Twenty-six tough and weather-hardened trekkers set off from Twickenham District Masonic Centre early on Saturday morning, following a hearty breakfast and what proved to be an historic meeting of Prince Michael of Kent Lodge.
The Lodge was opened in due form at 08:15 by the Worshipful Master, W Bro Neal Evans, with a total of 34 in attendance across both temples. After a very short meeting, the Lodge was called off and the trekkers gathered in the garden for a quick photograph before making their dash for the gates. Then, almost as suddenly as they had arrived, there was a sense of calm around the Centre as the dust settled.
The trekking party was made up of Middlesex and Metropolitan brethren, joined by a number of partners and one intrepid son. All smiles at the outset, they made their way along the A316 towards Richmond Bridge, where they descended the steps and joined the Thames Path.
The first drinks stop came just before Kew Bridge, by which time some of the early smiles were beginning to give way to the cut and thrust of Masons on a mission.
There was some excellent pace-setting from Middlesex Executive members Paul Sully, PAPGM and Warren Gell, APGM. Paul and Warren did far more than set the pace. They demonstrated true leadership throughout, encouraging and supporting the trekkers at every opportunity and ensuring that no one was left behind.
As the temperature slowly climbed, regular water stops became essential, with refreshments taken at Kew, Chiswick, Barnes, Putney and Battersea. Water, bananas, & snacks were provided by the Middlesex2031 Festival Team, who monitored the progress in real time and continually drove ahead of the walkers to see them safely along the route. These stops also provided the occasional opportunity for a photograph — and brief moments of respite.
Much of the earlier section of the walk offered welcome shade, but by the time the trekkers reached Battersea Park, there was little protection from the increasingly fierce September sun. Nevertheless, the Middlesex and Metropolitan Masons kept pushing on. Somewhere around the midway point, some of the trekkers confessed that their knees had turned to jelly, but that didn’t stop them from pressing on.
Despite a solid intake of a light lunch and refreshment at The Rocket in Putney, the team once again hit the trail, this time with the radar set for The Riverside watering hole a few kilometres further along the Thames Path at Vauxhall Bridge. Such distractions were, of course, routinely ignored by the most serious participants. Among them was Adam Camp, who had been enlisted to play the organ at Freemasons’ Hall at 14:30. Then there was Alfie Buckland, completing his own version of the Middlesex Triathlon. Having already cycled 60 miles in the Three Counties Cycle Ride and abseiled down Freemasons’ Hall during the summer, he now added a 20-mile trek to his list of achievements.
Twenty miles is no easy walk, and certainly not in full sunshine on a hotter-than-usual September day. There were blisters, swollen feet and more than a few aching limbs by the finish. Yet, as is so often the case with Middlesex Freemasonry, the real winner was charity, with more than £2,500 raised for good causes in the community.
And despite the pain, the blisters and the swollen feet, most of the trekkers were already asking the same question: “When’s the next one?”
A Piece of Masonic History
The day also saw a small but significant piece of Masonic history made.
Prince Michael of Kent Lodge was opened and called off at Twickenham District Masonic Centre. Later that day, the Lodge was called back on and, following the briefest of business, formally closed.
Immediately after the Lodge was formally closed, Adam Camp raised an intriguing possibility: he recalled that Prince Michael of Kent Lodge may have started life at Grand Lodge. This prompted some urgent forensic research into the Lodge’s history, and PMK Secretary Mark Jackson was able to confirm that Adam’s recollection was indeed correct.
Mark, who had done an incredible job organising the formal arrangements for the day, including securing the necessary dispensations, established that Prince Michael of Kent Lodge was consecrated by HRH Prince Michael of Kent in Temple 10 — the Egyptian Temple — on 30 April 1984.
It is believed that Saturday’s meeting was the first time the Lodge had returned to Freemasons’ Hall since its consecration 42 years ago. Even more fittingly, the Lodge met “next door”, in Temple 9 at Grand Lodge, making the occasion a rather special homecoming
What began as a simple Lodge meeting and a sponsored walk therefore became something rather more memorable: a day combining fellowship, endurance, charity and a little piece of Masonic history.
Thank You
Sincere thanks go to the organising team of Tim Wright, Matthew Jennings and Mark Jackson, whose hard work made the day possible, with special thanks also to our Metropolitan colleagues Grant Bailey and Will Clayton for their help and assistance.
Additional thanks go to Twickenham District Masonic Centre for all their help in preparing the Temple and organising the breakfast.
And, last but certainly not least, congratulations and thanks to the trekkers themselves, who endured the heat, the distance and the blisters to complete the challenge — raising more than £2,500 for charity along the way.
