I’m sorry to advise that Stuart Hunter (80) passed away on Sunday 6th September 2026.
Stuart was a 214 stalwart having come through the Company as a boy, officer and Captain.
He was Captain when I joined the Company, before passing on the captaincy to Lachlan May.
I will announce funeral details once known.
We send our condolences to all the Hunter family at this sad time.
Sunday 16th August 2026
It was great to see so many 214 friends turn up for a ‘Seat & Meet’, at the newly installed benches beside the Cenotaph at Victoria Park.
Although many more could not manage along due to other commitments or being too far away to travel, I’m sure you were all there in spirit.
On a damp drizzly afternoon, the rain stopped and stayed away till we had finished. Almost as if higher forces had intervened.
Once all had assembled, it was great to hear Robert Wallace playing Alex F Ibell, an Alex MacIver 6/8 composition, very fitting for the occasion.
I then had the privilege to say some words that hopefully summed up what the day was all about……
“Thank you all for coming along today, it’s great to see you all.
102 years ago the 214th Glasgow Company of the Boys Brigade was formed at the United Free Church on Dumbarton Road, Whiteinch.
This was prior to becoming Gordon Park Church, which you will all know doubt remember it as.
The Company formed a major part of Whiteinch life over the years.
The Boys and Officers could been seen regularly parading along Dumbarton Road on a Sunday morning led by the pipe band.
I could stand here and talk all day of the bands achievements over the years, but let’s just say that from small beginnings, the pipers and drummers produced from this church hall, would go on to become some of the best trained players in the world.
This legacy is still felt today in the piping world.
The Company was not just about pipes and drums….
214 Football teams produced many a great player from the pitches here in the park .
Learning the skills required to play the game, some even going on to play at the highest levels in Scotland and abroad.
Swimming was also another key sport of the Company and with Whiteinch baths on their doorstep why would it not be!
As a major asset in the community I’m sure we all can relate to Victoria Park as playing a big part in all our lives.
Many a summer was spent in paddle and rowing boats, playing Crazy golf, putting or fishing for baggy minnows, with a net from the Scotstoun Emporium.
A visit to the Fossil Grove to marvel at the ancient trees.
Playing football whether at the pitches or just a kick about on the grass with jumpers for goalposts.
I’m sure some even remember curling on the ice rink or getting out your skates and skating on the pond during the winter.
The Company was a regular participant at Whiteinch Gala Days over the years.
With the band leading the parade of floats, cheer leaders and all the organisations all the way up to the park.
Vaulting, tumbling, egg and spoon and three legged races to name a few of the activities on display at these community events.
Although the Company no longer exists, as it amalgamated with the 135th Company at Scotstoun Parish Church in 1986.
The 214 Ex Members Association continue to meet every year and will be holding our 76th Annual Reunion Dinner at Victoria Park Bowling Club next March.
On the 4th of October 2024 we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Company with
the Lord Provost inviting us to a Civic Reception at Glasgow City Chambers where a great night was had by all.
This was when the Centenary Fund was launched.
The idea was to raise funds to purchase a commemorative bench and give back to the area that had been such an influence in all our young lives and leave a permanent reminder of the 214 in years to come.
Somewhere we could visit and remember lifelong friendships and memories of the 214 and Gordon Park.
Many people have donated personally to the fund.
A number of our friends who unfortunately are no longer with us had collections at their funerals and we remember them all on this special day.
The fund has achieved over £4,000, a fantastic amount, which has allowed us to purchase the three benches that you see in place today (alongside the existing war bench).
The plaques on the benches feature Gordon Park Church, the home of the 214. (prior to the church moving along to Jordanvale Parish Church)
The plaque on the second bench shows footballers, representing one of the many sports the Company participated in.
(Some footballers allegedly!)
And the third bench depicts Alex M MacIver, Pipe Major who helped build the many pipe band players along with Alex Ibell, Joe King and Dan Finlay.
(Some of the Band players in attendance)
We chose the Cenotaph as The 214 and Gordon Park had a close connection with it over the years.
The Company led by the Band would parade here every Armistice day prior to the Expressway being built.
It’s where the Remembrance Day service would be held by Rev Harry L. Thompson and the local Priest of the time from St Paul’s Whiteinch.
My Grandfather a World War survivor of Ypres in France used to lay the wreath on behalf of the congregation.
With my Father then taking over this duty on his passing.
I would like to thank Gordon Moore of the Parks Department for all his help in making this possible.
(Some of the bureaucracy attached to this installation has been mind blowing.)
I’d also like to thank Friends of Victoria Park and The Victoria Park Trust, who without their hard voluntary work, due to Council cuts, help to keep the Park going!
We hope that along with our Website (214bb.com) and these benches, the 214 legacy will last for future generations to ask the question….
Who were and are the 214th Glasgow Coy Boys Brigade?
I can’t confirm if the tea from the cafe van will be as good as Alex Ibell’s famous urn produced.
