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130th Glasgow Company, The Boys' Brigade

Broomhill Church, Glasgow

 

History of The 130th Glasgow BB

Summer Camps were resumed under camouflaged canvas, military supervision and the almost impossible food rationing conditions. For many years the Company cycled all the way to camp at Kinlochard and one year the Boys had to endure a mass smallpox vaccination. As life returned to normal, the activities and programme expanded. Company Camps were held each summer in places such as Tayvallich, Tighnabruich, Kinlochard, Southend, Morar and Loch Striven.

The Company won the coveted Garroway Drill Cup of the Glasgow Battalion in the years 1942, 1943 and 1945 and, at many civic receptions of the time, Boys of the 130th were continually in demand as Colour Escorts of Guards of Honour.

Sports were always popular too and some of the Boys took part in Inter-City Rugby matches in Ireland. At Battalion Sports, our tug-of-war team managed to out-pull all others for a number of years.

In 1952, when my father, James Cubie, became Captain, the Company had only 12 Boys but when he stepped down in 1960, the Roll was over 50 Boys. As new houses were built and more families moved into the area, the Company and the Lifeboys section grew in size. The post-war “baby boom” saw the strength increase in the 1960’s and 70’s, when Watson McKinnon and Gordon Smith were Captains, to almost 70 Boys.

With the large numbers, the Company could compete against the other companies in the Partick District and the Glasgow Battalion and in the 1970’s, the Company enjoyed much success in Drill, bands, sports, swimming, table tennis and football. BB was not just a Friday evening event because, on every night of the week, there were classes in First Aid or expedition planning, band practices, badge tests and District competitions.

Encouraged by Officers who enjoyed the “great outdoors”, the Company did a lot of hill-walking, expeditions and went for week-end camps. The “Winter Expeditions” gave Boys the chance to go hill-walking in the depths of winter. They stayed in a specially opened Youth Hostel and did their own cooking and walked in some spectacular scenery. This was held annually from Boxing Day, for four days, and the joke at the time was that every Boy turned up on the 26th with turkey sandwiches for their packed lunch.

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