British Industries Fair

The British Industries Fair (BIF) was an annual trade show held between 1915 and 1957, most often at twin venues, in London and Birmingham, England.

The first show took place in 1915 during World War I at the Royal Agricultural Hall, London, to encourage the production of goods that would otherwise be imported from abroad, particularly from Germany.

[1] At Birmingham, a large complex of buildings was built in 1920, situated between Castle Bromwich Aerodrome and the railway line.

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 Harewood.

In 1956, Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip visited the fair at Olympia, whilst Marshal Bulganin, Soviet Premier, and Mr. Khrushchev, Communist Party Leader, flew to Birmingham in order to visit the fair at Castle Bromwich.