On the trail of Rye Bay Scallops

Glenda Procter creates jewellery boxes from scallop shells. In the summer she came up with an eye-catching idea of displaying scallop shells on posts, alongside the main road at Udimore and spraying them gold, silver or bronze to reflect the medals that Team GB won during the London Olympics.

Now she has come up with a plan for a family treasure trail during the Scallop Festival and has loaned more than 50 of her scallop shell boxes to shops in Rye to display clues in their windows. And she has got Rye Museum on board to help with the project.

Glenda said: “we are hoping to involve children and keen adults to take part in a family Fisherman’s Scallop Shell - Trail.

“Shops can get involved by placing something in the Scallop Shell box relating to their business and placing it in their window. This will hopefully help increase business by drawing people to the shop.

“Families will be able to download the Fishermans Scallop Shell - Trail, activity sheet from the Rye website or collect them from Rye Museum, the Information Centre in Lion Street or The Heritage Centre on The Strand. They will also be handed out during the children’s activity day on Saturday 26th January, at Rye Museum.

“The Fisherman’s Scallop Shell Trail sheet will list all of the participating shops. The children will need to search for the Fisherman’s treasure placed inside the Scallop Boxes in the shop windows. The children will list the items they discover within all the Scallop Shells displayed in a column, ‘What’s in the Scallop Shell box?’.”

Glenda added: “I have now delivered 56 boxes to shops on the east side of town. Only half way around the town at the moment. They have been received very enthusiastically and with no exceptions.”