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   Brigton Billy Boys © Page 1 Page 2 Page 3
...... social history from Glesca 's east-end.      

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 Tam Bain   1918 - 2007

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Whilst pursuing the social history of Bridgeton I have been very fortunate to have found and met two members from the 1930s Bridgeton Purple & Crown Flute Band .... Tam Bain and 
Wullie (swagger) Watson.


 Tam Bain  Swagger Watson

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29th April 2006 Extracts from my meeting with Mr.Tam Bain in the Crimson Star pub in Brigton 

  

   
        Tam Bain
was born at 29 Harvie Street, 
 
(latterly renamed Fairbairn Street).  Bridgeton in his Auntie Jean Skinner's house, his  uncle Willie Skinner, he  told me, was such a bluenose that he was known as 'Struth' nicknamed after the legendary Rangers 
Manager Bill Struth.
  
   The Bain family home was a top flat, 3 storey 
 'room & kitchen' with outside  toilet, just a few 
 closes along at No.63 Harvie Street. 
 There the parents, Donald
(known as Donny) and  
 Margarert
(nee McRobbie) brought up Tam and his 
 five brothers, Tam being the third son born on 
 11th May 1918.
           
   He attended Dalmarnock Primary School 
 and then Bernard Street School.
 His Dad died in 1931 when Tam was only 
 13yrs old leaving his mother to bring up the family.
 He left school, worked in the coop bakery 
 until he was 16 then joined Singers in Clydebank,
 serving his time as a toolmaker and working there 
 for 32 years until it closed cc1980.
   
Read Tam's tales of the Billy Boys band on page1

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   Aged 20yrs old Tam married Jean Oaks, a Bridgeton lass, from Bernard Street at Fairbairn Free Church, Baltic Street in 1938. Their first house was a room & kitchen with outside toilet in the close at 160 Bernard Street, Bridgeton. Tam & his wife Jean had six children, 3 sons and 3 daughters
    Lilias now Lilias Trotter living in Cranhill
    Margaret now Margaret Russell living in Skegness
    Andrew Bain living in Nottingham
    Wilma now Wilma Fullerton living in Bridgeton ( marrried Billy Fullerton's son)
    Thomas Bain (known as Junior) living in Barachnie
    William Bain living in Cranhill
Tam talked fondly of his children and said they had all done well, he reminisced of family life in Bridgeton and mentioned that his boys went to Church House.

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    I spent a very happy hour with Tam, a lovely wee
 man immaculately dressed and 'as sharp as a tack'! 
 Interestingly we both were brought up in Fairbairn Street 
 
(known as Harvie St in Tam's day) and we both attended  
 Dalmarnock Primary School! 
 So that got us off to a good start!
   
 He still lives in his beloved Bridgeton, in a new house in  
 Dalmarnock Road near 'the Toll'. 
 A Rangers season ticket holder, he takes his place at the  
 Rangers end of the main stand every home game, his wee  
 brother Andy Bain is the famous bluenose with the one leg 
 who goes to all the matches with Scottish comedian Andy  
 Cameron.

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 He greeted me with a warm smile and friendly handshake, 
  we met as strangers and departed as friends.

                                                                                       webmaister, GlesgaPals

 

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Fairbairn Free Church
Baltic Street
Bridgeton

Where Tam married Jean in 1938 

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Apr 2006 extract from email, Peter Scott, Vancouver, Canada.
".. Hi Wull, Many thanks for letting me see the latest photos of the Billy Boys and it was great to see Tam Bain and to know that at 87 years old, he is still sharp as a tack. I remember nights at the Playhouse on a Saturday night, and football on a Sunday with Tam, Abie Bagley, Bob Wallace, Willie Houston, Rab Napier etc, Tam Bain was a true Character and had a great wit. Peter

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18th August 2007....Tam Bain died .                                                                      

BAIN THOMAS McROBBIE. Suddenly at home, on Saturday, 18th August 2007, Tam, loving husband of the late Jeannie, much loved dad of Lilias, Thomas, Margaret, Wilma, Andrew and William, devoted grandad, great grandad and brother of all the family. Cortege will leave Taylor Brother Funeralcare, 517 London Road, G40, on Friday, 24th August, at 11.35am, for service at Daldowie Crematorium, arriving at 12 noon, to which all friends are respectfully invited. No flowers please.
                                                                                                                                                                       
 See Funeral Tribute
          

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