Members of the public in and around Brigg were invited to look around the handsome three-storey 19th-century Georgian townhouse that’s home to the town’s Freemasons.
This was their first open day for many years and the Brethren were on hand to show interested visitors the whole of the building. The ground floor was devoted to our donations to charity, second only in the scale of giving to the National Lottery. Brethren explained that smaller organisations also benefit, with £106,500 being donated to over 130 groups within Lincolnshire last year alone, and that larger sums were given to other organisations, such as more than £80,000 to support victims of the floods in Wainfleet, and donations of up to five figures for causes as diverse as the support for the elderly and vulnerable, and the Air Ambulance.
The first floor featured a display of masonic regalia and information about the organisation, from the structure of the lodges and process of the meetings, to the more fundamental matters such as the annual subscriptions. Two lodges meet in Brigg; Ancholme and Glanford Vale. Each meet once a month, eight times a year, from October through to May.
The second floor was an impressive sight, with the Masonic temple open to all. The black and white carpet was probably the most striking feature, and the symbolism on display was impressive. The Lodge boards detailed the past members of the Lodges – many visitors noted names familiar to the town, stretching back to 1869.
• For further information about Freemasonry in Brigg, visit briggmasons.co.uk on the web, or email info@briggmasons.co.uk