In December 2025, Sincerity Lodge No 3677 witnessed a truly special celebration of 50 years in Freemasonry, that of Malcolm Irving Bell Snr, father of Malcolm Irving Bell Junior, AProvGM for Wigan and Leigh. Once the lodge was opened and regular business attended to, Malcolm Jnr entered the lodge and took the chair of King Solomon, with Malcolm Bell Snr being seated in a comfortable position in front of him.
The story began in April 1944 in Gateshead, County Durham, when Malcolm Bell arrived in this world to very proud and loving parents George and Florence. George, who was born in 1891 in Leith, Edinburgh, moved to work in Newcastle and was a soldier who went all the way through the First World War, serving with the 16th Durham Light Infantry. His active service led to him taking part in a number of battles including Ypres and the Somme.
Following the war, he returned to work for the Co-op in Gateshead, where he was also a Freemason in St Mary’s Lodge No 4864 in the town. Florence later went on to work on the big market selling dresses. Malcolm enjoyed a very happy childhood growing up in Gateshead, with his younger sister Doreen, and especially enjoyed tying her to a tree and shooting arrows at her!
Back in the 1940’s when Malcolm was born, it was dominated by the end of the Second World War and events that were occurring in that awful conflict, with the liberation of Europe beginning on the 6 June, D-Day. Famous people who sadly left us that year included Glenn Miller, whose plane was lost at sea over the English Channel, Edvard Munch the artist who painted the Scream, Jack Hearn, the English cricketer who was the first player to get a hat-trick against the Aussies, and Guy Gibson VC, leader of the Dam Busters who was killed in action.
Born that year was the boxer and heavy weight champion Joe Frazier, Bobby Ball, Roger Lloyd Pack who famously played Trigger in only fools, Roger Daltry, Diana Ross, the footballer Francis Lee, Dougie Laughton, and Clive Lloyd the West Indies and Lancashire batsman. The cost of living was much different than today, with the average cost of a house being £550, £120 for a car and petrol at 7p a gallon. Most importantly, a pint of beer was just 3p with the average wage being £5 a week. King George the VI was on the throne, he of course being a Freemason holding the rank of Past Grand Master, and the prime minister at the time was another Freemason Winston Churchill.
Malcolm attended Kelvin Grove School in Gateshead and did very well, excelling in maths, and being a prefect and top of the school when he left. On leaving school, he managed to find a job as an apprentice floor layer, working for the Leeds Floor and Craft Company. Many of the men he worked with, had served in the Second World War, and they regaled him with stories of their time during the war in Germany, Europe and Africa. So much so that when he was sacked for falling out with the boss, he decided to join the military as a Royal Marine.
As he was only 17, Malcolm had to get his parents’ permission. Although Florence was not keen on the idea, dad George, thought it was wonderful and signed straight away. Two days later in November 1961 a train headed down to King’s Cross in London, where another Royal Marines Colour Sergeant put him on the train to Deal, Kent to start basic training. Training lasted a year, included a stint at Portsmouth, before moving on to Poole for landing craft training.
Malcolm then moved to Lympstone in Devon to complete his training, including the infamous 30 miles across Dartmoor, with rifle and full fighting order, which he completed in only five and a quarter hours, a remarkable achievement which earned him the coveted Green Beret. Subsequently passing out and being declared fit for duty, Malcolm was posted to 42 Commando Royal Marine, heading to the Far East.
On his return, he joined 41 Commandos based at Bickley, before joining 43 Commandos at Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth, and was on parade when 43 Commando were presented with the colours by the then Captain General, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Malcolm also performed the role as part of the escort guard for Churchill’s funeral.
Sadly, whilst on foreign service leave, dad George sadly passed away, so Malcolm returned to the north east, and was posted to the Royal Marine Reserve at HMS Calliope on the Tyne. On another occasion, he returned to the north east whilst serving, and, travelling in full uniform, had a bet that he could climb the Tyne bridge, a bet that he won and sat on the top admiring the view.
After leaving the Royal Marines in 1966, Malcolm again returned to the north east, and worked as a salesman for Gledhill cash Registers and worked his way up to area manager, before being promoted to regional manager and a move to Manchester.
