Masonic Life

My Masonic career began in 1988 when I lived in Bracknell, Berkshire, I had written to the Proncial Grand Secretary and explained that my father was a long serving London Freemason. That I thought London was too far for me to travel to on regular occasions, that I hadn’t told him of this approach to Berkshire Freemasons. I was asked along to the Berkshire Masonic center, where I was interviewed by a few senior Freemasons there and given an introduction to the Bullbrook Lodge in Bracknell, not far from my home. They then interviewed me and offered me to be initiated into the Bullbrook Lodge No 7967, thence my Masonic career began. I quickly started and progressed through the various degrees to become a Master Mason (Third degree), learning the rituals of each degree along the way. My father was delighted, I’d taken the initiative to join Freemasonry and I was most surprised when, unknown to me he turned up at my Initiation! Showing his high ranking regalia and being given knowing nods from the members of my new lodge. A few years later, he’d joined a Middlesex lodge, the Cole court lodge in Twickenham and invited me to join Cole court as well, which I did as it would allow us to meet more often. Cole court being a smaller Lodge, I progressed through the various rank much quicker than in my mother lodge Bullbrook. My progression was so quick that I attained the ‘Chair’ As the Worshipful Master, within six years, whereas in my Mother Lodge (Bullbrook) it took eleven years. After a while the Cole court Lodge was struggling to get more people in, so we decided to merge with another Middlesex lodge and take their name, The Saint George Lodge, which met at the same venue Cole court (Twickenham). After a while, I progressed to the chair, Worshipful Master of my mother lodge Bullbrook in Berkshire also continuing to be a member of the Saint George Lodge in Middlesex, where I progressed to the Chair of Saint George lodge a couple of years later.

I was also invited to join Royal Arch Freemasonry, where the regalia and ceremonies were much different to 'Craft Freemasonry' and was thought of as completion of the third Degree. I did eventually rise to the 18th degree, by joining the more exclusive 'Rose Croix' again very different to the 'Craft' and again very different Regalia is worn. The ceremonies were 'Christian' only, though not a religeon. I am still a member of the Provincial Grand lodge in both Middlesex and Berkshire. My Rank in Berkshire is 'Past Provincial Senior Grand Deacon' and in Middlesex, 'Past Provincial Grand Standard Bearer'.