Our meeting on the 9th of October was a mixture of joy and sadness, the sad part was that this was the first meeting since the death of our Bro Jason Liversidge, who passed to the Grand Lodge above on the 5th of August 2023.
The Worshipful Master gave a moving eulogy recording Jason’s life and his ‘never say die’ attitude, despite suffering two life limiting illnesses, Motor Neurone Disease and Fabry’s Disease. Jason had wanted to follow in his Father and Grandfathers footsteps and become a Mason, something he achieved in 2018 when he joined our Lodge, MND and Fabry’s never held him back.
He was an excellent member and good company, he will be sadly missed by all of us in Wyke Millennium, but most of all by his wife Liz and his two daughters Lily and Poppy.
The joyous elements of the evening included formalising the donations made by the Lodge to the Tickton PCC towards their Pétanque (more familiarly boules) terrain being constructed for the village, the welcoming of a new joining member, and the main event of the evening which was to Pass Bro Phil Lord to the Second Degree.
Brother Phil reached another milestone in his masonic career and was supported by visiting friends from 5 sister Lodges; an excellent night was had by all, and as usual we were well fed and watered by this excellent hotel, and we remain truly grateful to the Whymant family for their continued hospitality over the last 23 years.
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our Brother Jason Liversidge on the 5th of August, peacefully at home with his wife and daughters there to bid him farewell.
Jason joined the Wyke Millennium Lodge in 2018 and attracted support from Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge in his wish to become a Freemason. Despite his devastating illnesses he played an active part in the Lodge, rising to Junior Warden and then latterly as Assistant Secretary. His voice generating computer allowed him to deliver his ritual, and unlike many of us he was word perfect. Latterly as his health failed and MND robbed him of the ability to use the computer screen effectively, he continued in his post assisted by several willing brethren who spoke his words for him.
Whenever he could, he was in attendance at the Lodge and only illness forced him to miss a meeting. The Provincial Grand Master at the time, R W Brother Jeffrey Gillyon, relaxed the rules for attendance at the festive board so that his wife and carer could be present, and be in readiness for any emergency that might occur. Happily none did and they too were able to enjoy their time with us. I never heard any complaints from any visitors about the ladies being in attendance, and they were always warmly welcomed. Thank you Brethren.
We will miss Jason, his presence served as a reminder of why we joined Freemasonry, and he kept us grounded. If we couldn’t support someone who needed our help in and out of the Lodge, our organisation would be poor thing indeed. Thankfully Masonry shone through.
Jason as Junior Warden with the WM Andrew Cooke, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master Allan Armbrister and his Provincial Team
Jason was first diagnosed with Fabry disease in 2012. An MND diagnosis followed in 2013.
Jason was only 37 when he was diagnosed and has 2 young daughters who have also inherrited Fabry disease. Jason despite his diagnosis continued to be a fantastic father to his two young children and loving husband to his wife Liz. He raised awareness for MND amd broke two world records.
Jason suffered a cardiac arrest in 2022 and was resuscitated by his wife and carers. He was having Dialysis 3 times a week and receiving 24 hour care from an an amazing team of carers. Many health battles have happened over the years and Jason fought bravely so he could be with his family.
Jason unfortunately had a medical emergency on the 4th August resulting in an admission to hospital. His wife and children were given the devastating news that he was not going to make it. Jason’s wish was to die at home surrounded by his family. Liz and Jason’s team made this a reality, Jason returned home on the evening of the 5th August, surrounded by his wife and children, Jason passed peacefully.
On the 12th of June 2023, we held the first working night for our newly installed master, W Brother Malcolm Grange. It was a ‘white table’ event where wives, partners and friends of masonry were welcomed to our festive board.
After a short meeting were we welcomed two new joining members to the Lodge and proposed a third, as well as voting contributions to 4 worthy causes, namely the South Holderness Swimming Club, support for Tim Weston a 20 year old student undertaking a trek to the Himalayas to raise funds for Meningitis research, support for Connaught Court and lastly to the Daisy Appeal (Castle Hill Hospital), we had the usual high quality meal courtesy of the Tickton Grange Hotel and were treated to a guest speaker, Mrs Olga Coates who gave a talk entitled ‘Life behind the Iron Curtain’. The following is an extract from the minutes of our meeting’s after proceedings which gives a flavour of Olga’s talk:
The Worshipful Master introduced our guest speaker for the evening, Mrs Olga Coates, who gave us a talk on ‘Life behind the Iron Curtain’. A potted history of her parents escape from pre-war Ukraine and Stalin’s forced famine (killing a reported 40 million people), then an anonymous part of the USSR, to Poland, only to be caught up in the second world war and forced to work by the Nazi regime in Germany as slave labour. Eventually they managed to make their way to England after the war and were located in a refugee camp in Priory Road Hull, where Olga was born.
The family worked in agriculture as many ex-eastern Europeans were prized for their knowledge and hard work in that key post-war industry. Eventually her father was offered a job in a local village by a farmer and with it came a tied cottage. A huge benefit for the family!. Arriving at their new home with the few possessions they had, they spent the night on the wooden floor with no furniture, curtains or beds. Drafty and cold but a home, the villagers soon learnt of their plight and rallied around to provide the basics needed to make it a proper home.
