructive feedback, raised important questions and made valuable suggestions.
All views that have been expressed to the Task Group either in person or via email across the entire consultation period will be considered in full at their next meeting.
Anyone who has yet to contribute their views can still do so via the hello@ryebid.co.uk
Comprehensive FAQs available here
Honouring Jo Kirkham
At Monday’s Rye Town Council meeting, Mayor Andy Stuart’s tribute captured what so many of us feel: She served 54 years as a councillor, was mayor from 1979 to 1982, and kept turning up right to the end of her life because she believed service is a duty, not a headline. She showed us a model of service rooted in knowledge, humility, and astonishing stamina. It was a privilege to sit longside many of her family members in the public gallery, listening all of the tributes, every one deeply heartfelt and emotional.
Jo's passing creates a vacancy for a new councillor. The deadline for requests for a bye-election on 11th November, only after this we will know if the selection will be via a bye-election or by co-opt.
There’s a terrific idea in this week’s Rye News about celebrating the work of volunteers - and Jo - in an annual awards ceremony. Definitely worth exploring. 👏
Update on Station Approach Loos
The Loo Group met again at the begining of the month to discuss further developing the CIO approach to tackling the long-term solution for the Station Approach Loos. Rother District Council Estates have applied to Network Rail for the lease to be transferred to Rye Town Council. Meanwhile, the group is applying for a grant from the Station Community Fund. We will continue to update on this.
1066 News
The next two years will undoubtedly be a once in a generation opportunity for the 1066 region that Rye sits within. The return of the Bayeux Tapestry to England for the first time in 1000 years in September ‘26 and the Year of the Normans in ‘27 will be our moment in the spotlight. Visit 1066 Country is working on BIG plans to maximise the potential that this offers us all for visitors, tourists and local communities alike, and is calling for stakeholders to get in touch with their plans and ideas. A collaborative approach will be critical for success and to access funding. If you’re not already in touch with 1066 country about this but you think your business or organisation should be then please email Sarah in her capacity as Chair of 1066 Country Marketing - sarah@swallowtailhill.com
Visitor Economy News
Businesses in town will already recognise that the international visitor economy is significant to Sussex. While international visitor numbers only represent 2% of our visitors overall, they are responsible for a huge 19% of visitor spend. Sarah attended two meetings this month both of which were focused on the importance of tapping into the potential for this growth market.
LVEP
The East Sussex, Brighton and Hove and West Sussex Local Visitor Economy Partnerships has a ten year strategy to drive growth for the visitor economy from £5bn to £7.5bn by 2034. Growth in international markets will be critical to reaching that target. At the October meeting of the LVEP Advisory Board there was an update from Visit Britain - which made clear that currently UK tourism is losing its competitive edge when compared to other European Destinations. The sector's growth is hampered by high prices, restrictive travel policies, reduced government funding, and competition from other countries. The meeting also heard from UKinbound which is the only trade association dedicated to inbound tourism – the UK’s second largest export industry. Their presentation made the case for businesses within the sector to be ‘international ready’ calling for them to recognise the potential for working with travel trade overseas to secure long term relationships yielding sustainable growth rather than just relying on global booking platforms to deliver short-term business.
Sarah also met with Paul Barnes from the Association of International Retail (AIR). AIR is calling for the Government to undertake a review of tax free shopping in the UK. They have significant new data that suggests that instead of incurring a cost to the Exchequer, if tax free shopping were reintroduced to the UK the benefit to the South East alone would be as follows:
Additional non EU spend on shopping would be £200m
Additional EU spend on shopping, accommodation, hospitality and leisure would be £365m
Combined additional spending would be £565m
Combined additional jobs created would be 11,320
Importantly for us in Rye, introducing tax-free shopping for EU visitors would enhance the business case for reopening Ashford International Station - something many of us support.
AIR is seeking support from businesses to lobby the government for undertaking a review. To that end we have contacted our MP Helen Dollimore to apprise her of the new data and seek her response.
You can read AIR’s budget submission in full here https://www.internationalretail.co.uk/tax-free-info-hub
New leader for Hastings & Rye Labour Party
Congratulations to Rother District Cllr. Si McGurk who has been appointed the new Constituency Labour Party Chair for Hastings and Rye.
