A Brief Guide To The Website...

This website mostly contains copies of historical documents, programmes and photos from the life and times of the 70th London Company of the Boys’ Brigade. It also has sound recordings associated with the Company and the wider BB Community, and photos and copies of the 'Reflections' newsletter produced since the Company closed in 2010.

Acknowledgment and thanks...

The 70th's Centenary Project (2008) freely sourced much material present on the website, and many ex. members of the 70th and the 7th London GLB/GB Companies generously provided access to items in their personal collections. .

This guide follows the same structure as the ‘menu’ displayed at the top of the website's main pages...

Documents...

Company Register 

There are over 500 names in the register covering the years 1932 to 1966. Unfortunately no record of new joiners outside of these years has been found, though recording must of course have taken place. Three 'views' of the names etc. are provided...

1. By 'date of joining' (Roll No.) - useful for finding who joined the company at a particular ttime.

2. By 'surname' - to locate individuals, link siblings etc

3. By 'street name' - this view was created to see who lived in a specific street and just how many boys lived a stones throw from the Church and the halls - not surprisingly, the vast majority. It also highlights how boys joined around the same time in street 'bunches'.

Annual Display and Inspection programmes

These provide 'windows' into the evolving Company life and times over the last 70 years of its existence, and they also demonstrate that they were often also a vehicle for fun and creativity...

The programmes of the '8' year are directly accesable and provide a more comprehensive report from the then Captain. The 1988 programme is notable for some fascinating insights provided by the contributions of five of the six Captains that the 70th had, and the 1958 programme consists of the booklet '50 years of the 70th', a comprehensive and very readable historical account, mainly compiled by Old Boy Ken Hil.

Membership Cards and Staff / Squad lists

Present are membership card cover pictures for the period 1936-1977, and a document containing a transcription from handbooks of staff / squad names from 1946-66. There are some striking cover designs, particularly in the '30s and '40s, and for those in the Company during the period, the squad lists invite recollections of long forgotten companions... All the cards are from members of the community, our thanks to them all for providing access to their collections.

A complete 1949-50 handbook is also present - in its degree of detail it demonstrates just how important the membership cards were felt to be at that time.

Sports Programmes 

A collection of programmes from many of the National and London District Sports Competition that the 70th took part in from the late 1980s to the 2000s.

'Events' Programmes  

Programmes from National, London District, Battalion and Company 'Events' that the 70th were part of. These included Anniversaries and special Services.

Competition Certificates 

A collection of mainly London District and Battalion Sporting Competition certificates that the 70th were awarded in the period 1946 to 2008.

Photos...

A treasure trove for triggering recollections... An album exists for each decade of the 70th's existence (over 250 photos in all). A separate section: 'Reunions Photos' contains albums of events that have occurred since the Company closed in 2010 (over 100 photos).

 Sounds...

 'Name that call'...

The bugle call quiz that started it all - the website grew out of the desire to put the quiz online... Some easy to recognise calls, some not. 'Par' score 8? Good going to identify 10 or more of the 16.

Bugle Band Marches and Drum Solos...

Some high quality bugle band and drum solo pieces played, like the bugle calls in the quiz, by members of the London 'Stedfast' Association Band. The Fanfare includes a rarely heard sounding of a high Bb as its final note.

'Recordings of an Old Boys Band etc.' includes two of the most popular Bugle Band marches ('British Boys' and 'St. George'), played by an Old Boys band (1st bugle parts and drums) assembled for the 70th Display of the 70th in 1978. Also included are six marches from the 1950s Battalion Band Competitions rendered on electronically simulated bugles from musical scores of the 1st and 2nd bugle parts.

 'Kool Drummings'...

Ten tunes taken from a CD of 'Kool Drummings', the combined 70th / 7th Steel Band. These clearly demonstrate why they the band was so popular.

Hymns...

The words to nine Hymns that we have enjoyed recalling and singing at Reunions since 2012. Some are closely associated with the Boys Brigade, others were sung in Bible Class, Camp and Church. An instrumental accompaniment for each Hymn is also available.

 Newsletters...

Two collections of newsletters - the Company's '70 up', covering the period 1995 to 2009, and 'Reflections', which was produced from 2009 to 2015 for the Old Boys community.

'Reflections' contains a link to 'further ‘reflections'' which holds longer articles, selected articles from 'mini Reflections' - the shorter email based Old Boys newsletter which commenced in 2015 - and special pieces including 'Spotlight on the 70th', written by Chris Buss in 2007, which highlights the Company's achievements for each decade from the 1950s to the 2000s, and has a musical theme running through it - the section on 'Kool Drummings' is particularly interesting..

 Contacts...

As well as email contact addresses for the '70th Old Boys Committee', this section also includes 'links' to related websites, including the 70th's own site.