British Industries Fair
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The British Industries Fair was an important exhibition centre near the village of Castle Bromwich, which is situated within the northern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English West Midlands area.
It was built in 1920. The large complex of buildings were situated between Castle Bromwich Aerodrome and the railway line. For two weeks every year it was the most visited attraction in the country. Visitors arrived by road, rail and air. In 1933 the first diesel locomotive arrived there for display at the BIF.
The nearby Castle Bromwich railway station received many important visitors for the BIF, including King George V and Queen Mary in 1928, the Duke of York, Princess Mary and Lord Lascelles. They were often entertained afterwards by the Bradfords at Castle Bromwich Hall.
The site was sold in 1960, along with that of the airfield. The buildings and the sites were cleared for the construction of the Castle Vale overspill housing estate for the City of Birmingham.
Today, BIF has been replaced by the National Exhibition Centre.