Her father and mother were hard working and her mother especially so to make ends meet, often picking peas, on a piece-work basis, 5 times more than any other worker, to try and provide some little extras for her family.
The tied cottage was eventually condemned as unfit to live in for children and the family were offered a council house, which they accepted even though it added an extra 16 mile round cycle trip to her father’s place of work.
Life was tough in the UK for the family but even worse for the family they left behind in the Ukraine. Under Stalin the purges continued and the people lived a peasant existence. Gulags were part of life and even a small step out of line could send a person to certain death in one.
During the post war period Olga’s mother suffered immense mental stress wondering about her lost family in Ukraine. Eventually several decades later correspondence came through heavily censored from the USSR. A prompt reply was not in turn responded to and the worst was feared that her Ukraine family had been purged to a Gulag.
More decades and more mental strife were to pass before contact was made again and this turned out to be because of a simple slip by the local post-mistress in the village were Olga and her family had lived before moving to their council house, sending the reply from her relatives in Ukraine back as not-delivered, rather than just finding out the forwarding address for Olga’s mother. On both sides of Europe the family had feared the worst for their relatives in the UK and in Ukraine. A sad story of assumed tragedy that could have been avoided, leading to immense mental suffering.
Happily this further contact came to a happier ending, but not without further obstacles being encountered along the way. Eventually Olga’s uncle and aunt managed to fly to Heathrow and visit the family in their home near Hull. Fascinated by the things that we in the UK took for granted in the 1990’s, running water, hot water, flushing toilets. The latter becoming an object of fascination for Olga’s visiting relatives, who regularly flushed the loo, just to see it work.
Of even more fascination was the availability of food from the shops and the range of choices for even the basics such as bread. Ukraine had two types of bread both hard and black and unremarkable, and yet in the UK there was a preponderous of choice. The relaxed time that British people had, weekends to enjoy themselves, nice clothes, ladies who went around in high heels, it was a revelation to someone from rural Ukraine at that time.
Just before their return to Ukraine, Olga’s relatives refused to go into the local ASDA store; it was just too much for them. They had, they said, been living a lie; brain-washed by the USSR into believing the West was poverty stricken and the people of the West were living a life of bare existence, when in fact the opposite was true. It was very distressing for them.
In the 90’s the USSR fell apart and Olga determined to go to Ukraine to meet here family there. Travelling on such a journey was arduous and hazardous, but she made it and was welcomed and feted not just by her own family but by the whole village. A true journey of life, Olga was shown by her aunt the comb that Olga’s mother had wanted to take with her when she escaped from Ukraine all those years ago. Still held by her sister in remembrance. Olga would have liked to have taken it back to her mother, but her aunt refused, it was her memento of her sister and it was staying in Ukraine. Olga was inundated with presents from the village, handmade feather filled cushions, she could only take a few as they would otherwise have filled the plane; she returned home a happier person, that she had seen her family and found out more about their history and life.
Olga’s talk took an hour and could have gone on longer still. Everyone was enthralled and saddened in equal measure. No wonder that the Ukrainian people will not accept being forced back under the yoke of an oppressive Russian by the current conflict. We should not forget Olga’s story and the lessons behind it. Slava Ukraini!!
All the ladies present on the evening received a gift of a replica ‘anointing spoon’ as used at King Charles 111’s coronation as a memento of the event and of a good night at Wyke Millennium in June 2023.
Olga giving her talk – ‘Life behind the Iron Curtain’
May 15th 2023 saw the belated Installation Meeting of the Wyke Millennium Lodge; delayed by a week to allow for the bank holiday for the King’s Coronation, at least we saw on the 6th of May how it should be done!
Ours went off with a little less pomp and ceremony, but with sincerity and dedication nonetheless, and W Bro Mal Grange was installed into the chair of the Lodge with due aplomb.
This was the second time that W Bro Mal has taken the chair, the first time was in 2002; as one of the founder members of the Lodge W Bro Mal played a great part in its formation and its life ever since, and we all look forward to being led by him once again, and to supporting him in his year of office.
Moving the date of the installation meant we clashed with that of Holderness Lodge, so visitor numbers were down, but nonetheless we enjoyed our evening together with the visitors who attended.
We were pleased to welcome W Bro Paul Blacklock PPSGW representing the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master. together with his DC for the evening W Bro Eddie Brooke.
We also welcomed two joining members to the Lodge, W Bro Jason Smawfield-Huby and W Bro Ian Sharpe, and we look forward to their company for many years to come.
After leading us for two years through a very difficult period, W Bro Andrew Cooke became the Immediate Mast Master and gets a well earned rest! Many thanks to W Bro Andrew for a good job well done!
W Bro Paul Blacklock PPSGW responds to the toast to the Provincial Officers
W Bro Brian Baker proposes the toast to the new Worshipful Master
Our March 2023 meeting was another milestone in the life of Wyke Millennium 9696, where we initiated our new brother Chris Wall.
