Brethren at Cleveleys Masonic Hall were treated to a very special celebration for one member of Wyre Lodge No 7704, namely Bill Sargeant, who has reached the golden milestone of 50 years in the Craft. Wyre Lodge’s new WM, Derek Carr, having only been installed the previous week, hit the ground running with his first meeting as master being Bill’s 50th celebration. Derek opened the lodge, welcomed the guests, and deftly moved through the summons, opening the lodge up to the third degree.
At this point in the evening, the traditional knock came on the door to herald the Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies, Ryan Modlin. On entering the room, Ryan announced that Assistant Provincial Grand Master David Barr was outside the door and demanded admission. Accompanying David were grand officers Harry Cox and Jim Woods, with the North Fylde Group Chairman John Cross, together with acting Provincial grand officers. Once the traditional greetings had been exchanged, Derek rose to offer the gavel of the lodge to David, who on this occasion retained it and duly occupied the master’s chair. David promptly returned the lodge to the first degree and commenced his presentation by asking the Provincial Director of Ceremonies to place Bill in a chair before him.
Bill was born in 1936, to William (Bill) and Edith (Edie) Sargeant in Fleetwood. In the year that the Battle of Ganale Doria started during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. At only two years of age, Bill sadly lost his father in 1938 when the Fleetwood steam trawler Bostonian disappeared in a severe storm with all hands lost; the wreck was eventually located south of Barra Head. Bill’s mother re-married to George Burrows, a trawler skipper who Bill came to think of as his father.
The first school Bill attended was Manor Road Primary School in Fleetwood; from there he moved to Chaucer Road School for a further year before moving to St Joseph’s College in Blackpool. The school had been run by the Christian Brothers since 1923 and Bill recalled that the brothers favoured those who had high career prospects, but it was a harsh regime for those who were from Fleetwood, whose ambitions centred around going on the trawlers. The use of the strap was widespread, with punishment handed out for the slightest misdemeanour. The only thing Bill really liked about school was the sports, at which he excelled, especially the rugby and cricket.
After leaving school, Bill obtained a position as an apprentice butcher at the Co-op on Poulton Road in Fleetwood, a job he enjoyed for three years until he was 18 years old when he was conscripted for National Service. He was posted to Aldershot Barracks for basic training, after which he joined the Catering Corps, where he eventually became head chef and gained his corporal’s stripes (Bill went from Private Sargeant to Corporal Sargeant but never quite made Sergeant Sargeant!). On being demobbed, Bill returned to the Co-op, then got a job at Atomic Energy (BNFL) at Springfields, Salwick before going on to join ICI working on nuclear fuel for submarines until he retired.
In Bill’s personal life, he met his wife Trudy while working at the Co-op and they were married in 1972. They were together for 40 years before Trudy sadly passed away. Bill took up golf, being a member of Fleetwood Golf Club for over 50 years and getting down to a handicap of five. He is an active member of the congregation of St Andrews Church in Cleveleys, where he gives his spare time to help out in the local community.
Whilst staying with his aunt and uncle in Bispham due to his parents’ absence in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (Ceylon and East Pakistan as was), Bill’s step-father had been employed to take a trawler to Ceylon as part of the Colombo Aid Plan. This was to demonstrate trawling methods to the Ceylon fishermen. While in Colombo, his step-father was initiated into The Duke of Connaught Lodge No 2940. He also joined a lodge in Chittagong, East Pakistan. Bill’s step-father joined Wyre Lodge on 4 December 1969, which led Bill himself to join Wyre Lodge in 1975.
Although Bill has not served as master of his lodge, he has given a long and dedicated service to it. Between 1999 and 2020, he was almoner of the lodge and made sure that all the brethren who required his assistance were looked after and all their needs, especially those of the widows, were equally looked after. In Provincial Grand Lodge, he was appointed to the acting rank of Provincial Assistant Grand Pursuivant in 2007 and promoted to Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon in 2019. To round off the interesting presentation, prior to David presenting the certificate celebrating Bill’s 50 years in Freemasonry, David asked the group chairman, John Cross, to read it out. John also had great pleasure in presenting Bill with a pin badge to mark the milestone that he had reached. To read David Barr’s full presentation, click here.
With David completing the presentation, the gavel was returned to Derek’s safe hands so he could complete the evening’s business, to close the lodge for the very first time as master. During the risings, Derek had great pleasure in inviting the guests to join him, Bill and the members of Wyre Lodge to the festive board and carry on the celebrations.
