Rye says farewell to allotments champion

Roy Godwin was a well known and popular figure around Rye and a knowledgeable columnist for the Rye Observer.

Born Edward Royston Godwin on May 26 1940, Roy used Rye as a base when returning from work contracts in the Middle East before finally settling here in retirement.

He was a fervent champion of Rye’s allotments and served as the Association’s Secretary for a number of years.

It was in this position that he spent many hours researching the history of the allotments in the local library, digging through the County archives and requesting information via F.O.I.’s that he unearthed the allegedly unlawful transfer of allotment land by Rother to E.S.C.C.

Much of this information was reported through his occasional columns in, and the letters page of, the Rye Observer.

Roy regularly attended St. Anthony’s church where he, not infrequently, would use his training as an electrical engineer to coax the ancient valves and components of the church organ back into life ready for Sunday Mass.

Rye councillor Adam Smith said: “Roy was a kind and gentle man who will be missed by the many whose lives he enriched. No longer will we be met with the sound of his cheery greeting-“What-ho!”

Roy died peacefully in his sleep in the Conquest on July 11. His funeral took place on Monday.