The regular meeting of Astley and Ellesmere No 730 in March 2026, marked the exact date in 1976 when Anthony (Tony) Barrow, Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden, was initiated. After 50 years in Masonry, Tony has certainly had an interesting and eventful time as a Mason.
The principal guest in attendance was Malcolm Bell, Assistant Provincial Grand Master. Malcolm was most pleased being there for Tony during this special evening. Something Malcolm will certainly remember when he attends other lodges. It was commented in lodge that there were many visitors in attendance, all were there to see and support Tony in his 50-year celebration.
Tony’s story begins in April 1946, in Eaves Lane Hospital, Chorley, as this is when and where Tony entered the world, being born to his very proud and loving parents Jesse and Leo, who both ran an asphalt company in Chorley, called Golden Eagle Asphalt.
Tony enjoyed a very happy childhood, growing up in the family home in Grimeford village, in a row of cottages, number 5 to be precise, near the Millstone pub, before the family moved to Brown Street in Chorley, and then to Charnock Richard when he was 13. He attended Highfield Primary and Junior School, before moving onto Southlands High, where he met and made many new and good friends, including Steve Porter, with whom he used to nip off at dinner time, flying around the fields on his old Bantam motorbike.
Tony was also an accomplished swimmer and diver, competing at both Chorley and Wigan and even picking up a few medals along the way. But as is common he left school at 15, going straight into work as an apprentice turner for Dick Kerr’s which was located on the Strand Road at Preston. It wasn’t much of an apprenticeship, as it consisted of standing next to an old chap watching what he was doing for six months, Tony then soon moved on, going on to work for his dad, at Golden Eagle Asphalt, and as part of the training he attended the Manchester Collage of Building, and he must have impressed someone, as at 19 years of age, he were picked to represent the collage, performing his skill’s at a competition that was held at the Olympia, coming in 2nd place.
It was in 1967 when Tony’s life was to change forever and of course for the better, when he attended a dance at Rivington Barn with a group of his friends, as there with a group of young ladies, with one of them named Margaret. They started seeing each other on a regular basis, they were soon engaged, and on 7 of June 1969, they cemented their love for each other, when they tied the knot, becoming husband and wife, marrying at Chorley Parish Church, with them holding their reception at the Royal Oak.
Around this time Tony built his own home on Sharretts Path at Charnock Richard, the home he still lives in today. The marriage was a very happy one, and Tony was soon blessed with the birth of his wonderful daughters, Louise in 1970 and Gail in 1972. Tony was rightly proud of them both, as Louise, who is in the aviation industry, is now living in America with her partner Chris, and Gail who is married to Johnny, is working at Hutton for Lancashire Police. Tony is now a grandad to Noha and Devan, a very happy family.
Tony was eventually proposed into freemasonry by Fred Sharples, the landlord of the Hinds Head pub. Prospect Lodge No 7880 was Tony’s mother lodge, who at that that time were meeting at Tower Buildings in Wigan. After a while, Prospect Lodge moved to the Globe Inn at Standish and then Chorley Masonic Hall. Tony was subsequently passed and then raised to the sublime degree of a master Mason, with him taking an active role in the lodge taking on many offices including ADC and then director of ceremonies.
His hard work and dedication Tony was rewarded, as in 1995 he received his first appointment to Provincial rank to PPJGD, being promoted in 2002 to PPGSuptWks and then in 2012 he was promoted to the very high rank of PPJGW. He also joined the Royal Arch being exalted into Standish Chapter No 4955 on 11 of November 1986.
Tony was also a founding member of Phoenix Lodge of Installed Masters No 9206. Following the closure of Prospect Lodge, he joined Astley and Ellesmere in January 2024.
After Malcolm had finished giving Tony’s history, the group chairman, David Bishop read and presented a certificate to Tony to acknowledge his 50 years in masonry. Tony was most happy with the evening and said thankyou to everyone who attended.