
Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex
Press Releases

Young Essex Freemasons write and perform hilarious panto and raise £1,100 for charity
On December 16, 2023 at Howard Hall Masonic Centre in Braintree, the members of Cornerstone Lodge welcomed both the Provincial Grand Master (PGM) of Essex, Paul Tarrant, and the Deputy PGM, Nick Franklin, to their Installation meeting of Jack Saunders as their new Worshipful Master.
Cornerstone Lodge is for freemasons aged 40 and under. It meets twice a year in June and December and there is also a very active social club with members from across Essex who volunteer their services to support local communities and raise money for good causes.
After the meeting everyone had a superb time at the festive board with the young freemasons turning into actors for the night as they presented an hiularious panto entitled 'Little Dick Whittington’ which was written by member, Bernie Smith and starred Sam Connor as the hero ‘Dick’ with a special surprise guest appearance of the Provincial Grand Master, Paul Tarrant, as the Mayor of London. The arrangement of music and sound effects by Paul Williams added a professional touch to the performance.
Sam Connor said “Everyone in the audience joined in with laughter and participated in true panto fashion. Each actor embraced their role with remarkable enthusiasm and a surprising amount of skill, bringing the characters to life in a way that was both entertaining and hysterically funny.”
The young Essex Freemasons also raised a remarkable £1,100 for charity which highlights the benevolent spirit of Cornerstone Lodge as well as the core values of Freemasonry in supporting the wider community. Discover more at Essex Cornerstone.
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Photos:
- Cornerstone Lodge Installation Meeting with new Worshipful Master Jack Saunders (centre), Paul Tarrant the Provincial Grand Master (centre right) and Nick Franklin the Deputy PGM (centre left).
- The Cornerstone Lodge Panto stars L-R: Adam Daisley, Chris Hayden, Ron Hodgson, Adam Harvey, Sam Connor, Jayson Churn, Bernie Smith and Luke Daisley