The Mayor of Preston, Councillor Phil Crowe, and his Lady Mayoress, Maggie, were guests of honour at a Ball celebrating Preston Freemasons occupying the Saul Street site in Preston for 80 years. This was quire symbolic as it was one of the mayor’s predecessors, Sid Howarth, who was the master of Preston Guild Lodge No 4408 in 1941, and was the driver of the relocation to Saul Street.
Sid took exception to the Bull & Royal Hotel reneging on an arrangement with the Wartime Rations Officer that food was allocated for Masonic dining. The hotel started selling the food allocated to the Masons to the general public in the restaurant. Sid founded a fund to raise money to buy a home for Masons, owned by Masons in Preston. He also headed up a committee to work on the task.
The mayor and his family were welcomed to the Ball and the hall by Peter Lockett and John Rimmer on behalf of the Province of West Lancashire and the Preston Group. 80 years ago, in September, the Freemasons of Preston began meeting in their new home on Saul Street. The site has been developed and extended over those years into the magnificent building it is today. Sid would be proud of the foundations he laid and of the work of his successors.
The beautifully decorated Ballroom was full of Masons, family and friends to celebrate the 80th Anniversary Ball. A fabulous three course meal was served. Live entertainment followed with music and songs covering those 80 years by Poppy Holiday. A greatest hits selection from 1944 through to 2024; Vera Lynn to Lady Gaga! As a nod to the issue that provoked the move to Saul Street, the menu cards were printed on 1944 ration cards. Once again, Sid would have approved.
Being Masons, the night had to have a charitable cause to support. On this occasion, the main charity was Teddies for Loving Care. This is a Masonic charity that provides free teddy bears to Accident & Emergency Departments, in sterile packaging, to give to a young child when they are admitted to A&E, often in distress. It is a small comfort for them to keep forever.
TLC has donated over 40,000 teddy bears to the A&E departments of Royal Preston and Chorley Hospitals in the last 10 years. The Ball raised over £1,000 for charity. A donation was also made to Let’s Grow Preston, which is one of the mayor’s chosen charities for his year in office. This was presented by The Preston Masters.
It was a marvellous occasion and all who attended said they had enjoyed a great evening of nostalgia and a great way to celebrate 80 years on Saul Street.
