A grand occasion was arranged on in March 2026, to honour Douglas (Doug) Couse who was the latest member of Davyhulme Lodge No 3715 to celebrate 50 years of being a Freemason. Members and distinguished visitors alike, meeting at Urmston Masonic Hall were again delighted to receive Stuart Boyd Assistant Provincial Grand Master, accompanied by Trafford Group Chairman Patrick Walsh and Deputy Chairman Dave Marlor, along with Provincial Junior Grand Warwen Ezra McGowan, Assistant to the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Brian Cambidge and Provincial Grand Steward Tony Shadwell, together with other distinguished visitors and group officers.
The lodge was opened by WM John Tollitt and the dispensation to hold the ceremony was read and the main event of the evening began as Stuart entered the lodge room in ceremonial form and was presented to John. John having welcomed Stuart and his attending officers, hopefully offered him the gavel of the lodge, Stuart accepted taking the master’s chair and then addressed the brethren, thanking the lodge for their very kind welcome and explaining what a great pleasure it was to be with the members and visitors of the lodge to share this very unique and auspicious occasion.
Having ensured that Doug was comfortably seated in prime position, Stuart began his presentation stating that his office of Assistant Provincial Grand Master carried a number of onerous responsibilities and duties, but also a number of great privileges, and the prospect of being able to officiate at a 50th celebration was, without doubt amongst the better ones.
Stuart then continued quoting information which Doug had provided during a convivial time that the two had spent together the previously. Doug, was born in May 1943 in Liverpool, but not until the Mersey Tunnel had been closed to allow the ambulance to bring him through at speed due to complications with his birth which ultimately involved him being born via a caesarean section.
Home was in Haslington and later Basford in Cheshire, with his father, Herbert, mother Eileen and younger brother Herbert. Like all those of his generation his early life included the war years. Stuart discussed how he remembered the barrage balloons, the ack-ack guns and how the house shook as the bombs pounded Crewe because of its railway links. He recalled the air raid shelter at the end of his street as a big block of concrete and remembering how it was good fun meeting all his new aunties and uncles from Larch Avenue where he lived.
Stuart stated how, on one occasion, a train was bombed outside Crewe and the men of Basford were dispatched to clear the debris, only to find that the debris was made up of tins of food, which were indeed cleared up and helped the village cope with the rationing in place at the time.
After schooling at Shavington Infants and then its Primary School, Doug passed his 11-Plus and went to Crewe Grammar School involving two 20-minute walks either side of two bus journeys each way. He continued to enjoy his education at Crewe Grammar, taking part in many sports including football, cricket and track and field, where he became the school discuss champion. Doug said he couldn’t remember how far he threw it, but he knew it was further than anybody else.
His academic life also blossomed at Crewe, passing exams and collecting an academic prize for his achievements and soon came the time to decide on his future career. Having grown up near the railways, he had always wanted to work on the railways as a ‘Sheddie’, looking after the locomotives. His mother, however, decided that he should pursue an office-based job and in between applying to the banks, he applied to the Customs Offices in Liverpool, which appealed to him as it involved checking the incoming cargos at the docks and he saw himself as an HMRC pirate raiding ships full of contraband.
HMRC offered him a post in the Inland Revenue, based first in their officers near the Old Trafford Cricket Ground and then after a transfer to the Crewe Offices as he had met a girl in Crewe, Nora, who he could only see at weekends in the Oddfellows Club, where her father was the club MC. Doug and Nora had two children Carol and Peter who live in Stockport and Partington which gives him ample opportunity to see them and his four grandchildren, Zara, Kian, Charlie and Sienna.
His career in HMRC gained many credits and after working as a Tax Officer for two years he was promoted to a higher grade. The returns on his tax career continued to accrue and after five years he was identified for the post of HM Inspector of Taxes and, coming full circle, Doug returned to Old Trafford in Manchester. Then, 20 years after returning to Old Trafford, Doug decided to take early retirement to support his good health.
Doug remains a radio enthusiast having made his first radio set when, using the money he had earned from potato picking, he bought the pieces needed in Nantwich and when cycling back home, spied some wooden boxes outside of the chippy in Shavington. Having been given a box by the owner, he built the radio and was hooked for life when he heard his first programme coming through, the Saturday afternoon Sports Report.
Away from the airwaves, he continues his long-term commitment to the Boys Brigade as part of his church calling which has also led him to take formal training as Worship Leader in Partington Methodist Church where he leads the regular Services.
Masonically, he was initiated into Sutherland Lodge No 451 in the Province of Staffordshire on 19 March 1976, Proposed by Tom Leicester the secretary and Dave Worthington a fellow radio ham. After being passed and raised in March and September 1976, he worked through the offices from inner guard reaching the office of junior warden just in time to deliver the Charge after Initiation to an Initiate. He remains active in Sutherland Lodge, having held the offices of charity steward for five years as well as being DC for many years.
Doug tuned into the Province of West Lancashire joining Radio Millenium Lodge No 9709 in October 2008, becoming WM in in 2012 also serving as their secretary for four years and assistant secretary for three years. He has also been a member of Egerton Worsley Lodge No 1213 for four years before resigning from both Lodges to join Davyhulme Lodge in November 2021 who were proud to host his celebration evening. His commitment to Freemasonry has been recognised by our Province, being appointed PProvSGD in 2020.
Following the ceremony, at the social board, Stuart rose adding his congratulations to those of our Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews. Doug, clearly moved, then responded giving his thanks to all who had helped him over the years and particularly to the members of Davyhulme Lodge, thus completing a fascinating and well-deserved evening and friendly and convivial social board!