Ashlee Family Films: Telephone Tests, Bexley and Erith (1961)

Some majestic shots of steamers on the Thames estuary at Erith feature in this short film, which also includes adverts for dog food and bird feeding.

Taken from Bexley’s Ashlee Family Films collection, this curious montage of clips starts with close-ups of grocery adverts in a newspapers – “save 5d on red heart dog food” – before cutting to an office, where film-maker Victor Ashlee can be seen typing. The reminder is made up of shots of a toddler feeding pigeons and some great shots of many huge boats on the Thames estuary at Erith.

Bexley Local Studies and Archives