A new DVD looks
back at life in the Canvey of yesteryear.
The motto on
Canvey’s coat of arms is, ‘Ex Mare Dei Gratia’, which means, ‘From
the Sea by the Grace of God’, and the island’s relationship with the
sea has been the dominant aspect of its history. The film explores
the draining of the marshes by Dutch engineers in the 17thcentury,
charts the ups and downs of life on Canvey in the following
centuries, and dramatically relives the tragic events of 1953, when
the Great Flood came to reclaim the island. This could so easily
have been the end of the story, but Islanders are a hardy breed, and
the next chapter is perhaps the most remarkable, because, not only
did Canvey rise again, it positively boomed.
This entertaining
journey through Canvey Island’s past is produced by Britain On Film
exclusively for the Echo. The running time is 50 minutes and it is
narrated by Roger Vernon.
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