On a chilly Sunday morning in St Helens, members of the Mersey Valley Group gathered at St Helens Masonic Hall. They were invited to participate in the Remembrance Day Parade to honour the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.
A few brethren who did not have their collars stopped by the hall to retrieve their lodge collars to participate in the parade as proud Freemasons. They arrived at the Cenotaph well ahead of schedule to meet Andy Whittle, Assistant Provincial Grand Master and David Atkinson, the Mersey Valley Group Chairman. Dave Rigby, who represented another Masonic Order was also present. Each brought a wreath on behalf of three Masonic Orders in the group.
Members of the Mersey Valley Group were asked to line up and prepare to march to the Cenotaph. It was a very proud moment for everyone participating, as they marched alongside brothers from other lodges, united as proud Freemasons to honour our fallen heroes.
They arrived at the Cenotaph and took their place among the many groups gathered for this special occasion. The proceedings began with everyone joining together to sing God Save the King, accompanied by the Haydock brass Band.
It was now time to invite the honoured guests to share a few words. Among them was our very own Jimmy Williams, a member of the Dominion Lodge No 4289 in Prescot and the Armed Forces Covenant Officer for the Mersey Valley Group. Jimmy, a proud veteran and Freemason looked resplendent with his military medals and past master’s collar.
The Mersey Valley Group invited all veterans who wished to join Andy, David and other members of the group back to the St Helens Masonic Hall. There they enjoyed a warm plate of hotpot and a glass of port as a small gesture of thanks for their contributions. This offer was greatly appreciated and many veterans, along with their partners, took advantage of the invitation.
Andy also invited the Mayor of St Helens Jeanette Banks and her consort, who graciously accepted his offer. After everyone enjoyed the meal, David Rigby invited all the guests to join him in the temple, where he gave an engaging talk about Freemasonry and the history of the St Helens Masonic Hall.
After David’s talk, the mayor seized the opportunity to have her photo taken in King Solomon’s chair, proudly mentioning that her father was himself an enthusiastic Freemason. David’s talk on Freemasonry was very well received by everyone who accompanied him to the temple. And who knows, we may have one or two budding Freemasons among our veterans.