Companions of Ainsdale Chapter No 5884 were very pleased to welcome John Selley, Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals, to celebrate Philip Adhead’s 50th anniversary in The Royal Arch. Phil was born in hospital in Southport in 1935 into a family of seven, his father, also named Philip, mother Elsie and four sisters Joyce, Doris, Phyllis, and Cicely.
Phil was the youngest and was often thought of as being spoilt by his elder sisters. What he recalls most from those early days were evacuees, children around his age seeking safety from bombing raids on cities such as Liverpool and London.
Southport was also a base for American soldiers who were billeted locally in Churchtown, and American airmen at the old Palace Hotel in Birkdale. Three of his sisters had American boyfriends, who would occasionally come to their home, sometimes with their friends, but always with lots of goodies and items that were on ration, with Phil’s mother warning him in no uncertain terms that there would be consequences if he told anyone about these goodies.
One night the family were all woken by the sound of heavy traffic where they lived, on Cemetery Road, a very unusual occurrence in those times, and in the morning without any warning or indication all the Americans were gone. Shortly afterwards there were the “D Day” landings and Phil distinctly remembers the street parties that followed the end of the war and how happy everyone was.
Phil attended Linaker Street Primary and Junior School, then, much to his mother’s dismay, he failed the 11 plus exam, and went to Meols Comprehensive Secondary School. He loved his sports and was a bit of an all-rounder at swimming, athletics, football, and cricket which were all played and enjoyed. Away from school, Phil was in the Boys Brigade joining as a life boy when aged nine and went onto to become a sergeant and drum major prior to his leaving at 18.
In 1950, Phil, left school and became an apprentice engineer at Bankfield Engineering. Whilst employed there and within 12 months, he discovered he was allergic to engine oil which caused chronic dermatitis to such an extent he had to leave the company. Fortunately, the company Foreman, Mr Atkins, found a job for Phil in his brother’s shop and he then worked in the grocery trade at the London Tea Co in Ainsdale.
When aged 18, Phil was duly called for up for National Service with his first two-weeks spent in Aldershot getting kitted out, followed by six weeks basic training at Blandford Camp in Dorset, after which he joined the Royal Army Service Corp and found himself on a ship out of Southampton on a week-long voyage to Egypt before being posted to the southern end of the Suez Canal, serving out his two-year term close to the town of Suez. After being demobbed in 1955, he returned to civilian life back in to the grocery trade.
He soon left the grocery trade and went on to have a short spell as an insurance collector. Joan, his wife, talked him into the career change. Part of this work was to visit people’s homes to collect the premiums, but also try to sell additional insurance.
Shortly after, a friend called Ken Butterworth encouraged Phil to take a job working for Southport Corporation Transport on the buses, so he took the opportunity for another career change. Starting off as a conductor, he remembers how cold it was on the open rear platform of the buses, but the pay was good with plenty of overtime available, and there was good banter with the other conductors, conductresses and drivers.
He progressed to get his Public Service Vehicle license and became a driver and after taking the Ministry of Transport course he was appointed as an inspector, becoming the youngest ever inspector in Southport Corporation Transport.
In the early 70’s, after the boundary changes and the creation of Merseyside County, Southport Corporation Transport was absorbed by Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, and Phil was again promoted to chief inspector and became a member of the Institute of Supervisory Managers. The bonus with this was working more often in the office rather than waiting for buses and checking bus times and tickets in the cold and rain.Joan was pushing for Phil to take early retirement and it was after the deregulation of bus services in Great Britain under the Transport Act of 1985 that Phil, took the last bus home and retired. He decided to take a year out to look for a job and is still looking!! Although after retiring Phil become a voluntary driver for the local charity “Spinal Unit Action Group” in Wells Road Southport.
A year after completing his national service whilst out at a dance at the old floral hall in 1956, Phil met a young lady called Joan, the relationship developed at pace and it was at the beginning of 1958 they married and honeymooned at the Duxbury Hotel, Queens Promenade, Blackpool. They were blessed with two children, Philip born in 1958 and Carolyn born 1960, and three beautiful grandchildren, Stephen, Susan, and Rachael.
Phil and Joan were always immensely proud of their children and grandchildren. Stephen is a consultant anaesthetist at a Gloucester Hospital, Susan a principal of a school in Abu Dhabi UAE and Rachel is a HR consultant, currently working and living in London.
In 2018, Phil and Joan had been married for 60 years, and they received a diamond wedding congratulations card from the Queen. Sadly, almost seven years ago Joan passed away. In November 2023, another special family event occurred when Phil became a great granddad for the first time. In December Phil met Max his great grandson and a photo of four generations of male ‘Adsheads’ now has pride of place on his wall.
Phil and Joan were active members of the congregation at St Philips Church, where Phil used to attend Boys Brigade, He was secretary of the Parochial Church Counsel for 18 years, and was instrumental in the alterations to the church and the amalgamation with the Methodist Church. As always, Joan was a great support with this. Phil remains an active member of the congregation.
He is a member of the local O 5 O group (over 50 organisation) attending meetings, trips to the cinema and afternoon lunches with other members, but with fewer men in the group, but plenty of women. Phil also plays indoor bowls twice a week which also involves afternoon lunches at the pub. Phil has taken up walking for exercise, but only in good weather and is still able to care for his garden although it is getting harder as the years pass.
Family holidays consisted of staycations in the UK, with plenty of visits to North Devon’s picturesque harbour town of Ilfracombe, Newquay in Cornwall and closer to home, Llandudno in Wales. In addition, there were many visits to interesting places in Europe, mostly to Spain and Portugal and a very memorable holiday amongst the Alps and Lakes of Switzerland.
Phil was initiated into the Southport Temperance Lodge No 2815 in January 1974 and was passed in March 1974 and raised in May 1974 to the degree of a master Mason. After advancing through all the progressive offices, Phil became WM of the lodge in October 1984. Phil then took on the office of lodge secretary, an office held for 10 years. Phil received his first Provincial appointment to that of Past Provincial Senior Grand Deacon in May 1994 and received a further promotion in October 2005 to the rank he holds today of Past Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works.
Phil was proposed as a member of Ainsdale Chapter in March 1975 and was exalted in September 1975. He progressed through the offices of the chapter and was installed as first principal in January 1992 and again in January 1996. Phil received his first Provincial appointment in May 1999 to the rank of Past Provincial Assistant Grand Sojourner. Phil is the chapter’s go to man and will readily explain the signs, deliver the Mystical Lecture to the candidates and the explanation of the Supreme Grand Chapter certificate.
Phil still gets involved in the chapter and gave the explanation of the signs for the new companions. In 2014, he received a further promotion to the very high rank of Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah in recognition for the work he had done and continued to do for the chapter and Royal Arch in general and to further support his chapter, he once again took the first Principal’s chair in 2018 and has held the office of assistant director of ceremonies from 2020 to 2021 and again from 2022 to 2024.
Phil has always been primarily a family man a loved and loving husband, father, grandad and great grandad. A dancer, a teller of jokes and anecdotes that he is always keen to repeat. Phil in his long life has set an example to us all. It’s a life full of commitment and devotion to his family, hard work, and success in his working career and over 50 years of dedication to Freemasonry.