The latest performance of the demonstration team took place on the 10th October at Freemasons’ Hall, Bridge St, Manchester, the headquarters of course, of East Lancashire masonry.
Zion Menorah lodge were the hosts for the evening and it was encouraging for the team on their entrance into the Lodge to see it so well attended with over 70 members and visitors including two Acting Assistant Provincial Grand Masters and one Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master present.
This was the third demonstration that the team had carried out since being reformed and from the applause and numerous plaudits from the audience at the end it was obvious that the Brethren present had very well received it.
The evening commenced with the advance party of Glyn Hughes, Kevin Pickering and myself arriving in Kevin’s van an hour or so before the main raiding party to set up the lodge furniture in the Derby lodge room.
Once completed we retired to the bar for a well earned drink to wait for the troops who were being ferried incidentally on a minibus courtesy of David Fishwick of Colne. Suddenly we were interrupted by a very serious phone call from our Junior Deacon, Harvey Capstick, a somewhat part time plumber cum soil pipe repairer. He explained in a voice bordering on hysteria that he had missed the bus owing to a boiler fitting that he was engaged on overrunning, and that to make matters worse the rest of the team who were now heading towards Manchester without him were unable to find Steve Jansen who was being picked up en route. This as you can appreciate completely ruined my feeling of euphoria as I contentedly sipped my very expensive pint of Boddingtons best bitter. (This was Bridge St. after all).
Fortunately the rest of the evening passed without further incident apart from the odd snigger directed towards my person by the more brazen of the team – the minibus arrived on time with a full complement, we were made extremely welcome by the brethren of Zion Menorah, the team to a man performed to the best of his ability!!! Godfrey our Tyler added further profound ad libs to his already extensive repertoire and Bob Summers our Senior Deacon fell asleep again.Needless to say it was a complete windup that Glyn quietly explained to me as he pulled me off the ceiling.
We finally retired to the social board where the team had been split up on the various round tables and our hosts treated us most royally. (In my case it worked very well as they had separated Harvey and myself otherwise a killing might have taken place that evening)
During the social board a raffle was held raising the quite magnificent sum of £600. This means that we have now raised over £1600 for the charity we were set up to support – the RMBI 2015 Festival. Hopefully this will be further enhanced when we perform again at Red Rose of Lancaster Lodge at Padiham on November 1st.
Written by J Hudson
1759 Masonic Demonstration Team 