Garston Masonic Hall, Island Road, Liverpool was the venue for celebration of 50 years in Freemasonry for Michael (Mike) Cafe at the Lodge of Harmony No 220. The lodge was opened indue form by the WM Kevin Flynn who completed the domestic business of the lodge and then opened in the second and third degrees.
The inner guard announced that Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Greg Pinnington was without and sought admission. Greg entered the lodge and announced that Assistant Provincial Grand Master John Murphy was without and demanded admission. The brethren were upstanding to receive John Murphy accompanied by David Atkinson Mersey Valley Group Chairman and other distinguished brethren.
John Murphy was formally welcomed by WM Kevin Flynn who offered him the gavel and on this occasion John accepted. The brethren then saluted John who returned his greetings and resumed labour in the first degree. John requested that Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies place Mike Cafe on the chair on the floor of the lodge before him and ensure that he is comfortable.
Beginning his talk about Mike’s life, John began: “Let us turn to the year 1943, the Aqua-Lung didn’t just change how we dive, it opened the ocean to the world. Co-invented in 1943 by legendary ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and engineer Émile Gagnan, this groundbreaking device was the first truly self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA). Mechanical engineer Richard James invented Slinky by accident. In 1943, he was working to devise springs that could keep sensitive ship equipment steady at sea. After accidentally knocking some samples off a shelf, he watched in amazement as they gracefully ‘walked’ down instead of falling.
In pop culture and arts, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma opened, changing American musical theatre by combining entertainment with serious subjects. Also, some very famous people were born; in the persons of Chevy Chase, Joe Pesci, Christopher Walken, Sir Ben Kingsley the actors, Eide Sedgwick the model, Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King the tennis players, Blythe Danner the actress, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, George Harrison, Carly Simon, the musicians and Robert Fischer the Chess Grand Master. The most famous of them all was Mike Cafe born in November 1943 at Walton Hospital, Liverpool, the only child of Gilbert, a soldier and Leonorah, a nurse.
The family subsequently relocated to the Wirral and Mike attended Grove Street Primary school in New Ferry and latterly Calday Grange Grammer School in West Kirby. Mike enjoyed school and proved to excel both academically and as a sportsman. He left school having earned 10 ‘O’ Levels and 4 ‘A’ Levels in maths, physics, chemistry and general studies. He represented his school at rugby, hockey and cricket but excelled at swimming at his local swimming club and he also represented his county, Cheshire at a junior level.
Upon leaving school, Mike put his academic qualifications to good use by starting work as a laboratory technician at Evans Biological Institute at their premises in Runcorn, where he worked on developing vaccines for horse diseases and preventing sheep foetus stillbirths and abortions. Mike later transferred to Evans Medical Virology Research Department in Speke, Liverpool, to research vaccines for human diseases such as Asian flu, smallpox and tuberculosis. Whilst working, Mike continued his education by attending day release and night school and took an HNC in microbiology.
After three years, Mike decided to change career and left Evans Medical and took a post at the Unilever Research Laboratory in Port Sunlight where he was engaged in research into paramagnetic resonance technology, which included research into the composition of samples of moon rock. Whilst engaged in this very important and interesting work, Mike continued his studies and subsequently graduated with a qualification in chemistry which allowed him to move onto projects in collaboration with his company’s sister factory in Holland.
Mike’s work took him all over the world, including Brazil where he was fortunate to be during the Mardi Gras festival in Rio de Janeiro. He subsequently engaged in teaching and transferring skills at two sister research sites in India where he was able to be joined for a time by his wife, Patricia Shelia nee Woodward. After 33 years, Mike was able to secure early retirement at the age of 58.
Turning to his family life, Mike was married in March 1964 at St Mark’s Church, New Ferry, and enjoyed 47 years of marriage until 2011 when sadly his wife passed away from cancer. His marriage was blessed with three children, Phillip, Caroline and Mathew.
Despite being gainfully employed and studying for his academic qualifications, Mike decided at the age of 28 years to join the Territorial Army at 234 Squadron 156 Transport Regiment based in Birkenhead and after a period of officer cadet training, he took a commission at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. One of contemporaries on his commissioning course was Gerald Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, who, as Mike states, went on to become a Major General, whereas he rose to the rank of Major. Mike had worked his way through the officer ranks, eventually becoming the Squadron Officer Commanding, an office he held for seven years, eventually retiring at the age of 50 after 20 years’ service, during which he was awarded the Territorial Decoration. The highlight of his army career, if one can call it that, was Mike’s involvement in the army’s preparation for the Falklands War when his Regiment, at very short notice, had to provide drivers and forklift trucks to load the RFA ship Sir Galahad at Portsmouth on a very tight sailing deadline.
After his retirement, Mike was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1984, serving on the Bench in the Wirral and Merseyside Courts until his retirement in November 2014 at the age of 70 years. Mike is actively engaged with his church, St John the Evangelist Church, Great Sutton where he became the treasurer for 12 years and he still serves on the committee, as a trustee and a representative at the local deanery Synod.
Let us now turn to your journey in Freemasonry. Your association with Freemasonry was through your father-in-law and brother-in-law both of whom are sadly deceased and your son-in-law who has resigned his membership. You were initiated into Arthur Stanley Lodge No 3469 on 9 December 1976 serving as the WM in 1982. You resigned your membership of the lodge in 2016 and in 2017 you became a joining member of Lodge of Harmony, thus joining as a member your good friend and fellow officer from the Territorial Army, Geoffrey Ireland.
Mike, your service and dedication to your lodge was recognised by the Province of West Lancashire in 1990 when you were appointed PPSGD, followed by further promotion in 2002 to the rank of Past Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works.
Brethren, Mikes life has been shaped by dedication, reliability and warmth. Whether serving the community in his church, the Territorial Army, the criminal justice system and in the Masonic community he has earned the respect and affection of all who know him, not just for what he’s done, but for the way he’s done it. I’m sure I speak on behalf of everybody present that we are absolutely delighted to see you here this evening to celebrate your 50th anniversary as a Freemason and even more so that you have allowed us to celebrate your special evening with you. Such is the importance of your own 50th anniversary as a Freemason that our Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews has caused a certificate to be struck to mark this wonderful achievement.”
When John Murphy had completed Mike’s history, he requested David Atkinson to read the contents of the certificate and John then congratulated Mike and presented him with his certificate of achievement. Mike, on completion of the celebration, thanked John Murphy for his presentation and the brethren for attending and he also presented a personnel cheque for £500 for the West Lancs Freemasons’ Charity which was gratefully accepted by John.
In AOB, Mal Yates advised the brethren there would be a small celebration for David Jones 50th celebration in Freemasonry with family and friends invited, and any brethren who wished to attend on the afternoon of 13 May would be welcome. John Murphy would be attending to present the certificate and there would be light refreshments provided. Alan Cartwright announced the dates for the Sportsman’s Dinners on 22 May and 4 September at Garston Masonic Hall.
There was 37 for dining at the festive board for the celebration, were Mike Cafe, on his response to the toast from Geoffrey Ireland, said he had enjoyed his 50 years in Freemasonry especially the last 9 years with the Lodge of Harmony. Mike started his career with Arthur Stanley Lodge in the Lyceum in Liverpool near Central Station, the lodge had a circular room which they made square when the Lyceum was closed, they moved to Park Hall in Ormskirk and Arthur Stanley Lodge is still doing well. Mike thanked Geoffrey for the nice things he had said about him, Mike thoroughly enjoyed this evening and thanked everyone for their support.