Attending the Freemasons National Service of Remembrance is a definite for any brother’s Masonic bucket list. Paul Helm, master elect and Wayne Moyes, chaplain of Newby Bridge Lodge No 4598, both wanted to attend this service to honour the fallen, this is the story of that visit. They both arrived at the National Arboretum car park to a sea of brethren with light or dark blue collars, making their way to the arboretum entrance. So many Masons and their families attended that a huge sign stating ‘Freemasons’ pointed drivers to the overflow car park. On arrival, there was plenty of time to grab a coffee and take a stroll outside in the glorious sunshine.
Just to the right of the doors of the cafe, stand the unmissable representations of those two great pillars at the entrance to the Masonic Memorial Garden. There was just enough time to take in the splendour of the memorial garden’s mosaic floor and the rough and finished ashlar before the main service began.
Dignitaries and distinguished guests paraded along Millennium Way before the start of the service. The Act of Remembrance was led by the Metropolitan Grand Chaplain the Reverend Niall Johnston and music was provided by the Gresley Colliery Brass Band. Members of the Armed Forces, Provincial Grand Masters and other representatives all took part in the laying of wreaths. Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews was there to lay a wreath on behalf of West Lancashire Freemasons.
After the Service of Remembrance, the rest of the day was spent visiting memorials to the armed forces, emergency services, prisoners of wars who lost their lives building the Burma and Sumatra railways to name but a few.
The garden was conceived by Freemasons, particularly those under the auspices of the United Grand Lodge of England and the Province of Staffordshire, as a dedicated place of remembrance for Freemasons who had made the ultimate sacrifice in service.
Although the wider arboretum had opened in the early 2000s, the Masonic Garden scheme was first drawn up around 2001 and then progressed over many years. The garden was completed and held its first official Remembrance Service on 11 November 2016. It was officially opened as part of the Tercentenary Celebrations of United Grand Lodge of England on 18 April 2017.