At a surprise party in the Kino cinema, the team from Rye News last week recognized the enormous contribution made by Kenneth Bird, not just as the co-founder, along with Dennis Leeds-George, to the newspaper, but to the town itself.
Kenneth stepped down from his role as director of Rye News just a few weeks ago, but in a presentation to mark his retirement from the board and a step away from weekly editorial duties, Dennis Leeds-George said:
“There has been a lot of talk recently about Kenneth being the founding-father of Rye News. He wasn’t. He was actually its creator and his ideas and drive have brought an awful lot more to Rye than just a very good newspaper.”
It was fitting that his leaving "bash" be celebrated at the Kino, as Kenneth was a driving force behind the creation of the most comfortable, convivial, and stylish of cinemas, from the shell of an old church building.
Editor Chris Lawson referred to him as the "commander-in-chief", and John Minter, a former editor and one of the longest serving editorial members of the team, expressed the respect and affection that everyone felt for Kenneth.
A framed presentation of the first story written by Kenneth for the paper and his last story published the week of his retirement, was made by John, after which Kenneth toasted the future of Rye News.
While the paper will never be the same without Kenneth’s quiet, but firm, tactful leadership, it was impressed upon him that retirement will only provide more time for him to write stories for his creation.
