Month: June 2023

This month’s Q&A is with our dear friend and Rye gallery owner, Marcus Crane. Together with his husband, Gareth McCully, Marcus moved from London to Rye in 2008, initially needing more space to home their ever-growing pack of rescue dogs. After purchasing a rundown townhouse here, they pooled their collective talents and experience (including fashion, interior styling and design, and floristry for Wild at Heart) and discovered a shared skill for sympathetic renovation and innovative interior design. Spotting a “to let” sign in a local shop window, the idea for the McCully and Crane shop was born. Initially, the thought was to sell some of the excess furniture and artefacts they still had in storage for six months or so, but very quickly the business grew. Now – 14 years later – it has evolved and expanded from its initial interior focus, into an established gallery, which currently represents over 30 local and international artists. However, their original themes of mixing salvaged old pieces besides championing new works endures and embodies the essence of their unique aesthetic. The gallery is one of Rye’s most beloved and established destinations.

Visit McCully & Crane

What brings you to the George?

We moved to Rye from London 15 years ago and The George has always been at the centre of catching up with friends and meeting new ones.

List 3 things you won’t leave home without

Day to day life it’s;
– Phone charger
– EarPods
– Sleep mask

Business or pleasure?

I like mixing both. When we’re away on work trips I like to include some time to relax or just stay somewhere nice for a bit of balance

What is the best part of staying away in a hotel?

Fresh linen and eating room service in bed!

Do you have a hotel story you’d care to share with us?

My mother bailing us out of a fancy hotel in the south of France on our honeymoon 18 years ago! We’d somewhat overdone it and the bill showed it! Mortified.

What are you currently reading/binge-watching/listening to?

Anything crime thriller/murder mystery on Radio 4. And the World Of Interiors for a browse.

Hypothetically, who would you most like to discover is a fellow guest?

I don’t really understand people’s fascination with celebrity so no one famous!
My dear friends Julian and Sally Plumptre. I would happily bump into them anywhere in the world – we’re always giddy when we see each other and they’re marvellous dinner pals. They’ve been big fans of The George for many years too.
And they’ll laugh when they read this!

My dream room service order would be…

A great burger and fries.

Describe your favourite breakfast.

I don’t really eat breakfast usually – but if in a hotel its coffee, fresh juice, and something light and continental.

What helps you get to sleep at night? (Keep it clean!)

Earth’s Secret Sleep capsules. They’re brilliant!

My secret Rye discovery is…

I tell everyone who visits they should go up the St Mary’s Church tower – the views from the top are incredible in every direction.

 

Images: Davy Pittoors

This month we managed to catch up with Maria, co-founder of Retrouvius. Retrouvius was born out of a reaction to the indiscriminate demolition that she and her partner, Adam Hills, witnessed in mid 90’s Glasgow where they both studied. This started their mission to save and reuse all manner of materials, furniture, and fixtures… basically anything old that they could envisage being reappropriated and appreciated. From those earnest beginnings, Retrouvius is now firmly established in London’s Kensal Rise as THE go-to address to source anything unique, unusual, and understood. Maria heads up the design studio which only accepts a few interior and architectural projects per year. So we were delighted that she was able to return to The George and work again closely with us alongside one of Retrouvius’ first employees, James Stevens, on our very own and intense restoration project after the fire. We hope you are as happy as we are with the results.

What brings you to the George?

One year on from the rather frenetic opening in 2022 we are back to photograph the rooms and bar and restaurant with Theo Tennant.

List 3 things you won’t leave home without

Day to day life it’s;
– A tape measure
– Poo bags 💩
– the dreaded phone!

What is your earliest hotel memory?

Oh golly, we were never really a hotel staying family. No money. Stayed with friends & family.
But…..

What is the best/most important part of staying away in a hotel for you?

A relaxing bath in the UK is a must. Good big bed and a bar.

What are you currently reading/binge-watching/listening to?

For total contrast, am loving watching Matthew Macfadyen as polar opposite characters in Succession and Little Dorrit.
Re-reading The Salt Path by Raynor Winn.

What do you always forget/lose when you go away?

I rarely mind if I have forgotten something, just believe it’s moved on to a different chapter in its life, be it phone charger or jumper.

Hypothetically, who would you most like to discover is a fellow guest?

For a laugh – Miriam Margolyes
For a flirt – Richard Burton who did apparently stay at The George before Katie & Alex’s time.
For learning – I’d love supper with Tim Spector & my new Insta find Richard Perkins, loving his regenerative farming ideas.

What helps you get to sleep at night? (keep it clean!)

Delicious herbal teas, gallons of the stuff.

My secret Rye discovery is….

Alex Macarther’s monastery, an impressive restoration of a hidden gem. Powerful reclaimed items and impressive decorative antiques, definitely worth a visit.

Visit the Retrouvius website.