How Mary Berry ended up at RNLI Rye Harbour
It all began with a phone call at the beginning of September. A question was posed: “Are you the right person to talk to about the RNLI?” In reply I said, “I hope that I can help: I am the Press Officer at the station."
The phone call was from Kelly at Sidney Street TV and the request was to use the boathouse for ‘Mary Berry Christmas Makes’. This was to be a Christmas party fimed in the boathouse in October as Mary wanted to include the RNLI in her show.
The requests came flooding in: “Do you know of a local character who is larger than life and has a loud voice? Yes, the Town Crier Paul Goring came to mind.
“How do we look inside the local church?” Martin, who is Chair of RNLI Rye Harbour, and I replied: “We hold the keys, as we are involved in setting up the monthly services - no problem.” Did we know of a local musical group that could sing shanties? Yes, right here: Martin Bruce runs the local group called Rye Harbour Herrings and would be happy to help. What about handbells with children involved? Luckily, Martin is a handbell ringer and we have a lovely relationship with St Thomas’s school Winchelsea so a little group was formed and coached in the art of handbell ringing with Martin and the music teacher of the school.
The list went on and on, but it was such fun sourcing venues, places to stay, kitchens to cook in - and pièce de resistance - “Could you find seventy people to come and sing carols at the Christmas Party?” No problem: we had the crew and their families, strong connections with the local am-dram group Rye Players and the wonderful Marsh Choir. Seventy people, no problem, and so in late October the three-day filming began.
The Mermaid Inn was showcased first, Judith and Martin Blincow being in their element, and Mary Berry cooking pasties for the shanty group and that was followed by the handbell ringers in the Harbour Church of the Holy Spirit with Amanda Holden. Tuesday shone a spotlight on Camber with Oti Mabuse, endless sandy beaches and wild-water swimmers.
Day Three, the longest of all, began early in the boathouse with the lifeboat, tractor and carriage being moved onto the front apron. There was lots of cooking, retakes, much laughter and fun and quite a bit of hanging about for us extras. The afternoon ended with the singing of Christmas songs and flapjacks for the children with Mary and Nick Grimshaw handing out the treats. Mary and Nick spent time talking to the volunteers at the station and their families. The carol singers sang beautifully and Father Christmas played the keyboard. It was jolly cold but it did not rain and we did not have a ‘Shout’, so all was good.
Everyone who took part loved it and the proof is in the (Christmas) pudding. Please watch on catch-up as it was aired on Wednesday 18 at 8pm. What a way to showcase the amazing work of our crew at RNLI Rye Harbour and the lovely town of Rye and Camber village, too. No more spoilers: we want you to watch the show and enjoy it.
One phone call and what a result and for me: a credit in the credits as the local researcher.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.