We were pleased to initiate a new member to our Lodge and even more so with a very well attended ceremony where 41 masons attended to provide him with the sort of welcome that every new member deserves. We had visitors from many sister Lodges, and were particularly pleased to have a significant contingent from the Cornerstone Group (a ‘club’ for newly made Masons across the Province) who are looking to attend Lodges where new members are being initiated and to welcome them both to the fraternity and the Cornerstone Group. A terrific initiative and more power to their elbow!
Our newly made brother Chris enjoyed an excellent ceremony and great fellowship at the festive board. We all enjoyed the usual high quality meal provided courtesy of this excellent hotel, who’s hospitality we continue to enjoy after over 23 years since our consecration here.
Fantastic support for our newly made brother (centre) and what a great group!
Bro Phil Lord proposes the toast to our newly made brother
Bro Chris Wall responds
Duo of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and redcurrant jus (yum!)
We held our February meeting as a ‘white table’ event where wives, partners and friends were welcome to come along and enjoy a night out at the Tickton Grange Hotel.
The white table event was enjoyed by all those attending, and we received a talk by our own W Bro Tim Haley on his 31 years in the Royal Navy. The talk was very interesting, charting Tim’s career and the various venues and characters that he had met upon the way, noting the discipline instilled in the crew members which was essential for life on board ship. Tim described the development of the facilities on board and the changes since his first ship, commissioned in 1943, to the later bigger ships he served on such as HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. We all gained an invaluable insight into Tim’s career and service and the foibles of life in the navy and of the great and good, who sometimes should know better! W Bro Tim retired at the rank of Lt Commander. We also learned at first instance, the bosun’s pipe to get the ratings up in the morning and to lights out at night, and now we know the origin of the phrase ‘pipe down’.
Our Brother Paul Matson was honoured in the New Year’s Honours List with a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to veterans.
Paul is the founder of Hull 4 Heroes, a charity based in Hull, East Yorkshire, which supports veterans from our armed forces and is doing all it can to make their lives better. Paul has been the driving force behind the charity since inception, and this year hopes to see the ‘ground broken’ on his Veterans Village, a place where veterans can make their homes and find reintegration back into society in a supported environment.
Paul recently said, ‘it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had, but the most fulfilling, and I can’t wait to get at it each morning’.
Hull 4 Heroes goes from strength to strength, and they have recently opened a drop in centre where veterans can call in and find warmth and welcome, and it’s in high demand!
We at Wyke Millennium are very proud of what Paul has done and is doing. Putting into action those principles that we are taught in the Lodge in the outside world is something we all aspire to, but rarely are they evidenced on such as scale as Paul has achieved.
Congratulations to Paul and his team – typically he said ‘it’s a team effort, I may have received the honour, but it’s for all of us, I couldn’t do it alone’ – good sentiments and true leadership, well done!
On the 14th of November 2022 we held our normal Lodge night but with a different twist. The Worshipful Master had designated it as a ‘white table’ event to which wives and partners and friends could come along to the festive board.
As we met the day after Remembrance Sunday, it was thought appropriate that we could use this opportunity to put into practice our support for our armed services, and in particular the ex-service men and women that put themselves in harms way so that we may sleep easy in our beds.
25 sat down to another excellent Tickton Grange meal which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
We invited Mr Ron Laden (Lieutenant Colonel retired) the Chairman of the Beverley Branch of the Royal British Legion to come along and present a talk on the work of the RBL historically and also in the present, to care for and support ex-service personnel and their families in times of need.
The talk was poignant and enlightening and provided a timely reminder of the duty we owe to those who serve.
The Worshipful Master was pleased to present a cheque for £150.00 towards the Poppy Appeal to Chairman Ron, who advised that it would be put to very good use.
The Ladies present (and those who couldn’t make it, as well as Chairman Ron’s partner) each received a gift of a Poppy scarf purchased from the RBL website, which purchase provided further funding to this very worthwhile cause.
The Worshipful Master presents a cheque to RBL Branch Chairman Ron Laden
At our meeting on the 10th of October we held our first initiation since 2018!
It was a great night for our candidate Phil (now Brother) Lord who was treated to a ceremony of initiation second to none. He was supported by the attendance of 41 brethren, including being honoured by the presence of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Very Worshipful Brother Jonathan Mark Mitchell Smith accompanied by 11 active Provincial Officers.
Phil was surprised to find several of his friends in attendance who he had no clue were members of our fraternity; as a Lodge we were supported by many friends from other Lodges who took part in the ceremony and enabled us to deliver a fitting and memorable first step into Freemasonry for Brother Phil, for which we thank them most sincerely.
We enjoyed a typical high quality Tickton Grange festive board and had a thoroughly joyous and fraternal time, The toast to our newly made brother was given, the Entered Apprentices song was sung and the symbolism of the Masonic Chain was explained, which was something that a few of our visitors hadn’t witnessed before and was of great interest to them.
All in all a splendid night and reminiscent of the days before Covid19, when we and our fellow Masons could mingle freely and enjoy each others company, just as it should be.
Our newly made Brother performing the important duty of picking the winning raffle numbers!
The Worshipful Master proposes the toast to the Very Worshipful deputy Provincial Grand Master
