The Lodge Ladies Informal Evening was held on Tuesday 13th December 2011 when an excellent time was had by all. After the usual meal of a high standard and quality the assembled members and their guests were entertained by the music of the Brass Band from the Queensbury Music Centre. The Worshipful Master and his wife with his personal guests are shown enjoying themselves.

During our summer recess last year five brethren from Horsford Lodge made an unforgettable visit to the Lodge of Furness No. 995, Ulverston in the Masonic Province of West Lancashire. We were all guest of Bro. Maurice Edwin Atkinson a long standing friend and business colleague of out then Senior Warden W. Bro. John J. Winder P.P.G.Reg.

The meeting held on Tuesday 7th September was a 3rd Degree Ceremony with a difference! It was the raising of a Lewis, performed by the Provincial Officers and Past Masters of the Lodge, W.Bro. R.W. Angell P.P.S.G.D. taking the Chair, father of Bro. C.M. Angell who was the candidate.
 

The visiting brethren in the picture above were, from left to right, the Master W.Bro Robert W. Naylor,  the S.W. W.Bro. John J. Winder, W.Bro. Graham A. Cooper, W.Bro. Alan Croft and Bro. Richard Hirst. In the next picture we also bumped into a couple of "old friends" on the way back to the hotel.

Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular comedy teams of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema. Composed of thin, English-born Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and heavy, American-born Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) they became well known during the late 1920s to the mid-1940s for their work in motion pictures; the team also appeared on stage throughout America and Europe. (ref: Wikipedia - Laurel and Hardy)

Stan Laurel (June 16, 1890 – February 23, 1965) was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, Lancashire (now Ulverston, Cumbria), England. His father, Arthur J. "A.J." Jefferson, was a showman who served as actor, director, playwright and theatrical entrepreneur in many northern English cities. (ref: Wikipedia - Laurel and Hardy)

Oliver Hardy (January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was born Norvell Hardy in Harlem, Georgia. As a tribute to his father (who died when Norvell was very young), he took his father's first name (although not legally), henceforth calling himself "Oliver Norvell Hardy." His off-screen nicknames were "Ollie" and "Babe". (ref: Wikipedia - Laurel and Hardy)

Laurel and Hardy appeared live on a 1954 episode of This Is Your Life (USA) where Hardy's Masonic membership is noted. He was a member of Solomon Lodge No. 20. Jacksonville, Florida. (ref: Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon)

Obituary

Peter Gaunt P.P.J.G.W. {P.G.St.B.*}

1st. August 1932 - 8th. February 2011

"Thank you for the Music"

On Tuesday 8th. February 2011 the sad news of the passing to the Grand Lodge above of our beloved Lodge organist W Bro Peter Gaunt was received by the brethren. The news, although Peter had been in hospital for a short while came as an unexpected surprise to the members.

W Bro Gaunt although not a member of Horsford Lodge stepped into the breach and took over as organist some 16 years ago when our previous organist W Bro Frank Pitts passed away and during that time he was very rarely known to miss a meeting, such was his dedication to Horsford Lodge he was made an Honorary member in the year 2000.

His musical prowess was wonderful, always knowing just what piece of music to match to any occasion. He was not only organist for our Lodge but several other Lodges and other Masonic orders, as well as being church organist and a member of the Brotherhood choir and as if that were not enough he was for many years the leader of "The Horsforth Leeds City Silver Band".

Music played a great part in Peters life having from a very early age started learning to play the piano he gave musical accompaniment in various venues over the years, he also played the coronet.

In addition to his music he was also a qualified football referee in his earlier years.

He was a Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in craft and Past Grand Standard Bearer in Chapter showing the high regard and esteem with which he was held.

Peter will be very sadly missed by his wife Joyce and their children and grand children and will also be a great loss to freemasonry and the world of music. He will be fondly remembered by all who had the good fortune to know him and to have heard his mastery of the keyboard.

Guy Crossland Barrett O.B.E., PJGD, PPSGW

On Tuesday 2^nd. March 2010, 82 brethren assembled at the regular meeting of Horsford Lodge No 5339 at Westbourne House Otley to celebrate with W Bro Barrett his 50 year jubilee in freemasonry.

The meeting had originally been scheduled for Tuesday 5^th January but due to the blizzards that day the meeting had to be abandoned and a new date suitable to all concerned had to be arranged.

W Bro Martin W Stray APGM was in attendance to carry out the presentation ceremony, one which was enjoyed by everyone present.

W Bro Stray detailed W Bro Guy’s life from his birth in Horsforth through his early education at Woodhouse Grove and thereafter Giggleswick. He detailed his time in the RAF where his last job was to work on the commissioning of the, at that time, new radar system at Heathrow Airport.

