A rather remarkable celebration was arranged in April 2025, to honour James Noble, a highly respected brother celebrating an extraordinary 70 years of being a Freemason. Members and distinguished visitors alike at Barlow Moor Lodge No 4525, meeting at Urmston Masonic Hall were honoured and delighted to receive Mark Matthews, Provincial Grand Master.
Mark was accompanied by Assistant Provincial Grand Master Stuart Boyd, Trafford Group Chairman Patrick Walsh, along with Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Barry Fitzgerald, Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Peter Littlehales and other grand officers, acting Provincial grand officers and group officers.
The lodge business being efficiently dealt with, the special part of the evening arrived as Mark entered the lodge room in fine style and was presented to the WM Mo Yusuf. Mo having welcomed Mark and his attending officers, eagerly offered him the gavel of the lodge which he graciously accepted, also taking the master’s chair. Mark 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 exceptional occasion.
Having ensured that Jim was comfortably seated in prime position, Mark began his presentation stating that his office of Provincial Grand Master carried very many onerous responsibilities and duties, but also a number of great privileges, and the prospect of being able to officiate at a 70th celebration was, without doubt amongst the best!
Mark then continued, quoting information which Jim and he had discussed during a convivial hour or so that the two had spent together previously. Jim was born in November 1930 in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, sharing his birthday with other notables born in 1930, including astronaut Buzz Aldrin and actors Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood so, presumably, Jim did feel lucky!
Jim’s father, James, was a cooper and his mother Mary a hotel housekeeper and he grew up with three brothers John, Donald and Kenneth at the family home in Moray Road, Fraserburgh. He started school aged 5, at Fraserburgh Infants, followed by Fraserburgh Central and finished his education aged 14 which was the custom in those times.
Jim’s working life began in 1942 aged 12 as a barber’s lad, which Mark said, coincidentally his own dad who was born shortly after Jim, had also done the same job during the Second World War years. So, it was very likely that they were both lathering faces for shaves and brushing cut hair off barber shop floors at the same time, but in totally separate locations. Aged 14 Jim took a job in a fish house, gutting and preparing fish for the princely sum of 15 shillings a week, which was a particularly hard job requiring Jim to work 12-hour shifts which commenced at 6 am.
Mark then drew the attention of the assembled brethren to the fact that the Aberdeenshire ports accounted for around half of the UK fish landings, with 1,000s of people working either in the fishing industry or in the processing of sea foods. In 1947, Jim with his now vast fish preparation and processing expertise, moved location to Great Yarmouth to work in another fish house, only this time on promotion to foreman being assigned to manage eight other workers.
Following a short return home to work again in Fraserburgh, Jim was called up for National Service, becoming an army driver. Jim was initially posted to Aldershot Barracks, before serving in the exotic and no doubt considerably more interesting locations of Singapore and Malaya, and despite being demobilised in 1951, he was required to do four more years of duty in the Territorial Army serving in Korea.
Fresh from military service and looking for another challenge, Jim joined the Lancashire Constabulary Police Force in 1956 with his first posting being to Formby. His subsequent police duties took him on a journey to many different areas after that, including Hollins Green, Stretford, Moss Side and Bootle Street. His success as a police officer saw him pass promotion examinations and advance to the rank of sergeant and eventually inspector, retiring in 1987 after 31 years of service. He was awarded the Good Service Medal for his military service in Malaya and, In the police, the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medals.
Jim married his wife Annie in 1952 but sadly, Annie passed away in 2022 after 70 happy years together. His daughters Caroline and Lorraine have provided him with four grandchildren Lydia, Angus, Brandon and Jason.
Jim was initiated on 19 January 1955, into Lodge Solomon No 197 in the Scottish Constitution, which still meets twice a month in Fraserburgh. He was proposed and seconded by his brothers George and John and to complete this very special family occasion his father was also initiated together with him on the same night.
Jim joined Barlow Moor Lodge in Urmston on 6 May 1975, attaining the masters chair in October 1983 and was also a founder member of Athenaeum Lodge of Installed Masters No 9368 in 1990 which is now the Lodge of our West Lancashire Freemasons Charity, of which Mark said he is proud to be an honorary member.
In terms of Provincial rank, Jim’s first appointment was to Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon in 1991. This was followed by promotion to the high rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 1998. Mark rounded off the ceremony by saying Jim’s 70 years of service to Freemasonry was an outstanding and remarkable achievement and he wished him many more years of good health and Masonic happiness.
At this point group chairman Patrick Walsh read out the 70th anniversary certificate which Mark then presented to Jim as a fitting tribute to commemorate the event, which was followed by very richly deserved applause from all present!
Jim responded to the applause quite emotionally, saying he felt very privileged and thanked Mark for his very kind comments. He thanked all who had attended, particularly those brethren from Barlow Moor Lodge.
The celebratory part of the ceremony completed, Mark vacated the chair handing the gavel back to WM Mo, who thanked him for his presentation and very kind words towards their highly respected member. The ceremony being completed, Mark requested Jim to join him in leaving the lodge room with the grand and acting officers.
An excellent festive board ensued, accompanied by good food and the odd drink along with further congratulations from both Mark and Patrick together with a heartfelt response in return from Jim and the brethren all left the celebration with a sense of pride at being in the presence of such a respected Freemason.