Rye After Dark
The Chamber attended the launch of the new show at Rye Heritage Centre last week. Rye After Dark: spirits, witchcraft and legends is a journey through Rye’s often other-worldly history. If you didn’t know about Rye’s ghost community there are a lot of them! The show reveals some of the most compelling stories past and present - some acted out by familiar faces (we suggest Oscars are deserved all round!) and some retold documentary style by those who’ve experienced mysterious goings on first hand. Keith Warby from Story and Brand has worked with RHC to bring the show to life, and once again we commend Simon Parsons and his team of volunteers for creating another wonderful show on a sixpence – punching well above their weight as a tiny tourist attraction funded by donations alone.
Rye Harbour Sailing Club - Clubhouse refurb
We attended the launch of the refurbished club house earlier in the month and welcomed them as new chamber members. It’s a fabulous facility with a great outside space that would be a great venue for our summer BBQ next year! The Sailing Club gave us a very warm welcome and their friendly and helpful members would love to meet their fellow chamber members, so if you’ve ever fancied your hand at sailing, why not pay them a visit.
Chatting with the Romney Marsh Business Hub
We met with Terry Botfield the official Business Mentor supporting The Romney Marsh Business Hub.
1-2-1 Sessions for businesses and organisations
Terry wanted to make you aware that a small number of funded face-to-face sessions with him are available. A number of phone sessions with Darrienne Price, The Business Support Manager for the Romney Marsh are also available. In the first instance, email businesssupport@rmbh.uk to arrange.
Terry also runs The Marsh Network - a business networking group set up by Terry 8 years ago. He wanted us to raise awareness amongst our members of their regular meetings and free workshops.
We also had an interesting conversation about Solar Farms planned development across Romney Marsh and wondered if our members would be willing to engage with the initial consultation and maybe consider a survey? If you are interested, please let us know info@ryechamber.org
Sussex Greenways - free bike lockers for accommodation providers
Nick Hanna from Sussex Greenways contacted us this week to appeal to our members to help him with some research. Because of the short lead time we put a call out on the Chamber What's App Group. Nick explained:
Sussex Greenways is applying for a grant to install up to 12 bike lockers in hospitality venues in the Rye area to help meet the needs of visiting cyclists. Holiday cyclists often have expensive bikes and equipment: secure storage will encourage them to stay here, explore local attractions, and spend more time in the area. With the growing popularity of cycle holidays, Rye is in a key position to become a cycle hub for touring Romney Marsh and the High Weald National Landscape, as well as a key stop-over on National Cycle Network 2.
We wish them luck with their grant application. If you'd like to find out more about the scheme, contact Nick at info@sussexgreenways.org
Charles Palmer Christmas Open Day 🎄🍷
If you have guests or and family over on 20th December, why not suggest to them to head over to Winchelsea 11am to 7pm for a festive afternoon filled with good food, fine wine and live music - the perfect opportunity to stock up on Christmas wines!
• Tonio’s Pizzas - serving freshly made wood fired pizzas from 1-6pm
• Live music by Jack Stevens- late afternoon
• Rare and special Charles Palmer vintages - available to buy by the bottle
• Complimentary winery tour at 2pm and 4pm with our wine makers
• Cosy cellar door - unwind by the log burner with a glass in hand.
Check out their website for more festive events
Christmas Parking Concessions 🚘 🅿️
The Chamber has asked RDC for the 3 run up Sat dates to Christmas - 6th, 13th & 20th for all day free parking concessions for Cinque Ports Street, The Strand, Bedford Place, Lucknow Place and Gibbet Marsh car parks.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:
Monday 3 November 6am: Entrepreneurial meet-up at Ground Up Coffee Shop.
Friday 14th November Christmas Tree Festival deadline - email vivienne.pattison@gmail.com
Sunday 9th November - Rememberance day Sunday 9th November
Saturday 15th November - Rye Bonfire Pageant
22nd & 23rd November - 10am - 4pm Christmas Craft Fayre at Rye Garden Centre
Tuesday 25 November: 7pm, Rother Environment Group AGM followed by a talk from Michael Wachter at the George Hotel (tbc).
Friday 28th November - Christmas Tree Festival set up date St. Mary's from 2pm
Friday 28th November - St. Mary's from 7pm - Rye Chamber Christmas Drinks FREE
Friday 28th November - Light Up Rye Christmas Window Competition Winner announced at 8.30pm at St. Mary's
29th & 30th November - 10am-4pm - Rye Creative Centre Christmas Market
Saturday 6th December - 6-7pm - Rye Carol Concert, St. Mary's Church
Saturday 13th December at 6.30pm - Carol Singing at The George
Saturday 20th December - 11am - 7pm - Christmas open day at Charles Palmer Vineyard
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See you next month!
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