Ask any BB lad about the 18th South Shields Company and the first name they will tell you about is "Mr Amstrong". George Armstrong was the longest serving Captain of the 18th, serving for an amazing 41 years, having joined the company in 1971. He sadly passed away in 2012 due to Motor Neurones Disease.
George was always a favourite amongst the Junior members of the 18th, who all, without question, had an enormous respect for him. He mustve seen 1000s of lads pass through the BB in his time, including all of the officers here and, without question, everyone you meet will tell of their respect for him. He always did things the "right way" in terms of discipline, self respect, always doing your best and always helping others. He passed that ethos onto all of the young men who passed through the Company.
In 2016, a new trophy was introduced into the Company to honour Georges memory of his outstanding work for the young people of South Shields, and it is presented to the best boy of the year, who has demonstrated Georges ethos. The past winners are:
