Images Dated 2009 April

British Empire Exhibition 1924 EPW010737

BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION, London. Photographed in June 1924 at Wembley, Middlesex. Its official aim was "to stimulate trade, strengthen bonds that bind mother Country to her Sister States and Daughters". It was the largest exhibition ever staged anywhere in the world, attracting 27 million visitors. The main exhibition buildings surrounded and fronted onto the lakes (right of centre in this picture). The Exhibition Station (foreground) adjoining the India pavilion, palaces of Engineering (middle right), Industry, and Arts (top), with the Australia and Canada pavilions to the left of the lakes. the Palace of Engineering and the British Government Pavilion survived into the 1970s. The Empire Pool became the Wembley Arena, and the Empire Stadium was also kept until 2002, when it was demolished to be replaced by the new Wembley Stadium. Aerofilms Collection (see Links)

© Historic England

The Kursaal, Bexhill EPW000121

THE KURSAAL, de la Warr Parade, Bexhill, Sussex, photographed in 1920. The Kursaal or "Cure Hall" was built in 1896 as Bexhill's first entertainment pavilion, the closest thing to a pier the town ever had. It was renamed the Pavilion after the first world war. It was closed in 1936, shortly after the de la Warr Pavilion (350m to the West) was opened in 1935. The site, near the war memorial, is now occupied by the sailing club. The terrace behind remains, including the Normanhurst Hotel. EPW000121 Aerofilms Collection (see Links)

© Historic England

Roman Theatre Verulamium EAW011295

VERULAMIUM, St Albans, Hertfordshire. This Roman Theatre is unique in Britain - the only known example of a theatre with a stage rather than an Amphitheatre. Started in about 140AD it was gradually extended until by about 300 AD/CE it could seat 2000 spectators. Associated with a temple, the arena would primarily have been used for religious processions and dancing, as well as staging plays, wrestling, armed combat and wild beast shows. By the 4th century the theatre went out of use and filled up with rubbish (which makes excellent material for archaeologists!). Although much of the masonry was robbed out in later centuries, the remaining ruins and earth banks (discovered in 1847 and fully excavated between 1930 and 1935) still give a good impression of how it may have looked. Aerofilms Collection (see Links)

© Historic England