Lodge members only: Ed Sheeran

 I luv this foto of the grwat musician Hedge Shearin givin it loads at da lodge

Freemason recipes: Pancake breakfast

 

A Ceremonial Pancake Breakfast in the Spirit of Freemasonry

Serves 20–24 Brethren and Guests

Ingredients

For the Pancakes

• 10 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 10 large eggs
• 10 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Breakfast Table

• 2 lbs breakfast sausage
• 2 lbs bacon
• 3 dozen scrambled eggs
• Maple syrup
• Butter
• Fresh fruit
• Coffee and tea
• Orange juice

Opening of the Kitchen

Before the griddles are heated, the Master of Breakfast may declare:

"Brethren and friends, we assemble not for labor upon stone, but upon batter. May our pancakes be level, our bacon plumb, and our coffee strong."

All present answer:

"So may it be served."

The Working of the Batter

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In another vessel, whisk eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.
4. Stir until just combined. Lumps are acceptable and should not be overworked, lest harmony be disturbed.

The Steward may then proclaim:

"From many ingredients, one batter; from many individuals, one table."

Raising the Griddle

1. Heat griddles to medium heat (about 375°F / 190°C).
2. Lightly butter the cooking surface.
3. Pour approximately ¼ cup batter per pancake.
4. Cook until bubbles form and edges set.
5. Turn once and finish until golden.

As the first pancake is turned:

"Thus do we seek improvement through proper instruction."

The Feast

Arrange pancakes in neat stacks.

Serve alongside:

• Bacon, representing diligence.
• Sausage, representing fortitude.
• Eggs, representing renewal.
• Coffee, representing vigilance.
• Maple syrup, representing the sweetness of fellowship.

Closing Toast

When all have been served:

"May this table remind us that fellowship is best shared, labor is best rewarded, and pancakes are best enjoyed while warm."

The assembly responds:

"To friendship, charity, and breakfast."

Optional Lodge Presentation

• Stack pancakes in three tiers.
• Garnish with blueberries and strawberries.
• Serve coffee in matching mugs.
• Decorate with simple blue-and-gold table accents if desired.

This gives the event a ceremonial flavor while remaining suitable for a public lodge breakfast, family day, or charitable fundraiser.

Lodge members only: Billy Corgan

 

I love this amazing foto of the smashing pumkin bald guy entertaining his brothers in the lodge. The guy from Path looks like he hates it 

Lodge members only: Duncan Bammatyme

 Here is Dunckjn Bannatime entertaining his brothers in the fraternitynwitha show of jest

Lodge Members only: Mike Batt

 This is a foto froma propa cool mason event where `mike BaTt brought back 00

Rick Wakeman: Lodge members only

 Check this wkd old photo of Wake Rickman wowing his brothers in the fraternity back in the8tee

Freemason Recipes: Mince and Dumplings

 

The Worshipful Warden's Beef Mince and Dumplings

Prepared for the Brethren and Guests of the Lodge

Brethren, Companions, and Esteemed Guests,

It is with great pleasure that we present this hearty and comforting dish, long favoured for occasions of fellowship and good company. As the bonds of friendship are strengthened around the Festive Board, so too may this wholesome fare provide warmth, sustenance, and contentment to all assembled.

May it be received in the spirit of harmony, charity, and brotherly affection.

Beef Mince and Dumplings

Serves 8–10 Brethren

Ingredients

For the Mince

• 1.5 kg good-quality beef mince
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 sticks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500 ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For the Dumplings

• 250 g self-raising flour
• 125 g shredded suet
• 1 tsp salt
• Cold water to mix

Method

The Mince

1. In a large casserole or stock pot, warm the oil over a moderate heat.
2. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, cooking gently until softened.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute.
4. Add the beef mince and brown thoroughly, breaking it apart as it cooks.
5. Sprinkle over the flour and stir well.
6. Add the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, and beef stock.
7. Season generously with salt and pepper.
8. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for approximately 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until rich and thickened.

The Dumplings

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, suet, and salt.
2. Add sufficient cold water to form a firm but pliable dough.
3. Divide into 12 equal portions and roll into neat dumplings.

