Churchill: Great Statesman, Poor with Money

No More Champagne: Churchill and his Money is a biography by David Lough which focuses on Winston Churchill's finances. And it reveals that the great Statesman spent a lifetime keeping his head just above water when it came to his private financial affairs.

At a talk on September 23rd David Lough, who is a former City financier and who has made a forensic study of Churchill's finances, will reveal an extraordinary account of the one-time Chancellor of the Exchequer's struggle with his own money.

Lough has discovered that Churchill lost huge sums at casinos around Europe, escaped bankruptcy through secret bailouts by shady private donors and gambled disastrously on financial instruments. And, at the same time, he ran a lavish lifestyle he believed befitting a member of the grand Marlborough family but without the land or cash  ion the bank of a Duke to fund it!

Peasmarsh Festival 23-26 June

This weekend sees the fabulous Peasmarsh Festival. From Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 June there will be nine concerts under the direction of violinist Anthony Marwood and Cellist Richard Lester, eight in the delightful church of St Peter & St Paul in Peasmarsh.

The, Orchestral Concert at 8pm on Friday 24 June will be at St Mary's Church in the heart of Rye. The soloists are Richard Lester and Anthony Marwood and they will play with the London Mozart Players. The programme comprisesmProkofiev's Symphony No 1 in D major, Haydn's Cello Concerto in D major as well as Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major.

For more information on all the concerts that comprise the festival and to book tickets go to http://www.peasmarshfestival.co.uk/

Anthony Marwood will be back at Rye Arts Festival later this year with an eveneing concert on 20 September at St Mary's Rye

Welcome return of Cajun music maestros the Hotfoot Specials

The Hotfoot Specials - the finest traditional Cajun Music band in the South of England and stars of the 2015 Rye Arts Festival - will be playing a special fundraising gig at the Rye Community Centre on Saturday 9th April.

Tickets are £10 each and available from Grammar School Records in  Rye High Street, which is open seven days a week, or telephone them on 01797 222752! You should be able to buy them on the door too, but if it's a sell-out... 

9 Bach

Edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weld 9  Bach yng Ngŵyl Gelfyddydau Rye ym mis Medi ! Mwy o wybodaeth i ddilyn yn ddiweddarach!

Really looking forward to seeing 9Bach at Rye Arts Festival in September! More information to follow later!

Pianist Tzu-Yin Huang wins at Hastings

Tzu-Yin Huang won the 12th Hastings International Piano Concerto competition on Saturday 5 March and as part of her prize she will be performing a concert at the Rye Arts Festival in September.

The  Taiwanese pianist beat 50 of the World's finest young concert pianists who gathered in Hastings over 10 days to compete for one of Europe's most prestigious international piano competitions.

The Master's Centenary

Tomorrow sees the centenary of the death of one of Rye's most famous residents. On 28th February 1916 Henry James, long-time resident of Lamb House in Rye's West Street, passed away. Such was his huge international reputation as a writer he was known simply as 'The Master'!

Although an American James spent much of his life in England and became an adopted son of our nation and town, living in Lamb House from 1897 till 1916. 

We're not sure what is planned by the National Trust , which owns Lamb House, to note this important date, but we can reveal that Rye Arts Festival is lining up a real treat of an event at the end of September to mark James' centenary year! All will be revealed later but keep an eye on www.ryeartsfestival.co.uk as this year's exciting programme comes together!