Benfleet (1920-1930)

A bridge is constructed - South Benfleet, Essex.
Opens with scene of various vehicles fording a flooded area or shallow river; while on left a bridge is being constructed. MS as horse-drawn cart and small bus cross; meanwhile in foreground a man is spreading the earth around; so as not to have deep ruts where they drive out of water? Cut to an old truck that died while still standing in water - the driver is at the front cranking away for quite a while.
Several trucks drive across - 1 with a large pipe held by men riding at the back. Small truck now started; drives out. Pedestrians carefully walk across stepping on narrow strip sticking up. Pan left over frame of new bridge under construction. MS Rolls Royce crossing. Man crossing carrying bicycle; another wheels his across.
Ceremony for dedication of new bridge: crowd on bridge - Girl Guides lined up; priests stand at right. Priests shake hands with VIP who has arrived. VIP meets other men. CU worker with machinery - VIP flips switch. Clergyman says prayer; then they; followed by VIP with wife etc. walk down ramp. 2 little girls give bouquets to ladies. MS crowd around a tower / scaffolding / pan up - various shots as block on top keeps dropping onto pole (like pistons) hammering it down. CU pole sinking deeper in ground. MS vehicles fording river.
Title - 'When Imperious Spain - at her mightiest - in 1588, sought to impose her will, it was Drake and the Wooden Walls of England that kept her proud boast - "This England never did, nor never shall, Lie at the (timecode obscures rest)'.
Title - 'Nelson - greatest of all Sailors - at Trafalgar handed down to us for all time our glorious heritage - The Rule of the Sea. In our day - we remember, with pride that the British Navy kept her command of the Sea, the essential to victory - in the Great World War'. MS drawing of battleship.
Cataloguer's note: the titles at the end do not seem to be related to the item.
FILM ID:2342.03
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. www.britishpath...
FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT www.britishpath...
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpat...

[@YvetteLayzell]

Wonderful to note that my family home was just around the corner. A change of pace from the passenger ferries to the makings of the new bridge