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The Boys Brigade

Dave Bath

Dave Bath

master brummie
My dad was in The Boys Brigade at sometime in his life and I know very little about this organisation. Can anyone shed any light on this?
 
Hi Dave: If you know which area of Brum that your Father was in and attending a local Boys Brigade group, then you might be able to pinpoint if the group is still in existence. You can Google- History of the Boys Brigade, Birmingham and there are several links plus a lot about the history of the group. My Uncle Bill was in the Boys Brigade in Witton for many years.
 
Hi Dave ,Just Read Your Thread On The BB And That Your Uncle Was A Member , Was
Your Uncle From The Aston Witton AreaYears Ago, And You Have Been Informed By Another Member On The Forum ,Whom Are Quite Right There Was Different Companys
Of The BB Around Brum ,As There Is Still. The Aston BB Company Was The 1st Company
Of The BB And They Came From Aston LadsAnd Witton , And The Senior Captin
For The First Company Was A Major , Mr Roberts, Whom Lived In Albert Rd Aston
In A Very Big House ,And They All Operated From Dyson Hall In Park St Aston Down By The Vine Pub There Weekly Meeting Was A Couple Of Times Aweek At The Hall
And It Kept The Lads Out Of Trouble This Is The 4O,s And The 5O,s I Am Refereing
Too,And Also They Done Band Practises For The Sunday Parade Around The Streets Of Aston, And On Occasions They Done Big Parades Which Also InvolvedThe Buoys Brigade And The Scouts Plus The Girl Guides And Brownies And They Would March Around The B,Hm City As Wel , They Used To Go To Camp Twice A Year .
I Myself Was In The Life Buoys At Dyson Hall On The Different Nights To The BB
mY tWO oLDEST bROTHERS And There Friends John LLOYED Was The PaceMaster
With The Big Stick They Toss In The Air When They Are Marching And Also He Used To Play The Bugle Along Side My Second Oldest Brother , My Oldest Brother Ron
Used To Be The Lead Drummer Of The Band Along With An Neibour And Very Good Friend Was Terry Jarratt .The Fist Company Of Aston Had To Go To London And Make A Record Of There Tunes This Was In The Day Of The Old 78 Records ,
If They Wasnt Band Practiseing They Would Do Gym AcribatsAnd Put On Shows
Best Wishes ASTONIAN ,;;
 
I was in the 69th Company who held their meetings in a chapel in Berners St.
It was very similar to the Scouts,promoting good citizenship, with many courses you could take to obtain badges, which were proudly worn on the sleeve.
I think it was the 1stA Company that used the church at the bottom of Gt. King St. and you would see their Captain, a Judge Finnemore, cycle up Burbury St. on his way home after Church Parade, most Sundays.
Guess he would want a chauffeur driven limo these days!
 
Astonian said:
Hi Dave ,Just Read Your Thread On The BB And That Your Uncle Was A Member , Was Your Uncle From The Aston Witton AreaYears Ago, Best Wishes ASTONIAN ,;;
Click to expand...
Hi Astonian,
It was my dad who was in the BB, I assume in Aston but not sure as I have no idea how old he was in the BB. He married my mom in 1929 and lived in Bracebridge St until 1965. I have posted on the BB Forum but there is very little traffic there. I will send them an email. Thanks all for the help so far.
 
My brother Alf in our back yard in Guildford Street. He must have been in the 1stA company as Judge Finnemore was often mentioned at home
 
Oh, to see some of the kids of today looking so smart.

More memories re kindled...
Thanks for the piccy, Michael.
 
Michael_Ingram said:
My brother Alf in our back yard in Guildford Street. He must have been in the 1stA company as Judge Finnemore was often mentioned at home
Click to expand...


Hi .Great to see you brothers photo.I was in the 1a from 1960 -1970.The company is still going today.Some old boys still meet every thursday at the peoples chapel for game of snooker etc .There is a remberance day parade every year .Where we do a quick march round the streets of newtown and in for the service .There are hundreds of photos on display from years gone by.It is really good to see photos of yourself and older lads that were in the company
 
Boys were much more sociable in those days. There were so many groups you could join you were spoiled for choice. In my class in 1963 you would have found BB, Church Lads,Scouts,ATC,ACF, Sea Cadets, Youth Clubs and church based clubs.My parents did not see alot of me ATC three nights and youth club.I worked both days of the weekend with a morning paper round to finance my activities. Must say the homework was a bit slip shod but managed to get a few A levels.
I am glad I did that with my youth rather than spend it watching television or playing computer games alone.

