Dear Georgians
As the school holidays come to an end and we enjoy the last rays of summer, Rye welcomes an exciting line-up of recreational, art, music, literary and theatrical events throughout September.
For the athletes among you, the very first Rye Ancient Trails Race takes place on Sunday 9th. Starting and finishing in the town, this challenging, circular route winds its way through the beautiful countryside linking the Norman churches of Rye and our nearby villages – a true steeplechase! You may choose to run either 30km or 15km, and the race is open to runners of all abilities, so you don’t need to be a Paula Radcliffe or a Mo Farah to take part! All proceeds will go to the Oliver Curd Trust, which provides holiday accommodation to families affected by childhood cancer and other life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. Please see the website for tickets and further information.
Also on Sunday 9th is Rye Festival of the Sea – a celebration of Rye’s maritime history. Get yourselves down to the River Rother to see the Raft Race – a fleet of vessels constructed from ‘readily available materials’ and crewed by groups of local friends and businesses donning fancy dress. You even get the opportunity to join in the flour bombing from the safety of the quay!
One of the top ten mini-festivals in the country, the Rye Arts Festival, returns on Friday 15th till Sunday 30th September. The underlying themes this year celebrate the centenary of the end of World War 1 and the introduction of votes for women. The literary programme features the Rt. Hon. Dame Joan Ruddock DBE, ex-
Cabinet member and CND campaigner, and legendary broadcaster Andy Kershaw, to name just two of the guest speakers. There is a host of international stars from the worlds of classical and contemporary music, and an exceptional visual arts offering across different venues in and around the town. You can download the full festival brochure here.
With so much going on you will undoubtedly need some downtime, which can be spent in The George’s Tap Bar sampling our brand new cocktail menu. We heartily recommend the ‘Dragon Slayer’ (Westerhall Rum No.2, Fair Acai Berry Liqueur, Lime Juice & White Sugar) and ginthusiasts will love ‘Miss Lucia’ (Beefeater Gin, Briottet Peach Liqueur, Lemon Juice & White Sugar) – just don’t mix them!
Finally, we’d like to say a huge thank you to our guests for contributing to the latest charity featured on our check-out scheme. Dom’s Food Mission aims to help feed the homeless and families in food poverty and to make an impact on food waste in Hastings and the surrounding area. The charity, set up in 2015, now feeds 
over four thousand mouths every month and is run by a team of dedicated volunteers. Dominic Warren, who founded the charity with his wife Alexandria, said: “It’s with the amazing support from incredible teams like the one at the George in Rye and their wonderful guests who have helped us to reach more people in need. From our hearts we would like to say a huge thank you to you all.”
With best wishes for the coming month
The George in Rye
