My brother and I formed a band with two friends back in 1977 and for the next five years we learnt how to play our instruments, I became a drummer.

After a few ups and downs we made our breakthrough in 1980 and for almost three years we played a variety of venues across Glasgow. We never made the big time but we were happy.

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The Optics playing live 

At a time when there were a lot of young people our age taking very different paths, we managed to fill our time playing in the band, practicing for gigs and my brother and our friend wrote their own songs.

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The Optics in 1981: Leslie Glass, Gerry Boyle and at the back Sandy (Alex) Glass.

We have got back together. We put together a remastered version of our own material and made videos to accompany the music.

We have launched a Facebook group called Jessie’s Bridge, bringing together lots of old friends from Ruchazie. The group has over 1000 members all sharing memories of growing up in Ruchazie.

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Practicing for a gig in Ruchazie Parish Church 1979

Recently we launched a Facebook page which will retell the story of our band in its various formats it’s called Badge/Nite Hunter/The Optics/Jessie’s Bridge and is currently building an audience.

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Sandy (Alex) Glass live on stage in Glasgow’s Burns Howff 1981.

I feel that those five years had a very big influence in the man I have become. Glasgow is an amazing city and full of opportunities for everyone. You just need to take life as it comes.

Sandy Alex Glass, 61, was born in Cowcaddens, moved to Ruchazie and not in Nitshill. 

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