Having read through my post I think that boys still need that sociability but to many turn to gangs and without proper leadership get into trouble.Celebrities hardly provide worthwhile role models.....mr grumpy aka Arkrite.
 
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I was in the Girls Life Brigade & the Captain was Joyce Finnemore, we used to parade with the !0th A BB I.knew lads in the 69th, (Ray,you & I have had a talk about various lads we knew ) when the lads went to camp they sent us girls letters about camp life I still have few in a box that have made it out to California .!!! happy memories.
Jean.
 
Hi My name is Joe Allington and I too was in the 69th BB Skipper Gibbs was the captain and he had a son Ronny we would march around the streets on a Sunday playing bugles and drums, I believe the hall was in Berners Street, I also went to Gower street School in Lozells and was in Mr Dawes class wit a MR Matts the head master The days of the cane but I loved them, does any one remember me?????
 
I was in the 71st Boys Brigade in the early sixties and also in the Life Boys, which was for the younger boys. We used to go to Union Row Congregational Church in Handsworth and would go on a church parade on Sunday. (I do have pictures but have not scanned them yet.)

We used to go to the HandsworthPark in the summer and play football and take badges in first aid and swimming at the Grove Lane baths.
 
Nice pictures there david, It was always a highlight of Sunday to march around the local towns with bugles and drums, What has happened to the BB now?? do they still exist??

I remember one venture going on an advance party to Worcester and cooking the meal for the main brigade to join us Health and safety now would not allow the fires that we used to light, The meal was all the vegies being sliced up with meat and boiling away to make a stew.

Went down quite well

Alas I have no pictures of my early days
 
My brother Stanley Shaw was in the Boys Brigade at Nechells in the 60s - (we lived in Stella Street) He would have been 62 this year. There were 6 of us in the family. Not sure whether brother Graham attended too. Just wondered if anyone remembers Stan (or Graham) ?

Joseph1933 - the boys brigade does still exist here in Redditch - my own son used to attend as a boy :)
 
This is a photo of the openening of the new peoples chapel gt king street .The 1a boys Brigade in july1967 .Captain Dave Piearce
took over for Sir Donald Finnemore.Was Captain from 1961 to 2000 when he passed away I am second from the kerb
 
hi all
both my boys were in the Boys Brigade here in Histon cambridge and both benefited from their involvement they were also in both the cubs and scouts.
paul
 
Mebmm - Won't open for me either, but would love to see it. I was in the Life Boys (Junior BB) at the 'old' peoples chapel, Lou Pearce was in charge of us, Dave Pearce had the seniors. regrettably we waz bulldozed out in '66, and although I finished off the year to easter travelling by 15 bus from lea hall, I did not 'go up' to the 1stA proper, like my elder bros did Albert & Keith Southwell.
I do still have my bible issued to me ready for it though.
We had a collecting box for the funds for the new chapel, and came back to see it opened, but have no pics of the event.
The 1st A always had a good band, although the neighbours were not too happy when my brother practised the bugle in the attic............

Brian
 
I was in the Girls Life Brigade at the Chapel. Judge Finnemore was Capt of the BB . I knew the Pearce brothers, Eric Blackham who is a member here, was also in the !st A B B.
Jean.
 
Hi .Brian .I know albert and keith very well .Seen them last november at the old boys parade .Also remember you dad ws always at the church etc
 
bramwell said:
I was in the Girls Life Brigade at the Chapel. Judge Finnemore was Capt of the BB . I knew the Pearce brothers, Eric Blackham who is a member here, was also in the !st A B B.
Jean.
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Hi .Jean .Unfortunatley all the piearce brothers .Have passed away over the last few yeas .Dave .Lou and then bill
 
Hi Membb, As we had moved , and I never 'went up' to the 1stA, I was with the 27th at Glebe farm.
dad passed away a year, I'm afraid - he always made us attend BB. He had a fond spot for Judge Finnemore and Dave Pearce. he used to foolow daves lad's career in the REME , a unit he had been in himself. My sister Annette was in the GLB, but I seem to recall that they often met at Smith St School?

The other year the 1stA came and did a 'clean up' at Key Hill Cemetery, where John Skirrow Wright - a founder of the chapel is buried.

It's a small world?
 
I was in the 68th Boys brigade which was located at the Baptist church cnr of Sandy Lane and Beeches Road,Great Barr.I still have the bible presented to me in 1965 when I left for Australia with the BB crest "Sure and Steadfast".The captain was Alan Taylor who I was fortunate to meet 2 years ago on a visit.Happy memories of camps,band marches,Duke of Edinburgh Award courses,sport and constant social activities.
 
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