20 November 2019

There have been two major events in the life of Hythe Town Council recently.

The first was our Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Hythe Memorial and subsequent Parade in the High Street which were attended by large numbers of people again this year, with children and young people very well represented by the Cubs, Scouts, Guides, Cadets and others.

The large attendance shows how much this event means to our community and our determination that we will never forget our heroes who gave their lives for us.

Our friends from Berck Sur Mer also attended our ceremony in Hythe and laid a wreath, and the next day I went with Hythe Twinning Association to pay our respects at Etaples and at Berck Sur Mer’s cemetery. The trip was beautifully organised and provided us all with an opportunity to reflect on the horrors of war but also the extraordinary fruits of sacrifice.

The second major event was a Special Meeting of the Standing Joint Committee of the Confederation of Cinque Ports in Winchelsea on November 20th. This was an historic event in that the Confederation unanimously approved a resolution I put forward declaring a Climate and Ecological Emergency across all the Cinque Ports, calling on all members to take urgent action to reduce their carbon emissions to zero and report back regularly on progress.

The Cinque Ports have worked together as friends for a thousand years and it is my hope that we’ll enjoy a thousand more. However, unless we act now on the threats facing us, Hythe will be under water up to and including the High Street within the lives of many living now, and Romney Marsh will be nothing but a memory. This is the greatest danger ever faced by the Confederation and we all agreed to confront it directly together and do whatever we can to save our towns by setting an example for everyone and encouraging all people of good will to follow our lead.

Meanwhile, Hythe Town Council is pressing ahead with its raft of programmes to reduce waste plastics in Hythe, plant trees, and protect Wildlife. We are now developing a Business Plan to advance a vision of an Historic Vibrant Hythe which will engage all sectors of the community in plans to enhance and celebrate our natural environment, cultural and artistic life, local businesses and everything that makes Hythe an exciting, positive and beautiful place to live.

Our Council was also greatly honoured by the presence of His Excellency the Ambassador of Nepal on October 31st. His Excellency addressed the Council and witnessed the debate and approval of a motion establishing a “Sisterly Relationship” between Hythe and Manthali in Nepal, with a view to fostering cultural, commercial, tourist and friendly ties between us. After the meeting there was a small reception at the Everest Restaurant in the High Street – an opportunity to reflect on the considerable contributions made to the lives of everyone in Hythe but our greatly loved and respected Nepali community.