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London Diocesan Church Lads’ Brigade photo

She adds 'Do you know where this photo was taken in Brentford? - it looks as though it is in the garden of a large house and I have always wondered where. Please get in touch if you can suggest the location.'

There are 25 boys and four adults, two of the adults are in uniform and they are accompanied by a vicar and businessman, see individual portraits below. Also a detail from the belt is shown.

Business man	Vicar, presumably of St George, St Paul, St Lawrence or St Faith	Captain’s Cap Badge (With laurels)	Lieutenant’s Badge (without laurels)	Detail of badge belt

Church Lads’ Brigade history

The following details were provided by Rob Bolton and are currently on an archived page of the BBC Radio 4 website, 'the Church Lads' Brigade was formed in the late nineteenth century at an Anglican church in Fulham in response to the formation of the Boy's Brigade in Glasgow. The idea was attract youngsters who might be starting work and had drifted away from Sunday School. It soon blossomed as a force throughout the UK and by 1908 was invited to join the Territorial Cadet force, an offer that was turned down. However, in 1914 in response to the National 'call to arms' the 16th (Service) Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps and later the 19th (Service) Battalion KRRC sponsored by the CLB, was formed entirely from serving and ex-members of the CLB, becoming known as 'The Churchmen's Battalion'.

There is a second photo showing the local Diocesan Church Lad's Brigade, thought to date from before 1910, and this includes more details of he local group. Finally and for completeness Brentford did later have a Boy's Brigade, see Ron Tidy's photo from the mid 1950s.

There is a little more on the BBC web page (you will need to scroll down) and more about the current day organisation and its history at the Church Lads' and Church Girls' Brigade website.

Please get in touch if you can add any names; perhaps you recognise the vicar, who must have appeared in other photos?

Published June 2012; updated November 2014