A wonderful afternoon consisting of reminiscences, resurrections of friendships and reveries of nostalgia took place at the biannual Widows’ Luncheon which is shared between Ormskirk and Bootle Group halls usually in December and April.
They are events which are fully funded by the Province as an aid to combating the scourges of loneliness and low confidence. The afternoon began slowly from 12 noon onwards becoming busier by the car and coach load. The ladies initially gathered at the free bar and then gradually moved to the large dining room and often finding old friends and acquaintances seated at the same table as themselves.
Lively chatter developed and a palpably excited atmosphere of a community reborn was evident. The brethren brought known widows of missed and departed friends and there were also ladies in attendance from the Tithebarn who arrived using the minibus funded also by the Province and the donations from many lodges
John Thompson, the Ormskirk and Bootle Group’s Almoner and many other lodge almoners were also present and were to be seen attending to the needs of the guests using the event as an opportunity to inform and enquire of their possible need for financial or other forms of assistance or any supports that could be offered should they be in need. Many broken column lapel badges were also distributed to the widows as an indication to others that they are the widow of a Mason.
The staff then presented the meals with consideration to the very well attended dining hall of over 90 widows plus helpers and visitors. The dinning having ended the appropriate entertainment was then provided by Bill Smith of ‘Happy Days’ who began his set of nostalgic well remembered songs from the heydays of the 50’s and 60’s, firstly with calming numbers then upbeat songs followed by livelier songs for the more energetic of the audience.
As compare, the group chairman Graham Chambers then organised the drawing of the raffle which was based upon the free tickets provided at each table but with so many prizes, which had been donated by the group’s lodges, that almost everyone had won something!
With some telephone numbers and addresses exchanged the guests gradually began to leave noticeably exhausted but having been entertained they were hopefully happy to have met, saddened to be parting and would be happy to meet again. All had departed by 4pm, leaving the only the tidying to be done and feelings in the organisers of the joyful completion of a service well done.
