Parking concessionswill help town

It could be just the incentive that visitors and local people need to shop in the town and help boost the local economy.

It also sends out a message that people are welcome and hopefully they will be inclined to stay longer.

Perhaps more importantly than anything, encouraging people to use car parks could help ease town centre congestion and the ongoing problem of vehicles parking on pavements in the Citadel area.

Good too that Rother is looking at improving signage to Rye’s main car park at Gibbets Marsh .

The fact it is woefully under used is down to a strange quirk of geography that leaves visitors with the impression they have a long walk back into town when in reality it is a short hop over the railway crossing.

We get bonfire season off to a bang this week with our comprehensive eight page look at the Sussex bonfire tradition and the local bonfires, both big and small, that help illuminate the dark winter nights.

It is a celebration unique to this corner of the country and sees thousands of people taking to the street to enjoy the fiery spectacle.