On his return from the RAF he took up employment with the family steel business in Bradford, a company started by his grandfather and where his father had also worked, the fourth generation of his family, his two sons are now employed in the business.

After around 15 to 20 minutes of hearing of W Bro Barrett’s extremely busy life, with the many activities undertaken by him you wondered where he managed to get the time to devote to his hobby a passion  for racing pigeons, a hobby which saw him take up the International Presidency of the International Pigeon Racing Federation.

At this point just when it appeared nothing else could be fit into such a busy life W Bro Stray went on to inform us that W Bro Barrett decided to join Freemasonry and follow his father into Horsford Lodge. It was probably the logical thing for him to do as his father had been a founder member of Horsford Lodge and his mothers’ brother Edward Arnold Braithwaite had been the first master of the Lodge in 1932.

Many of the brethren present were probably very surprised to hear just how much W Bro Guy crammed into his 50 years in freemasonry, he was extremely active on the charity committee serving as president at one time and was responsible for many of the innovative advances undertaken by the Provincial Charity Committee.

An excellent evening was enjoyed by all present and it was just a shame that all too soon it had to come to an end.

The lodge Ladies formal evening was held on Saturday 13th February at what has now become our traditional venue of Westbourne House.

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Although we were small in numbers an excellent evening of food and entertainment was enjoyed by everyone present. The meal, as is usual at Westbourne House was of the highest standard and the entertainment which followed was enjoyed by everyone.

The singing of Michaela was very pleasing and varied allowing everyone to sit back and listen to her wonderful voice or if they preferred to take to the dance floor and boogie the night away.

All too soon another happy and enjoyable evening came to a close and it was time to head off home for another year.

At the start of November a number of Lodge members along with family and friends headed for the Chadwick Hotel in St Anne's for what has become our annual pre winter break.

As usual the food and entertainment were excellent and although the weather on Saturday left a lot to be desired it did not dampen our enthusiasm to have a good time.

The attached photographs were taken during the weekend and on the Saturday night at the banqueting evening in the hotel.

On Sunday 13th. September 2009 the Lodge was shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of our Master Worshipful Brother Daniel Bain Marshall Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon. The news although not unexpected following the deterioration of his health over the summer recess was none the less a severe blow to the members.

W. Bro. Marshall had commenced his Masonic career in 1992 in our mother Lodge Coronation No 2922 where he was installed as Master in 1999, he supported his mother Lodge in various offices over the years before, in June 2006, becoming a joining member of Horsford Lodge.

He was only too willing to step into office to help out and was delighted to have been installed as Worshipful Master of Horsford Lodge in April 2009 by his predecessor W. Bro. Barry Massam but unfortunately did not survive to see the completion of his year as Master.

He was a member of Philanthropic Chapter No. 304, a Past Principal and at the time of his passing was the Preceptor, as in the Lodge he will be sadly missed.

W. Bro. Dan Marshall had a wonderful sense of humour but also a serious side to him; he was renowned for his dapper and immaculate bearing; from his suits, shoes and shirts he exuded class, this all emanated from his years in the tailoring profession.

Dan will be very sadly missed by his wife Ann and their daughters and will also be a great loss to freemasonry. He will be fondly remembered by all who had the good fortune to know him.

As a start to the new Masonic season W Bros. Winder & Cotton accompanied by Bros. Hirst & Wilkinson visited St. John’s Lodge at Baildon on Thursday 3^rd September where along with over 100 other brethren witnessed an excellent lecture entitled “The Building, King Solomon’s Temple” presented by two of the brethren of Cleveleys Lodge of Mark Master Masons.

The lecture was most informative and thoroughly enjoyed by all present as was the festive board held after the close of the meeting.

Below is a photo of the model built on the floor of the Lodge to demonstrate lecture.

On August Bank holiday Saturday the wardens organised an evening at the Baildon Hall Club where again we had a good turnout of brethren and their family and friends.

Baildon Hall was built by Robert Baildon in the mid 1500’s. It was used as a social club by the Auxiliary Fire Service during the second world war and then turned into the club it is today in 1946.

The building has wonderful features which have been lovingly restored by the members over the years although the work is still ongoing.

Below is a photo of the hall and also some of the guests enjoying the evening.

The Hall is reputed to have a ghost although I can safely say on the evening it did not make an appearance.
 

In July a considerable number of the brethren and their families gathered at W Bro Jones house where an excellent BBQ was held in the garden ( yes it was one of those days when you could actually sit out in the garden), the food provided was of an extremely high standard and brings new meaning to the expression “Keeping up with the Jones’s.

If anyone left hungry it was their own fault as there was plenty of food to be consumed, the only downside was it all came to an end too soon.