Great Flood Exhibition

On 30th January, local history enthusiasts and Canvey Island residents commemorated the 66th anniversary of the 'Great Flood' of 1953, with an exhibition organised by the Canvey Community Archive.

'Great Tide' Stamp Set 2013 - © canveypost.org

It included slide shows and films, newspapers, period maps and photographs documenting the plight of Canvey Island residents during the fateful January night of 1953 when 58 residents died.

Exhibits also included contributions from the Watersnood Flood Museum at Ouwerkerk, Netherlands. The Dutch coastline was severely flooded during the same storm and 1800 people lost their lives to the power of the tide and bitter-cold winter night.

The event was well attended and I was delighted to see many younger people taking an interest in their local history. It was also an honour to talk to several residents who experienced the flood first-hand. From these conversations I gained further insight into that terrible night, talking over the photographs of long lost Islanders and landmark buildings.

The Canvey Island Local Post issued a four stamp set to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 'Great Tide' on 31 January, 2013. We still hold stocks of this issue and any collector interested in obtaining a set can buy it online from our agent, Alpha Thematics.