British Empire Exhibition

The British Empire Exhibition was held at Wembley, London in 1924.

It was opened by George V on St George’s Day, 23 April. The British Empire contained 58 countries at that time, and only Gambia and Gibraltar did not take part. It cost £12 million and was the largest exhibition ever staged - it attracted 17 million visitors.

Its official aim was "to stimulate trade, strengthen bonds that bind mother Country to her Sister States and Daughters, to bring into closer contact the one with each other, to enable all who owe allegiance to the British flag to meet on common ground and learn to know each other".

Most of the exhibition halls were demolished afterwards, but the stadium was kept, and became the home of English Football.

Bibliography

• The Lion Roars at Wembley - Donald R. Knight & Alan D. Sabey, Barnard & Westwood Ltd., London, 1984

External links

• Unofficial site
• a Sunday Tribune page