NORTHERN PGMs GO TO THE SEASIDE
 
The Northern Provincial Grand Masters Weekend was hosted this year by R.W.Bro. Keith Beardmore, the Provincial Grand Master for West Lancashire and his lovely wife June.

This annual event is held in one of the Northern Provinces each year and was this year held on 2nd to 4th September at Lytham St Annes, on the West Lancashire coast just south of Blackpool. The venue hotel was the recently refurbished Clifton Arms, where we were greeted into our rooms by a bottle of sherry and a huge stick of Blackpool rock ! Drinks, Dinner and more drinks followed before we all retired to bed on the Friday night.
 
Saturday is always a day to explore the local sights and attractions, as well as to share the company of our friends and partners from the other Provinces, and our visit to Lytham St Annes was no exception. After breakfast we boarded our coach to our first stop of the day, the Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Station, to see the RNLB ‘Barbara Anne’, which was partly funded by the M.B.F. and West Lancashire Mark Charities to the extent of £100,000. We were also treated to a presentation on the work done by the RNLI and the station itself by the Chairman of the Station and his team.
 
Next was the Lytham St Annes International Kite Festival, where annually some of the largest kites in the world are flown. What a display and awe inspiring site that turned out to be.
 
Then onwards to Blackpool’s famous Pleasure Beach for a light lunch, before our surprise event of the day. Everyone thought it was going to be a ride on the ‘Big One’, the Pleasure Beach’s huge roller coaster ride, but to the relief of a few in the party it instead turned out to be to the Pleasure Beach Arena to see the ‘Rapture Hot Ice Show’. Billed as ‘the most spectacular ice show in the world’, it most certainly lived up to that reputation.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the newly installed statue of the beloved British comic Bobby Ball, recently unveiled in his adopted hometown of Lytham, before finally back to our hotel for Dinner.

Unfortunately several Northern Provincial Grand Masters were unable to join us this year, but this wonderful tradition will continue in 2023 when R.W.Bro. Ray Walton, the Provincial Grand Master for Northumberland takes up the reigns.
Words and pictures by Jim Steggles RW PGM West Yorkshire