Pendle Lodge of Freemasons

Once again the Pendle Lodge Olde England Night was a huge success, but it wouldn’t have been the same if Jack Day didn’t do his, by now almost mandatory, rendition of “yer a boring bugger Brenda”.  The origin of the poem being the funniest Lancashire poet Steve Morris.

October’s Lodge meeting is usually a quick affair, with a second degree and the election of the officers for the November Installation taking up the proceedings. This months meeting however was reduced to business only, so the 45 or so members and gentleman visitors sat down at the festive board quite early. We welcomed 5 non masons to the Olde England Night, guests of various members of Pendle.

On occasions such as this the Junior Warden really does have to pull out all the stops to ensure sufficient food and ale is available for the gathered crowd. Days of planning go into preparations and Mark had his work cut out arranging commemorative beakers, and raffle prizes for the evening. I must say that the chaps did well and a wide range of prizes gradually appeared on the raffle table.

The entire evening was sponsored by the Pendle Lodge social club fund, which in turn is the recipient of the funds raised at many social events throughout the year. It was suggested, early on in the planning, that as this meeting could well be our final ever meeting at Bradshaw Street that perhaps a good time for all should be financed, and so it was.

Peter Christie and Walter Coupe pitched in as Beadles for the evening, and what  a tyrannical pair they are. Together they managed to inflict numerous fines on the brethren for misdemeanors and ungentlemanly behavior, in excess of £180.00. Several brethren paying hefty fines of £10.00 or so for serious breeches of protocol and character assassination. The two beadles worked very well together and I’m sure we can pair them up again as a tag team for future events.

Dinner was excellent, Black Pudding with English Mustard, Lancashire Potato Pie, followed by Sticky Toffee pudding, not your doctors best advice, but if your from Lancashire, and several were not, favorite Olde England fayre. Nobody complained, and the Black Puddings where by far the most popular dish.

Jack Day gave his rendition of “yer a boring bugger Brenda” which is always well received, and for the non masons possibly heard for the first time.  The free beer flowed into the free beakers and the free raffle prizes were drawn at regular intervals. Did I mention it was all free.

Payback time was the numbers raffle, and by the look of the prize table it was worth taking part. Prizes ranged from a 12-year-old Malt whiskey, which had been in a cupboard for over 12 years to add to the vintage, several other bottles of whisky, bottles of wine, huge boxes of beer, and several boxes of chocolates.  Peter Christie, master of the numbers raffle, conducted the proceedings and prize giving in his inimitable style, with one recipient returning his bottle for auction, resulting in an additional £25.00 adding to the total.

Toast’s were proposed, responses were given, honors were made, beer flowed and red wine was spilled. All in all a very enjoyable and charitable evening at Pendle Lodge.  I have no idea what the non masons amongst us made of the proceedings,  but they never stopped smiling and chatting to the brethren around them. You never know, maybe one or two of them may read this and think ” I want some of that” and join our Lodge.

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