When I was a kid in the 1930s my uncle Harry was captain of the 13th and we always went to displays usually held in the Intermediate School Hall, York Place. Their Church was then the Lewes Rd Congregational and the boys always wore the pillbox hats with two white bands which encircled the pill box, and a whitened band crossing the chest which I believe had a white bag on the end. His name was Harry Norman. He had been gassed while in the army during the first World War and had been shell-shocked I think. I used to be taken to see the B.B. displays at their camp in a field at Glynde, nr Lewes. Harry had 2 children, Les and Betty and his wife was Auntie Bessie. I used to have a record made at the 50th anniversary of the Boy's Brigade, I have lost the record but I remember some of the words of the two songs on it.

Stevie; I wonder if your Harry Norman was related to a near contemporary of mine in the company section - David Norman? I believe he did have prior family connections with the 13th. The uniform you describe was still worn until around 1971/2 when the hats were changed for forage caps. I have photos of me in the the company section just as you describe, on display days, at York Place. Maybe, I'll put one of them on here as well.

I believe Les and his wife had two adopted children one of who was named David. Les's wife was Edna and she is still alive but I don't have the address. His sister Betty died some years ago. She never married and had no children.

Hi Stevie, imagine you having a BB connection! I was in the Sixth Brighton BB (Dorset Gardens) when Harry Norman and the Lewes Road mob were constant competitors with us (late 1940s) and the Sixth had the edge no doubt.  I'm sure I know Stevie personally that's why I am flabbergasted. I was at the first (after the wartime gap) BB Glynde Camp at the same time the first atomic bomb was dropped. (There were three of us 'advance advance party' but that's another story.)

Edna Norman and her two children lived next door to my Grandad in Park Road, Coldean....David and Sheila are the children. As far as I'm aware she is still alive, but not sure if still there.

Hi. I was in the 13th from 1968 to the early 70s. My father was Stan, 13th's Band Officer. Now I'm Captain of the 26th Brighton and one of my officers is David Norman, son of Les and Edna, grandson of Harry. I remember Geoff and his older brother, Bob. I also "bumped into" Nick Wellfare last week.

Hi Paul, I remember you and your dad too. Good to see I'm not the only one still around. I also remember Nick and the Welfares lived next door to us in Hartington Rd. I've got some of the old company photos from the display nights - I'm sure you remember them -at Fawcett Place. I'll try and get a couple posted up on here and we'll see who else is around. I alwys enjoyed hearing the band - I recall your dad kept them up to a pretty good standard, even today (and partly, I guess, due to a career in the forces). I love the sound of drums and bugles and can still picture your dad teaching the band.

I am the David Norman Paul Simmons wrote about, Since 1992 I have been a BB officer, in date order at the 29th (Hounsom Memorial URC) where my son Daniel joined the Junior Section, he later served in the company sections of the 25th and 13th he was discharged in 2000. I was also an officer in the 13th from 1995 and from 2000 at the 22nd Hove Methodist church where I am still a member. My Grandfather Harry joined the 13th in 1910 and I am still a BB Officer in 2012/13. Also Paul and myself still play regularly in the Bugles and drums of the steadfast association. There have been many changes since I was a boy in the 13th But I am proud to Know that four generations went through the 13th before its demise. In the final days of the 13th It was Captained by an officer of the 13th Girls' Brigade Company Mrs Darryl Sinclair (Daughter of the Rev Brian Stone) apart from her I was the last Officer and my son the last NCO.

Hi David; I remember you. It's good to know that I am not the only one with fond memories of the 13th, I was quite saddened when I eventually learnt that it was no more. Since I haven't lived in Brighton really since I was 16, I only rarely keep up with developments there (other than through this site). I now live on the East coast and one of my sons is both a Merchant Navy Officer and a member of our local RNLI lifeboat crew. At the annual lifeboat blessing service, there is one hymn that I sing with rather more gusto than my voice (and the somewhat elderly Salvation Army band) warrants. It does, of course, start "Will Your Anchor Hold". It still has meaning for me.

