27 April 2026 · Portsmouth · Mark
A grand room, a good meeting—and I stayed awake
The Mark Provincial AGM at Portsmouth Guildhall delivered plenty of spectacle, familiar faces and a very respectable afternoon out.
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The diary
Meetings, visits, music, people and meals—newest first, with the exact dates and places that make up the journey.
15 April 2026 · Lymington · Craft
A new club begins with camaraderie and cholesterol
Breakfast in Lymington, conversation without ceremony and a table where it was perfectly acceptable just to listen.
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8 April 2026 · Gosport · Red Cross of Constantine
Braving the visit—and getting away with it
A Red Cross evening in Gosport with the Divisional Sepulchre Guard, good company and no diplomatic incidents.
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26 March 2026 · Totton · Royal Arch
Lyndhurst on tour, with a surprisingly good chicken curry
A team visit to Test Valley Chapter at Totton proved that support, friendship and festive-board catering can all exceed expectations.
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26 March 2026 · Winchester · Red Cross of Constantine
Meeting very good. Food questionable.
The three amigos headed to Winchester for Red Cross, where the ceremonial standards were considerably more reliable than the catering.
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11 November 2025 · Harrow · Craft
Eight Hampshire Masons head into the wilds of Middlesex
A visiting party travelled to Harrow to support an official visit to Greenford Lodge—and discovered that pastures new can produce a fabulous evening.
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18 October 2025 · Brockenhurst · Craft
The new team, with a couple of old boys thrown in
A changing of the guard at Lyndhurst Lodge—and proof that experience can still be smuggled into the photograph.
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8 September 2025 · Portsmouth · Red Cross of Constantine
The mysterious door in the Portsmouth wall
A Red Cross visit began with an entrance that appeared equally likely to lead to a Conclave or a den of ill repute.
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10 August 2025 · Ringwood · Mark
No wallaby or emu appeared on the menu
Vale of Avon’s annual barbecue brought sunshine, sausages and a chef whose ingredients were, on balance, reassuring.
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2 July 2025 · London · Craft
Five minutes late to the Grand Temple
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Craft AGM involved London traffic, a narrow escape, curry and the reflective calm of a coach ride home.
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28 June 2025 · Botley · Red Cross of Constantine
A fine body of men gathers at Botley
The Red Cross AGM brought promotions, reappointments and visitors from other Divisions and Orders to Botley Masonic Centre.
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25 June 2025 · Brockenhurst · Craft
£4,500 for local causes—and I still prefer cake
Brockenhurst Masonic Centre brought local charities together for an evening about practical support, community and the rewards available in sponge form.
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21 June 2025 · Southampton · Rose Croix
Complicated degrees and a scrummy chocolate-orange tart
A warm day at the Southampton Novotel brought a thoughtful Rose Croix demonstration followed by the part of the programme nobody struggled to understand.
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18 June 2025 · Chandler’s Ford · Craft
The 120th pint—and every last drop
A visit to the new blood donation centre in Chandler’s Ford marked donation number 120, conveniently close to another place experienced in extracting money.
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25 March 2025 · Winchester · Craft
£300 towards Peru—and a reminder of my age
Merdon Lodge helped a King’s School student towards a World Challenge expedition, while I tried not to calculate how long ago school was.
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18 March 2025 · Southampton · Craft
Ten years of Brevity—and one enormous cake
Nearly fifty people marked a decade since Brevity Lodge was consecrated, with an installation and a cake scaled for the occasion.
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8 March 2025 · Hursley · Craft
Meet Annie: a lesson that could save a life
Merdon Lodge swapped the usual programme for CPR and defibrillator training—practical knowledge every Masonic centre ought to have.
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5 February 2025 · Wiltshire · Craft
Dinner for the visitors who had not booked
A journey into Wiltshire ended at Longleat Lodge, where a particularly friendly welcome extended even to unexpected diners.
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14 December 2024 · Hursley · Craft
A packed room, £700 for charity and a bottle of sake
Merdon Lodge’s installation filled both the temple and festive board—which, at Hursley, involved remarkably little travelling.
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3 December 2024 · Brockenhurst · Craft
Carols, charity and a very large Christmas feast
Lyndhurst Lodge gathered friends and families in Brockenhurst for a Christmas dinner that raised £575 for Children First.
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17 August 2024 · Brockenhurst · Craft
Old cars, sunshine and the essential slice of cake
Forest Villages Lodge opened Brockenhurst Masonic Centre for a classic-car show featuring polished machinery, tea and entirely justified drooling.
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27 July 2024 · Damerham · Craft
Freemasonry, a village fair and some serious bear work
Vale of Avon took Teddies for Loving Care into the community at Damerham Village Fair under suspiciously glorious skies.
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19 April 2024 · Southampton · Rose Croix
A colourful ceremony. The food, less impressive.
Fides et Justitia met at 40 Steps in Southampton for a memorable Rose Croix evening in more ways than one.
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18 December 2023 · Brockenhurst · Craft
A mad choir, tasty food and Christmas approaching fast
Forest Villages brought music into Brockenhurst with Leigh Jerwood, a lively choir from St Mark’s and Becky’s reliably good catering.
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16 July 2023 · Bisterne · Craft
Sunshine arrives exactly when ordered
The South West Area summer garden party at Bisterne brought the Province together near Ringwood after volunteers survived a considerably wetter rehearsal.
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