Local community leaders joined Warwickshire Freemasons as they paraded in glorious sunshine along the main high street in Warwick, from the Lodge rooms at Alderson House to the twelfth-century collegiate church of St Mary, for their annual multi-faith service.
Amongst the guests were Warwickshire’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant David Kelham, High Sheriff of Warwick Mrs Rajvinder Kaur Gill, Warwick Mayor Councillor Dave Skinner, Warwick County Chair Chris Mills and Warwickshire District Council Chair Robert Margrave.
This annual event continues to attract the gaze and admiration of locals and tourists alike as Provincial Officers, Lodge Rulers and local community leaders parade in full regalia.
To accommodate those attending, lunch was served in two of Warwick’s historic locations. For the first time, the half-timbered guild hall of the medieval Lord Leyceter Hospital hosted one lunch, while the other was hosted at Alderson House, Warwick’s seventeenth-century Grade ll listed Lodge rooms.
The Lord Leycester Hospital was built by medieval guilds as a centre to govern the town, house travellers and provide support to the deserving poor. In 1571 Robert Dudley, Queen Elizabeth I’s favoured courtier, established a community of master and brethren in the old guild buildings. The Brethren, as they are called, were, and still are, deserving military who served crown and country. The hospital is Warwickshire’s answer to the Chelsea Pensioners but smaller and older and just a few hundred yards from the local Masonic Lodge rooms.
Alderson House is the home to fifteen Craft Lodges, four Royal Arch Chapters and several Companion Orders. These elegant rooms, feature an oak panelled dining room with original galleried staircase and views over to Warwick Castle from where you can hear the unmistakable call of peacocks.
After the short parade the brethren and distinguished guests turned into Church Street and, arriving at the base of the gothic tower entrance, the brethren formed a guard of honour for community and Provincial leaders.
Readings were given by members of the Hindu, Sikh, Islamic, Jewish and Christian faiths in a service based on the theme of ‘togetherness’ and led by the Provincial Grand Chaplain, Timothy Boyns.
The Provincial choir, under the direction of Chris Grove MBE and accompanied by the Provincial Grand Organist, Peter Summers sounded supreme and led several hymns and prayers while sunlight streamed through St Mary’s stain glass windows.
