EPW012753 ENGLAND (1925). The British Empire Exhibition eastern Amusement Park, Wembley Park, 1925

I believe this was the Dance Hall for the British Empire Exhibition.

An isolated raised 'viaduct' section of the Never-Stop Railway existed here until at least the late 1960s. Very few of the original exhibition structures remain. Demolition of the BEE site started soon after the closure of the exhibition in 1925. Arthur Elvin, who had some success running a tobacco kiosk and later shops, during the exhibition, obtained the concession to clear the exhibition site and to realise the value of its scrap. He subsequently bought the Stadium (which was originally only intended to stand during the life of the exhibition) and arranged for the construction of the Empire Pool (Wembley Arena), which was built for the British Empire Games of 1934. Probably the last of the large original exhibition buildings, the residual Palace of Industry and Palace of Arts, was finally demolished when the new Brent Civic Centre was built on the site. The adjacent Palace of Engineering had gone some years previously. During WW2 it had housed 212 Maintenance Unit of the RAF. It was from here, at the end of hostilities, that many discharged servicemen collected their civilian 'demob' suits (very likely produced under government contract by Burton's tailoring). A few small buildings remain, adapted for light industrial purposes. Two of the three buildings next to the bandstand/Treasure Island feature and nearest to the camera, appear still to exist. I believe that they were originally restaurant or catering facilities during the life of the exhibition.

This building (a restaurant during the exhibition) still exists in modified form as a guitar and drum saleroom.

Indian Pavilion During the 1925 season, the Indian Pavilion was no longer sponsored by the Indian government for political and financial reasons. It continued in the second season more as a trade and merchandising venture. The catering concessions at the exhibition were run by J Lyons & Co. However, those at the Indian Pavilion were arranged by E. P. Veeraswamy & Co who, owing to the success at Wembley, opened the eponymous Regent Street restaurant in 1926. This can be regarded as the true beginning of the Indian restaurant craze in the UK. Despite the name, Veeraswamy was a venture incepted by a retired British Indian Army officer by the name of Edward Palmer. An oriental rug business is currently trading in what might be a modified southern section of the old pavilion building, on the far side of the enclosed courtyard.

Amusement Park

Ceylon Building

Fiji Building

Exhibition/Stadium LNER loop line. Last used for stadium football specials in the 1960s.

Palace of Horticulture

Hong Kong Pavilion

Newfoundland Building

West Indies and Guiana Buildings

HM Government Building

Band Stand

Road Rail return loop and station