THE Boulevard in Blackburn has been highlighted on our Nostalgia pages on numerous occasions.

But it was for so long the beating heart of the town centre - the major transport hub for residents and visitors - for more than a century and a half, in fact.

Today our image from the archives mixes buses with a band - the Furthergate Boys Brigade 2nd Company Pipe Band, to be precise.

Back in 1950, when they went off to summer camp, the lads didn't just turn up at the Boulevard to catch their transport, they beat a march there, immaculately turned up in their gleaming uniforms and playing a march.

They were on parade and bus passengers and pedestrians enjoyed the stirring, early morning spectacle they provided.

The pipe major in the centre of the photo, with the dark jacket is Jim Eliot, who taught all the lads to play on the pipes and drums.

Behind the musicians, which also include buglers, are the colours, followed by lads brigade members no double looking forward to their summer holiday.

Before they left by train, however, the band piped a wedding party on board, who had appeared on the platform.