The 50’s

When, in 1953 Mr. Les Arnold resigned the Church appointed Mr. Eric Mole as Captain. Soon afterwards Dr. Barnardo’s opened a boys home at Spennells (formerly Brinton’s Recreation Ground). The superintendent, Mr. Garratt, decided that his boys should join the Boys’ Brigade. So, one Monday evening, the swing doors on the old Sunday School building flew open and a dozen or so boys burst into the hall, thus doubling the Company section numbers at a stroke. Soon an all-in wrestling match was in progress on the mats! These boys and others stayed in membership until a change in Barnardo’s policy broke the link.

1954 was the centenary of the birth of Sir William Alexander Smith and events to mark the occasion were held at all levels. A “Festival of Boyhood” was held at Wembley Stadium and boys, officers and parents travelled to London by coach. An International Camp was held at Eton and George Jukes was one of three boys from Kidderminster Battalion who attended. Mr. Justice Finnemore was one of the Brigade Vice Presidents there.

1954 was also the year George Jukes gained his Queen’s Badge.  

After a number of years joining with 20th Birmingham Company for Annual Camps it was decided in 1958 to go it alone – at Saundersfoot. It RAINED and RAINED and other camps were washed out. Had it not been for the hospitality offered by the small Baptist Church that would have been the fate of the 8th. But boys slept in the small vestry and others, including staff, slept between the pews in the church. The camp survived.