Wednesday 26th May 2021
The Great Flood of 1953, the combination of a high spring tide and a storm over the North Sea, causing a surge to sweep across the East Coast and up the Thames Estuary, was the worst natural disaster in Britain of the 20th century, in which 307 people lost their lives in England and over 1,800 people in the Netherlands. It also produced one of the great works of English social history, 'The Great Tide' by Hilda Grieve, which tells the story of the flood disaster in Essex. In this programme Patrick Bernard discusses 'The Great Tide' with writer and social historian Ken Worpole; Edward Platt, author of 'The Great Flood'; and Anne Johnson, a storyteller who runs Everyday Magic, a London-based charity which sends storytellers into state primary schools, and who lived on Canvey Island at the time of the flood.
Thanks to Michele Chowrimootoo.
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About the artist
Patrick Bernard is a presenter, producer and sound engineer at Resonance FM, an arts radio station based in London.
Check out Patrick's work here
Image: Hilda Greive, The Great Tide
