From Your Roving Mark Mason Reporter
 
Thurs 17th Aug 2017
 
A Trip Into Darkest Yorkshire, Holmfirth, Home of “Last of the Summer Wine”
Holm Moss Sign
Views from the top
A decent day today, warm, not sunny but not raining, open garage door gave the old Opel a shake from sleep, keys in, starts first time, get Garmin and Snoopy out of their case, I know where I’m going having been there many times but I just thought I’d give them a treat ready for the Mark Provincial Team Visits starting next month.
Holme Moss Aerial
Views from the Top
Off we go down the M60 this time in the opposite direction to normal away from Lancashire, the usual major holdup is at a location called Mottram Cross Roads which comes at the end of the M67, you can get held up there twenty four hours a day, the government has been promising the local people for at least twenty years to build a bye pass here to take traffic on to the A628 which goes over the Pennines via Woodhead to Barnsley and beyond, before too long you take a left turn on to the A6024 which goes up and up before passing Holm Moss Radio Mast and on towards Holmfirth, known to millions as the location for the record breaking BBC comedy “Last of the Summer Wine”
Lodge Building
Lodge Anti Room
Door Knocker
The Carpet
Holmfirth and the surrounding areas are well worth a visit if you have never been, plenty of history, nice restaurants or Pub type meals, Ashley Jackson Art Gallery, Waters Edge Chippy, (my downfall chips and fish) Norah Batty’s house and Compo’s house where there is a Summer Wine Exhibition and of course Sid’s Cafe where you can get Tea and Scones. I believe there is still a Bus Tour around all the summer wine sites but as I’m really now known as a local after visiting there for many years it’s not the sort of thing I notice any more.
Founders
Anyway now the reason for today’s visit to Holmfirth, a Lodge meeting at the Holme Valley Lodge No.652 which has been in existence for 150 years, notice the spelling is different from the town, the main business tonight was a Talk on 300 years of Grand Lodge, 200 years of the Province of West Yorkshire and 100 years since the purchase of the present Masonic Hall. Usually there is a ceremony of one degree or another but not on this special occasion, after the talk and closing the meeting there was a seven course Banquet to celebrate the 3-2-1 in the meeting and the Tercentenary. Before the meeting canapes were served and Champagne, what a shame I’m on a diet. The Masonic Hall houses only Holme Valley Craft Lodge and one other Degree the Chapter of Industry, what a shame that they don’t have a Mark Lodge.
Some of the WM's pictures
Myself &  Best Friend John
A steep climb to Lodge Room
It is a Lodge of great tradition and sometimes have been known to perhaps follow some of their own rules (traditions)  as a private lodge which the Province don’t seem to take too kindly and have even been known to send a minder down (undercover Mason 008) there to see just what’s going on.!! Of interest to note is the fact that they have a picture of every WM since the Lodge was Consecrated 150 years ago, now that’s something I have never seen in any other Lodge, amongst the pictures I have taken you will see a block of stone complete with a chisel and maul, what’s it doing there you may ask !, well the newest member in each degree has the pleasure of being seated next to it and during any breaks in the ritual for whichever degree it may be in he has to tap out the knocks of that degree on the stone which means there are usually lots of chips all over the floor at the end of every meeting. You will also notice a picture of the square carpet with a globe at each end one of which usually finishes up rolling around the floor like a football especially in the third degree! The beautiful ornate carpet does contain symbols of all the degrees including the Mark Degree and I only wish they had one there because I would join it.
Lodge from NW Corner
Lodge Ceiling
Lodge view from WM’s Chair
They love music at Holme Valley and always have what they call Harmony after all Social Boards, be it opera, light piano music, a choir etc, once it was a Mason tattooed from head to foot and playing the Northumberland Bag Pipes, very interesting that was. Tonight it was a three piece Rock n Roll Band, I myself for many years sang there on New Year’s Eve and at Ladies Nights always a great atmosphere.
Original Charter
Gavel Chisel & Block
Tables are ready
How did I come to be a regular visitor to Holme Valley, well I used to visit the town on some of my days off to get some fresh air and relieve stress, I was also a big fan of Summer Wine, on one such visit I noticed the Lodge Building which was occupied before the Masons by the Druids, I thought how nice it would be to attend a meeting, I was at the time Junior Warden in my own lodge so I  E Mailed the West Yorkshire Province asking who I should contact, I then got a reply from the Junior Warden at Holme Valley, John Griffiths inviting me a meeting and the rest shall we say is history, we have along with our wives been close friends ever since and among other things have regular visits to Islay and other parts of Scotland always near to distilleries of course.
WM’s place at the table
JW on his feet
Doesn’t this sound a lot like the way we act towards each other in the Mark Degree, I guess Holme Valley is one off
John says “Cheers to All”
Rock Band
Anyway if we have any sunny days left during this summer (yes it’s supposed to be summer) and you fancy a trip out it would be well worth a trip over the Pennines to the Dark Side, don’t believe what you hear, the people are very warm and generous and will be pleased to see you.
 
Austin N Fletcher.
Flixton Shepherd Eastwood Mark Lodge. No.3471