Sorry its been so long in replying to the messages posted and thanks for your interest. I thought i'd clear up the queries regarding the CLB. for anyone who is interested, the following potted history sort of covers it I think
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A man called Walter Mallock Gee founded the Church Lads' Brigade on November 11th, 1891, at St. Andrew's Church, Fulham, when an existing Boys' Brigade Company was 'merged' to form the first CLB. It grew quickly and was given Royal Patronage. Its first Governor and Commandant was Lord Chelmsford and its President was HRH The Duke of Connaught, who was later to fulfil the same role in Scouting. Queen Victoria inspected a Church Lads parade in 1896 at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Though the CLB does not have a high profile today, it would be a mistake to underestimate its strength in the first part of the twentieth century. Some indication of strength can be formed from the fact that the Church Lads' Brigade formed two battalions in the First World War and ex-Church Lads won a total of 22 VCs, in comparison to that of the Scout Association who had 150,000 ex-Scouts and Scoutmasters in the field but no named battalions, and a total of 11 VCs.
Sadly the Aigburth branch has since dispanded
Regards
Stewart
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