Bispham-with-Norbreck host the 45th Blackpool & District Mark Festival |
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| Friday the 24th of April saw 111 people descend on Adelaide Street for a show they will never forget - hopefully for the right reasons! Bispham-with-Norbreck Mark Lodge is one of the strongest in the Province, and has a great tradition of putting on a good Festival performance. We all remember the Albany Lodge Tracing Board all those years ago, produced, directed and painted by Melvyn Cross, our previous DC. So it was with some trepidation that the new team took on the task of entertaining the assembled throng. |
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The stars arrive |
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Giles & Peter can't save him..... |
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The cast performed superbly! |
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| The subject was 'The Ancient Punishments - what more can we do to a Mark Man? ‘Everyone agreed that the cast all performed absolutely brilliantly, and the audience was really generous in their applause, and from refraining from throwing anything. All the cast members had attended numerous practises, and we had all built the script with ad-libs encouraged. The preparation itself had been a really fun process. It would be a shame if I just rattled off exactly what happened during the show, because we already have three provisional bookings in the pipeline, where everyone attending can be as surprised as the audience was last Friday. | |||
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Lots of work, lots of fun |
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A glittering display |
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111 at the festive board...... |
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| This was a sad occasion for the Lodge, as our WM Peter Maxwell was absent, having lost his father Brian just days before. Our thoughts go out to Peter & his family. | |||
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Top table celebrations |
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Stars James Rashid & Tony Hanson |
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Stand-ins Jimmy Rogers and Steve Clarke |
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| This was the last time that Peter Connolly would ever attend our Lodge as Provincial Grand Master, and his last Blackpool & District Festival in that capacity. So of course we let him join in a bit, but didn't warn him! The festive board was absolutely buzzing, with Keith Beardmore doing one of his Stanley Holloway impersonations to entertain us all. Peter Connolly then responded to the toast, claiming to have come to the last 22 Festivals.......commitment indeed! | |||
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Too much wine? |
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Hard working secretary Andrew Dickson |
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Michael Clarke announces draw prizes |
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| He congratulated the team, our secretary Andrew Dickson, Treasurer Ray Lamb, and Giles Berkley who masterminded the performance. He then went on to talk of those receiving Grand rank or promotion in June at Mark Grand Lodge - Terry Hudson after 53 years a Mason, will be promoted to Past Grand Junior Overseer, John Powell is to be promoted to Past Grand Senior Deacon, Andrew Dickson to be appointed PAGDC, all members of Bispham-with-Norbreck Mark Lodge. A proud time indeed for the Lodge. | |||
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Keith Beardmore entertained us all! |
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Arthur Robinson steals a top prize |
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Russ Greenhow & Andrew Dickson |
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| Michael Clarke then proposed a toast to the Blackpool and District Association of Mark Lodges, and the Association Chairman Bob McGown responded with his usual humorous style, thanking the secretary Philip Watson for his efforts, and the Lodge for doing so well on the night. The WM of Fylde Mark No296, Bro Peter Green, accepted the invitation to host the Festival next year. Good luck for next year! | |||
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David Bell, grand officer designate, with the PGM |
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Steve Smith was a star! |
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Gordon Maxwell, Tony Blundell & Steve Clarke |
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A great evening was had by all |
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Flowers for Lynne |
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And sweets for Peter |
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| * The cast who made this all a great success deserve our thanks for not only volunteering (some were obviously blackmailed) but for doing such a great job on the night. And no Masons were harmed in the making of this production. | |||
| * Giles Berkley | Artistic Director of Casting (ADC) | ||
| * David Britton | Consultant - Autopsy | ||
| * Barry Shaw | Boris the Assistant - Autopsy | ||
| * James Rashid | Inspector Clouseau | ||
| * Peter Robinson | Kato | ||
| * Frank Kennedy | Ambulance man | ||
| * Dolphy Taylor | Paramedic | ||
| * Steve Smith | A & E Porter | ||
| * Martin Haynes | Gynaecologist | ||
| * Tony Hanson | The Ancient Brother | ||
| * Ray Lamb | Pecuniary and Fiduciary | ||
| * Rod Holt | Director of Cats (DC) | ||
| * John Powell | Coffin maker and committed tea-drinker | ||
| * Barry Holland | Musical Director | ||
| * Some brother called Hudson I think........Cheerleader | |||
| Grateful thanks to all who took part, and all who attended. Pictures & words by Giles | |||
