Margaret Stewart shared this photo with Blantyre Project adding, “My uncle Jim (Jimmy) Miller from Rutherglen is in this photo. The Semple brothers from Blantyre are also in it . We lived across the road from the Semples in Devondale Avenue and our mothers were friends . Just a little bit of nostalgia for your older readers.”
From 1961, the newspaper report said, “Six lads – their ages range from 13-22 – are proud to belong to Lanarkshire. And this sense of civic pride, gave them the idea of helping to make the County an even happier place for those who live there.
The lads — two come from Cathkin, Rutherglen, one from Cambuslang. and three from Blantyre-have been providing skiffle entertainment at old folk’s clubs, hospitals and other organisations. Their only stipulation is that their services must be free! Andrew Finnie, 17; and Jimmy Millar, 19 are Ru’ glen lads. Andrew’s the pianist, and quite a good one too. In Glasgow, he has played for Colin Hicks, Tommy Steele’s brother. Jimmy, who lives quite near Andrew, at the Cathkin by pass, plays the guitar.
Cambuslang’s Jimmy Millar, who is 19, plays the drums and Blantyre’s Jack Thomson, 22, is the second guitarist. The other two Blantyre boys are brothers. Jim Semple, the baby of the group is only 13, but his rock n roll treatment of the pops is something special. Andrew Semple, 15, is another wizard of the electric guitar, and like also wee brother” Jim, can give a classy rendering of popular or old time song as the occasion demands. Under the name of the Kimbos Skiffle Group, these six lads frae Lanarkshire have entertained all over the County.
They’ve also managed to win the “go as you please” competition at Rothesay for two successive years. It would be only fair to mention that the lads were approached to form the group in the first instance by their producer, Jimmy Paterson, aged 32, of 4 Vicarland Road, Cambuslang.
But Jimmy, a tyre dealer is the first to admit the lads needed no persuasion to fall in with his plans. Jimmy and some friends clubbed together to buy guitars, amplifiers, mike, drums, cymbals, etc. For performances, some of the band squeeze into Jimmy’s wee car. The others go to the destination by bus at their own expense.
Very smart the ” Kimbos look too in white shirts, red ties, black trousers, red jackets and white shoes. Who knows, some day, they may be persuaded to turn professional.”
My Papa is also in this picture. Jimmy Wright – he played Bass Guitar for The Kimbos and is also in the other picture on this website of them. He isn’t mentioned in either post but he was in The Kimbos from the start to the end
The Andrew Finnie in the photograph went on to achieve fame and fortune as the Band Leader with “Come Dancing” , using the stage name Andy Ross. Ross was his mother’s maiden name. I knew him as Drew Finnie, the Church organist at Fernhill and Cathkin Church.