I remember back in those far off days after Bible Class walking up Hartington Road with you and Brian Steinicke, I also remember you had two elder brothers one was Bob, was the other Dave? To explain my email address dkn is obviously me, hmc is my church, Hove Methodist, where I was an officer in their company the 22nd Brighton which closed in 2003, and bb is The Boys' Brigade. Apart from my son who I mentioned in an earlier text, I have a daughter Sarah who lives in Milton Keynes. It frightens me to think that I have a 27 year old daughter and a 30 year old son. My son served in 3 BB companies the 29th Hove (now closed) 13th Brighton consecutively with the 25th Portslade. Although we were connected with the 13th the 29th and 25th were from the area we live in. I have funny stories regarding my name, for instance when I first went to the 22nd in 2000, just after the closure of the 13th, I went to my first church parade there and whilst waiting at the bus stop a former captain of that company stopped and gave me a lift, he asked my what company I came from and I replied the 13th. His response was "Ah yes, the Normans", I turned round and said I am one. In 1992 I started as an officer in the 29th Hove and when that closed in 1995 I became an officer an the 13th in 1996. I went with the 13th to Glynde camp and one night in the mess tent the camp commander, Brian 'Pixie' Pickard, was cutting a cake, I said can I have a slice (he didn't know me). He said you can't have a slice till you've been coming a few years, so I said to him my family had been coming here for years, to which he said are you related to the great man. A voice from the deep recesses of the tent replied yes he is; so Brian Pickard said to me to take the whole cake. I can't get away from may name. Incidently, when the 13th Lifeboy team first started in the late 1940s, its first leader was my dad's sister Betty Norman who was a school teacher. In the BB cupboard at the 26th they have the original colour for that company which was given to them by the 13th. The 26th is now in its 52nd session so the Captain of 13th at that time would have been Ted Benham. It was sad to see the old company go but that is the same with most of the Brighton Hove & District Battalion, there used to be in the 60s & 70s 30 companies in the Battalion - there are now 12, and 3 of those are new.

David Norman says that the life-boys started in the 1940s. My late brother was in the 13th in the 1930 whereas I being his little brother was in the life boys in the Connaught Institute across the road. Are life-boys junior Boys Brigade?

I recognise Bert Hussey, sadly no longer with us and Ian Sayers, both officers in this picture.

Hi David & Kerry; I remember you and Brian Steinicke well and also a number of others (including the Fogden brothers - there has been a posting elsewhere on this site by a Fogden - possibly one of them). I also recall that the older boys used to go out to a coffee bar somewhere in Hove after Bible Class on a Sunday - I remember that was the first place I heard (or at least noticed) Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Sad to here of Bert's passing, although since we are in our 50s now I guess that was inevitable. It has to be said that the formative years we spent at Lewes Road, were not, in my view anyway, wasted; I learnt much and look back on them and all those I knew in BB, MB and Dot's drama group with nostalgia. I think the leaders and officers concerned did a good job and it is sad that so many of today's youngsters (hark at me) seem to have no similar figures in their lives. David; you say your daughter lives in MK; ironically, despite living on the east coast, I work near MK during the week and in Jan will actually move offices to the edge of MK. My own sons are both in their 20s now, one at sea and one in the ambulance service. Both either have been or are leaders in youth organisations - one the Scouts and the other St John Ambulance cadets and have won awards for saving lives.

I joined the 30th around 1948. The parades were held in the "new" Carden School in Hollingbury, Patcham. The captain was "Bumble" Griffin and there wer lieutenants Les Harris and Mr Constable. I believe there was a second BB company based in The Barn Methodist church in Patcham. My father Ebenezer Charles Snelling (Charlie) was in the 13th in Dorset Gardens just before WW1. I recall the Glynde Camp in about 1950 and the filthy old swimming pool in the Village. John Snelling.

I've just remembered a couple of things about the church halls at Lewes Road - In the smaller back hall with the stage, there was a wooden memorial to Ernest Beale VC - I wonder if that was removed and preserved at all when the church was closed - I hope so. In the larger side hall there was a large relief of the Last Supper. I doubt that could have been preserved but I do remember it as having vivid colours and looking down on us playing 5 (or more) a-side football or British Bulldog!