In 1967, his life was to change forever, when he met a young lady named Marilyn, legend can’t be sure if it was his stunning good looks, or his wit, charm and personality that won the day, but it clearly worked as they saw each other on a regular basis, before tying the knot at St Chad’s Church, Gateshead, in February 1968. Not long after getting married, they down to the north west, settling in Prescot and taking a flat near the Wellington pub. Moving to Wigan, daughter Dawn was born in 1968, and in 1970 they were truly blessed with the birth of a wonderful son, Malcolm Irving Bell Jnr, who he called Blue. Malcolm is also a very proud grandad to Amy, Emma, Heather and Jenny, and a great grandad to Ella, Axel and Leo, or as he calls them, Doris, Horace and Boris!
Malcolm decided to set up his own business, dealing in cash registers and Skelmersdale Business Equipment was born, with premises in Orrell, which later became Wigan Business Equipment. The business was very successful, with some fantastic contracts including Sealink, the Camping and Caravan Club, JJB Sports, Cumbria Leisure, even having tills on the Falkland Islands, Malcolm sold up and retired some 7 years ago.
Malcolm has many hobbies and interests, including scouting, which he joined when 11, at the 34th Gateshead, where he was a Patrol Leader and later became a Queen Scout, being presented at Windsor Castle. Scouting was something that he continued even when in the Royal Marines in the far east, setting up a scout group in Nee Soon, Singapore and being awarded with the Duke of Edinburgh Gold award, which was presented at Holyrood Palace, by Prince Philip.
Scouting continued in Greater Manchester, with Malcolm becoming an Assistant County Commissioner, and later the District Commissioner for Atherton and Tyldesley, and the life president of Lilford scouts. Another interest was the Rotary Club, becoming president of the Wigan club, and organising the boxing and Christmas floats that raised £1,000’s, being awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship for outstanding service to the community, and in 2024, was made an honorary member of the Wigan Rotary club.
Following on from a conversation with John Yates, one of his employees, Malcolm decided to Join Sincerity Lodge and was initiated at Tower Buildings on 1 December 1975, passed on 1 March 1976 and raised to the sublime degree of a master Mason on 1 November the same year. He took a very active role within Sincerity Lodge, becoming its longstanding secretary, a role he held for a number of years, and also served as the treasure of the lodge, a position he still holds.
Malcolm was installed into the chair of King Solomon in 1989, and again in 1999, and in 1993 was rewarded for his hard work by being appointed as an acting provincial Grand Steward, going on to join Quingenti Lodge No 8516, where he became steward and then the WM in 1995. He then went on to serve the lodge and Province becoming the secretary of Quingenti Lodge for over 20 years, this role at the time was very time consuming having to organise the 2 Provincial meeting that were held every year and sorting out the table plans. He also joined several other lodges Including the scouting Lodge of Allegiance No 7352, becoming WM in 2012, the Lodge of Perseverance No 155, becoming WM in 2020, and of course he was a founder member of Ancient and Loyal Lodge of Installed Masters No 9762.
Malcolm’s Royal Arch career started with him being exalted into Standish Chapter No 4955 on 19 September 1978, which met at the Globe Inn in Standish, where he became heavily involved in the chapter, becoming the scribe and then the treasurer, a position he still holds to this day. He became the first principle in 1992, with his hard work being recognised in 1993 when he was appointed to the rank of PPAGSoj, receiving promotion in 2000 to PPGSwdB, and then PPGSN in 2008.
Malcolm was also heavily involved in other Masonic activities, including the Wigan and District Association for Masonic Research, with him being instrumental in saving and restoring the banners from the Grand Lodge of Wigan, that were paraded through the streets of the town for the coronation of Queen Victoria. However, there is no doubt at all that Malcolm’s proudest achievement (at least according to Malcolm Jnr) was initiating Malcolm Bell Jnr in 1991, and then installing him into the chair of king Solomon in 1998.
Following the conclusion of the lodge business, a splendid festive board was served courtesy of the world class service provided by Phil and Christine at Bryn. A lively affair followed, punctuated by the various wine takings and toasts that befit such a special occasion for the 50th celebration of a special Mason.