In the beginning

As with other cities of the swinging sixties Glasgow had it's share of newly opened clubs and coffee bars in the Hillhead area of Glasgow and it's Kings road,Byres Rd which was the happening scene of the era.

There was a particular coffee bar and an offshoot, Ashton Rd called the Papingo which had over it's door arch, coffee and jazz. One of the Papingo's many attractions was it's late hours which appealed to the beatniks, artists and rockers who populated the Hillhead districts.

Within the rocker element a group of like minded guys got together and decided that a change of image from the Brandon boys of the rockers was called for.

Over many cups of coffee,cokes and the new joints of marijuana the new ideas were discussed and decided that a uniform of blue denim wrangler suits would be their attire and their motorbikes would be stripped down triumph Nortons(Tritons) without lights, and painted sky blue to blend with their uniforms.

Only a name was required and they all agreed on a name, "THE BLUE ANGELS", for various reasons.

Alan Morrison and Lenny Reynolds because blue was Scotland's national colour and Tommy Howells who had worked out the letters of blue stood for bastards, lunatics, undesirables and eccentrics of which he said just about summed them up.

Over a period of time the image attracted others who liked the Sunday runs which the blue angels organised to race on the hill roads around Glasgow and every so often trips into the western highlands which were quite near the city.

It was also about this time that the mod gang culture was starting to take off and gangs like the Maryhill Fleet, the Calton Tongs, the Townhead Shamrock,the Gorbals Cumbie, the Govan Team,the Drumchapel Buck,the Pollock Bundie and the Partick Cross Boys were starting to carve out their territory, literally,while other gangs and sub gangs would proliferate the big boys would go on to organise protection rackets shebeens,(illegal drinking dens) and some even prostitution.

The phenomenon had always existed in Glasgow but this time the gangs did not spawn from poverty but the pull of getting a share of the large amounts of money which were floating about in Glasgow .

The different cultures would soon clash and while the top of Byres rd was accepted Fleet turf and the bottom was indeed Partick Cross and the turf of the gang of the same name, the middle was accepted as neutral and the styles and fashions on the whole mixed in harmony.

However one night the Blue Angels were drinking in the "curlers tavern" which was exactly in the middle of Byres rd and was one of the first places for the drug culture to blossom which made for good nights and great parties and was the place to be when a crowd of suits came in and as the time went on dirty looks started and the insults followed, soon a bar brawl of John Wayne proportions started which spilled out from the bar to the street.

The suits ran in, slashing with their razors and the Blue Angels retaliated with flick knives , switch blades and tyre levers; there was bawling and shouting,guys were slashed and stabbed and several guys collapsed with weapon wounds. Soon the police arrived in droves and waded into all and sundry and making no distinctions, some were captured and some got away.

Many of the Blue Angels were incensed and the what was to become a pillar of policy "Retaliation, out of proportion" followed in the weeks to come with cafes and bars petrol bombed and sneak attacks done in the night by both sides.

Soon wiser heads decided that guys getting injured and imprisoned was not conducive to a good lifestyle, and soon talks took place to end the strife, by the end of the night drinks were exchanged and many of the suits were introduced to the joys of shit (cannabis resin)promises were made to help fix cars and scooters,while individual fights would break out over the period, the two gangs held each other in mutual respect and never carried out hostilities against each other again.

The Blue Angels were Glasgow`s premier because of the reputation they had built in the war with the Maryhill Fleet and whilst some like Lenny Reynolds were shot,slashed and stabbed in a very short period,this did not detract from the style of the bikes,the image and the penchant for violence which saw the Garthamlock Blackhawks join with the Blue Angels and later some of the Roadburners.

After a battle in an Asian Restaurant the nickname "The Blue Gang" became prevalent and the walls of Glasgow and it`s outskirts towns began to see alongside local gang grafitti,slogans such as Blue Angels OK,Blue Angels,Best in the west,the slogans started to appear on the hill roads ,on mountain passes and as the Blue Gang travelled the slogans appeared in places like the Ace Cafe,the Busy Bee, various truck stops and transport cafés and further afield like the Eiffel Tower and the Necropolis in Athens.

The American magazine Saturday evening Post arrived in the middle sixties with an article on California`s Hell`s Angels and the sleeves were cut off the wranglers, a new style of bike was appearing after the Blue Gang viewed Peter Fonda and Bruce Dern in "The Wild Angels",the chopper!

Custom bikes became the thing but most of all,insignia called colours,adapted from the Americans was designed,but rather than adopt the American concept in full which had the club name at the top ,insignia in the middle and place name at the bottom,the Blue Angels being conscious that the terrain they moved in was much smaller than California and that their membership did not come from one area plus the pride of the founder members in their gang background displaced with the placename and instead had Blue at the top in a mixture of gothic and celtic lettering and in the middle a skull copied from the waffen ss with a german helmet from the despatch riders of the same formation,on each side of this yellow wings spread in homage of the symbol of angels the powerful wings of flight symbolising freedom and at the bottom the word angels.

This design was unique then and even today there are not many similar designs throughout the biking world,such is the pride of the insignia that the Blue Angels copywrited the colours in 1997.

Time went on and on holiday in Scarborough a crowd of Yorkshire boys asked if they could become Blue Angels as well and the two groups got on so well that even today many of the older members are still great friends and uniquely the Blue Angels Leeds Chapter is the only other group in the UK outside the Scots.

The travelling would go on,time would go on,some died,but fresh blood would replace them,more wars came,biker wars this time,as savage as biker wars are, but yesterdays enemies are today’s friends and yesterdays foes look down their noses at the new kids on the block who don’t have the wounds and scar tissue or the traditions of the old combatants.

The reputation and the history has spread from Frisco Bay to Sydney Harbour, 28 have died for and because of the lifestyle including one on a life sentence.

Names of the legends are spoke of with reverence,Billy Rolling Stone, Sammy the Fox,Shannie,Nasty Bob,Mad Fitsy,Big John Herne,Danny Tha Fish ,Scoobie,Chaza,Bunker Tha Coalman,Bugsy.

The talk of the dead and what they done creates today’s pride,brotherhood and loyalty and the men today know what is expected of them..

Chapters

Glasgow

West Coast, South East, Aberdeen, Fife

Leeds, York, Kirklees, South Lakes (Capitulo)

Belgium National,

Ghent, Border, South West. North East.

Costa Azul

Dirk Van Damme

80s. On arrival in Spain he decided that a Spanish Chapter was needed, the first step was to solicit the necessary permissions from all the European chapters, this given the task to build the Spanish chapter got under way. Initially members of various European chapters came to make Spain their home, unfortunately due to the economic down turn in the European Union, jobs became difficult to secure and finances dried up.

Many returned to their country of origin. In the early years there was a plethora of prospects who wanted to wear the patch, but standards could not be lowed so alas many fell by the way side, only the toughest got through. By October 2012 the required number of full patch members was reached and the Spanish chapter was given its Charter by no less than the mother chapter President and one of the founder members, Lenny Reynolds. The event was attended by all European chapters, and a few selected and invited clubs. The Chapter is moving from strength to strength.