The Final Assembly

1. Remove the lid from the casserole.
2. Arrange the dumplings evenly across the surface of the mince.
3. Cover once more and cook gently for 25–30 minutes, until the dumplings are light, fluffy, and thoroughly cooked.

To Serve

Present piping hot, accompanied by seasonal vegetables and buttered potatoes if desired.

May the table be well furnished, the company agreeable, and the evening remembered with pleasure by all who partake.

So mote it be.

Thanks for the review, Duncan!

"Freemasonfans.blogspot.com serves as a community-driven digital scrapbook focusing on the lighter, lifestyle-oriented elements of the fraternity, such as memorabilia, recipes, and user-submitted creative works. It operates as a casual fan space rather than an authoritative source, providing a warm,, community-focused, and accessible experience for fans of the craft." Duncan Bannatyne from How To Train Your Dragon TV

Famous mason(s): Steely Dan

 

The cool rockstars Steely Dan hav bin well known in the Woodstock lodge for being really cool masons. I'm not sure which one is Steely and which one is Dan but I did find out one of them is no longer with us, not just at the lodge but also ded. I think it was Steely. Now I guess he plays solo just as Dan and no-one comes like if Dec wasn't there everyone would just think Ant was an insect. Anyway I'm sure Dan is v happy with the support from his brothers in da lodge.

Amazing poem abour Rick Wakeman the cool mason

 Whirlwind wizard of the ivories and cool mason once had this amazing poem written about him by another cool mason called Harold Bishop who is also an grandmasta

In the hushed halls where Albion’s shadows fall,
Where stone remembers oath and ancient call,
There In the hushed halls where Albion’s shadows fall,

Where stone remembers oath and ancient call,
There stirred a dream like organ-note and flame—
And Rick Wakeman was the wandering name.

Not born of crown, nor forged in knightly steel,
But keys of ivory made the world reveal
A winding path through arch and hidden door,
Where silent chambers sang of evermore.

As Arthur sleeps beneath the hill of green,
And Grail-light flickers in what might have been,
So too he came, no sword but sound in hand,
To walk the inner courts of secret land.

The Mason’s square, the compass of the wise,
Became like runes before his wondering eyes;
Each degree a stair of unseen flame,
Each oath a chord that learned his hidden name.

They say the pillars spoke in tones of old,
When Wakeman’s fingers brushed the threads of gold—
And tracing rites where time itself grows thin,
He tuned the silence where the soul begins.

Through aproned ranks and vaulted, echoing stone,

He rose—not crowned, yet not entirely alone;
For in each lodge a spectral choir would start
When music met the geometry of heart.

Until at last, where myth and measure blend,
He stood where outer darkness meets the end
Of inward sight—and all the halls grew still,
As if the world obeyed a deeper will.

And whether truth or dream this tale may be,
It lives where chords dissolve in mystery;
For every order, craft, and secret art
Still answers to the sovereign of the heart.

So let the bells of unseen towers ring—
For Rick Wakeman still wanders, listening.

 a dream like organ-note and flame—
And Rick Wakeman was the wandering name.

Not born of crown, nor forged in knightly steel,
But keys of ivory made the world reveal
A winding path through arch and hidden door,
Where silent chambers sang of evermore.

As Arthur sleeps beneath the hill of green,
And Grail-light flickers in what might have been,
So too he came, no sword but sound in hand,
To walk the inner courts of secret land.

The Mason’s square, the compass of the wise,
Became like runes before his wondering eyes;
Each degree a stair of unseen flame,
Each oath a chord that learned his hidden name.

They say the pillars spoke in tones of old,
When Wakeman’s fingers brushed the threads of gold—
And tracing rites where time itself grows thin,
He tuned the silence where the soul begins.

Through aproned ranks and vaulted, echoing stone,
He rose—not crowned, yet not entirely alone;
For in each lodge a spectral choir would start
When music met the geometry of heart.

Until at last, where myth and measure blend,
He stood where outer darkness meets the end
Of inward sight—and all the halls grew still,
As if the world obeyed a deeper will.

And whether truth or dream this tale may be,
It lives where chords dissolve in mystery;
For every order, craft, and secret art
Still answers to the sovereign of the heart.

So let the bells of unseen towers ring—
For Rick Wakeman still wanders, listening.

 

*

Here is another cool mason from the oldenndays called Rick Wakeman