LOST IN TIME…….AN AMAZING STORY 90 YEARS OLD! The A.O.F.B. was founded in 1924 by Bert Temple eager to show gratitude to Sir Alfred Fripp , an eminent surgeon , and prolific fundraiser with many friends and patients in high places – including the British Royal Family. Sir Alfred had performed a life saving stomach operation on Bert . Remarks from Sir Alfred some time later in his consulting room in November 1924 during a post operation consultation regarding raising funds for the Invalid Children’s Aid Association was all that was needed ; Bert offering to raise the sum of £100 for Sir Alfred’s charities and the A.O.F.B. was born. No mean feat on Bert’s behalf considering the average weekly wage was around £3 at the time. Bert initially produced Blower membership cards with silver A.O.F.B. cufflinks which were snapped up by the ex-members of Bert’s regiment, The 1st Sportsman’s Battalion. Membership being charged at a one off, life membership of 5 shillings. When Jack Haes sang the Froth Blowers Anthem ‘The More We Are Together’ in the London Stock Exchange the A.O.F.B. really began to take off. One of the earliest books in existence has a membership number of 29,198 issued around the 20th May 1926. Not to be outdone, and keen to be included, women of the day joined up and became Fairy Belles under the Angelic Order of Fairy Belles, life membership at 5 shillings as per male counterparts but an A.O.F.B. wristlet was designed consisting of a silver badge on a black silk ribbon. We are the Sussex Vat and meet around the county.