Bracing Blackpool
 
A brace of Mark lodges in Blackpool over a couple of days proved to be both very contrasting but also very similar experiences.
Rod Bennison and Roland Alderton
The business meeting of Walton Mark Lodge No 161 was the first up and was held in a small room housed within the Savoy Hotel. It is the provincial stewards’ lodge and saw Rod Bennison elected to succeed present Worshipful Master Roland Alderton into the chair at the installation meeting.
Geoff Bury, Giles Berkley and David Winder
Amongst those present were three distinguished Mark Masons who were enjoying their “stag night” before being called upon to repeat their vows before many witnesses on the following day at Provincial Mark Lodge. Those brethren, Giles Berkley, Geoff Bury and David Winder, did not display any signs of trepidation as they awaited their summons before the PGM on the next afternoon.
Back row: Dave Sear, David Robinson and Maurice Evans
Middle row: Robert Allman, Martin Stokes and John Forster,
Front row: Steve Walls, Derek Horrocks and Eric Drinkwater,
The venue for the Provincial meeting was of course the Spanish Hall in the Winter Gardens.
Some of the contingent from the top of the province
I am not alone in having enjoyed the opportunity of catching up with Mark friends from around the province and further afield that this meeting provided. It was a particular pleasure to catch up with the other special representatives, as since the arrival of Covid, our meetings have been conducted online.
 
I was pleased to observe that there was a good representation from the northern part of the province to witness their friends receiving promotions and appointments in the lodge of our RW PGM Keith Beardmore. There will be an official account of proceedings so I will content myself with observing that it was a tremendous day which everyone appeared to enjoy with excellent ritual being one of the highlights.
Recipients of honours: Peter Schofield, Brain Benn,
Graham Dowling, Phil Irving and David Tattersall
As I remarked initially there many contrasts between the two meetings I attended including location, setting and numbers in attendance. But in their own way they were both alike in having those qualities we associate with the Mark degree - great camaraderie and good fun.
 
Words and pictures by Dave Sear