In March 1982 – during that heady time leading up to the centenary celebrations – Miss Muriel D. Ellis (Brigade Archivist and full-time Records Manager at BBHQ in Parsons Green) wrote in the first edition of the ‘Badge Collectors’ Newsletter‘: “The whole idea of this little publication is for the Badge Collectors to get to know each other, to arrange swaps and ideas etc., but it is also hoped that each issue will contain information about new badges, news-worthy items. Badge stories which will inform – or even amuse.”

Contributions were just 75p for three issues and there was, appropriately, advance notice given to subscribers of the forthcoming centenary buttonhole badge. 

The Newsletter ran for fifteen editions over four and-a-half years until Muriel, now ‘Mrs Gibbs‘ was made redundant from her employment with the Brigade in October 1986 after 31 years. service.

In 1986, there was still no ‘Club’ only subscribers to the ‘Newsletter’. Ironically, a whole page in the final Newsletter was devoted to possible designs for a ‘club’ badge, but it was not to be; at least, not for a few years.

During her tenure as ‘BB’ Archivist, Muriel had produced as part of an archive series, a booklet entitled: ‘Badges of The Boys’ Brigade’ which, until this volume, was the standard reference work on the subject. We have Muriel to thank for her pioneering work in getting collectors together.

Source: Badges of the Brigade, Volume One. p. 254