Derek Allen was installed as master of Lancaster Castle Lodge No 5952 in the presence of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Paul Storrar who was the representative of Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews. Paul was accompanied by Past Provincial Grand Master Tony Harrison, Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master Keith Kemp, Past Assistant Grand Registrar John Lee, Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Neil McGill and Paul Broadley. Chairman of the Lancaster and District Group Chris Larder was accompanied by Provincial Grand Charity Steward Andy McClements, Provincial Grand Senior Deacon Kevin Rigg and Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Ian Hallatt.
Due to the ongoing health issues of WM John Bassinder, Ian Coates occupied the chair of King Solomon in his stead and as installing WM, opened the lodge in the first degree and conducted the business of the lodge. The lodge was opened in the second degree whereupon lodge officers were thanked for their service. Director of ceremonies John Clare retired from the lodge, the lodge was opened in the third degree and the director of ceremonies was re-admitted and announced that Paul Storrar, accompanied by grand officers, acting Provincial grand officers and the group chairman requested admission. On entering the lodge Paul Storrar was welcomed by Ian. The lodge was adjourned in the third degree and re-opened in the second degree.
The installing master invited Phil Howden to occupy the chair of installing senior warden, Keith Heys occupied the chair of installing junior warden and Peter Wiltshire occupied the position of installing inner guard. Master elect Derek Allen was presented for installation by John Stanley. All those below the rank of an installed master were requested to leave the lodge for a short while during which a Board of Installed Masters was convened and the master elect installed into the chair of King Solomon.
The third degree working tools were presented by Ian Lonsdale, the second and third degree working tools were presented by Bill Spencer and John Stanley respectively. The WM appointed Peter Whaley as senior warden and Mark Charlesworth as junior warden. Peter was unable to be present and will be invested at a later date.
Group charity steward, Gareth Harrison gave, the address to charity steward Mark Charlesworth and Kevin Rigg gave the address to senior deacon Bill Spencer. Junior deacon Andy Cappocci was not present and will be invested at a later date. The address to the master was given by Jim Hamilton and the address to the wardens was given by Phil Howden. Paul Storrar gave the address to the brethren of Lancaster Castle Lodge.
On completion of the installation ceremony Paul Storrar brought greetings from Mark Matthews to the WM and wished him a happy, healthy, successful and busy year. He congratulated installing master Ian Coates and director of ceremonies John Clare on a superb ceremony and also thanked those brethren who had presented the working tools, particularly junior member Bill Spencer. Paul was presented with a notice of donations totalling £3004.50 to Masonic and non-Masonic charities. He thanked the brethren of the lodge for their very generous donations.
Organist at the festive board was David Tattersall and the Master’s Song was performed by John Bates. A total of 74 brethren attended the festive board, where the toast to the WM was given by his proposer Trevor Barber. The raffle raised £680 and £80 was donated by the ‘master’s swindle’.
Derek was born in May 1952 and brought up in Carnforth with his two brothers and sister where he lived for 18 years until 1970. He attended Carnforth North Road Junior School and then Morecambe Grammar School.
In May 1973 , Cup Final day, he married his wife Anne when he was only 20 by which time he was living in Morecambe. Shortly afterwards he moved to Torrisholme, where he stayed until just a few years ago when he moved to Halton. Anne was a teaching assistant at Trumacar school in Heysham. They have one son. Derek spent his early working years with Storeys of Lancaster in its various guises but then moved on to be sales and marketing manager for a company designing and installing water purification systems. That company was eventually absorbed into Veolia the world’s largest environmental company. Derek rose to be head of the UK’s biological solutions business still specialising in wastewater treatment.
He was involved in contracts with many blue chip companies that included Cadburys, BP, Kelloggs, Shell and the majority of UK Water plc’s and many overseas municipalities. He travelled extensively throughout his career, visiting many interesting countries. The highlight of his career was working with Maori people in New Zealand developing a wastewater treatment system that met their religious and cultural requirements. Derek retired from Veolia in 2014 and in 2015 started his own consultancy company, which is still active. In his spare time he has an interest in classic cars and motorcycles mainly from the 1950s and 1960s. He also still loves to travel.
Derek was lodge secretary and Trevor Barber’s candidate and was initiated into Old Lancastrian Lodge on 12 November 1999. He showed great promise most definitely joining of his own free will and accord after he approached Trevor about joining Masonry in a phone call totally out of the blue. The lodge was originally formed for Old Boys of Lancaster Grammar School although Derek was not a pupil although his son did attend the school. Derek first met Trevor in 1981 in the Lancaster Infirmary Maternity Unit where their respective boys were born within two days of each other. Both wives hit it off and have been friends ever since. Sadly Old Lancastrian Lodge folded in 2003 and Derek moved on to join Lancaster Castle Lodge on 27 January 2005 followed by Trevor in 2008.
Derek was reluctant to progress as he was busy with work and in 2023 had a serious heart attack. After major surgery on 5 October 2023 and a lengthy recuperation period Derek has finally been installed as WM, 26 years after his initiation.