The one that travelled with the boys to Camps, and Pipe Band contests, but I’m sure it will be welcomed.
If I can ask Robert Wallace, if he could play a tune to mark the occasion.
Thank you all for attending.”
Robert thereafter closed the assembled to the Slow Air “Achmore Loch” another of Alex MacIver’s compositions.
It was great to see so many 214 faces together and catch up with them all.
I am delighted to advise you all that on Sunday 16th August 2026 at 1pm we will be holding an informal gathering at the Cenotaph at Victoria Park, Whiteinch.
All Friends, Families, Ex Members of Gordon Park / Jordanvale and the 214BB are welcome to come along for a “SEAT & A MEET”.
This is a chance to catch up with auld faces, for a chat and to see the legacy the 214 BB Ex Members are providing to the park, the place we all have so many memories of.
At the Centenary Civic Reception on the 4th October 2024 we launched our Centenary Fund.
The purpose of the fund was to enable us to provide a memorial 214BB Centenary bench to be placed in Victoria Park at the Cenotaph.
With everyone’s support we have managed to raise enough money to provide THREE benches.
This couldn’t have happened without the kind donations from all the Ex Members and their families.
A special mention goes to the families of Joe Noble, Iain Glass and Ian McLellan, whose funeral and family donations greatly added to the fund, along with notable donations from Tom Connolly, Alan Davidson, Colin McCallum and Colin McCartney.
Further fund raising was achieved by the sale of 2 full sets of 214 bagpipes, a set of small learning pipes that had been made by Alex Ibell that we still had. These had been gathered together by the late Hector Russell.
The sale of the pipes would not have been possible without the great help of Kenny MacLeod of McCallum’s Bagpipes in Kilmarnock.
They kindly manufactured missing or broken parts and refurbished the pipes to their best possible state, including new pipe carrier bag, new bag, chanter, chords, cover and all reeds at no cost to us, Thank you McCallum’s. (I will provide a more detailed “Article” on the pipes at a later date with photographs).
I look forward to meeting you all on the day, come along if you can with your Family,….. Wife, Husband, Mother, Father, Son(s), Daughter(s), (Great) Grandchild(ren) or bring the dog for a chance to remember the 214BB and what it did for the Whiteinch area.
See you all on Sunday 16th August 2026 at 1pm
I have just returned from holiday and I’m sorry to announce that Dougie Law’s wife Margaret passed away on Tuesday after a short illness at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Glasgow.
Margarets funeral is to be held on Tuesday 26th May at 9.30am. Clydebank Crematorium (Dalnottar)
Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time.
Once again we had a successful 75th Annual Reunion Dinner at Victoria Park Bowling Club.
We were able to update the members present regarding the Centenary fund and all the goings on from where the many great donations came from.
You will get a full update when I get a chance to compose the various posts I need to do. especially:-
Centenary Fund ….
The sale of the bagpipes we had.
Victoria Park Benches
The Royal Garden Party
BB Ties
and anything else I no doubt haven’t had time to cover over the last while.
Regards
Alan
Sorry to inform you all that John MacDougall (81) passed away peacefully at home on the 18th March 2026.
John who was a former Head Teacher at Braidfield High School, was married to Georgina for 44 years.
John hadn’t been along to the reunion lately but was always in touch by email.
John’s funeral will be held on Wednesday 8th April 10.30am at Clydebank Crematorium, North Dalnottar, Clydebank G81 4SL
We send out our condolences to all of John’s family at these sad times.
As I’m about to head to Ian’s funeral at Glasgow Cathedral, I’m sure some of our members in faraway lands send their apologies.
Glasgow Cathedral has a streaming service that is held on YouTube.
Please use this link if you would like to see the live recorded service.
Ian’s family have advised that the funeral will be held on
Friday 19th December 2025
13.30 at Glasgow Cathedral
15.30 at Dalnotter Crematorium, Clydebank.
Thereafter onto Windyhill Golf Club, Bearsden.
I’m sure a large 214 turnout (in their ties) would be appreciated by the family, amongst what I expect to be a greatly attended funeral.
I’m sorry to have to announce the passing of Ian McLellan BEM (88) this morning Wednesday 3rd December 2025, at his home in Bearsden.
Ian joined the company in 1948 after receiving 2 years chanter tuition at the hand of Alex Ibell.
He always promoted the 214 in its strongest light, as it had provided him with so much.
Having learned at the 214 this laid the foundations of his life to come.
A regular attender at the Annual Reunions Ian always had some great stories to tell and enjoyed meeting up with all the Ex Members young and old.
Ian was not only a 214 legend but a worldwide one and his life touched so many throughout the piping world, both as a piper and a person.
I have written more about Ian, which I will place on the website in the near future.
Funeral arrangements once clarified by Ian’s family, will be posted as soon as we know them.
Meanwhile I am sure all Ex Members join me in sending our condolences to the whole of Ian’s family at this sad time.