An Inside View of Freemasons Hall, Great Queen Street

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A Very Proud Assistant Grand Pursuivant in the Drawing Room in GQS
Serving as Provincial Grand Master is the second time I have been fortunate enough to hold an Acting Rank within The United Grand Lodge of England. In 2016 I was appointed as Assistant Grand Pursuivant (Assistant Inner Guard). It's potentially a speaking role, but with a Pursuivant, 3 Assistants and only 5 meetings, it's bit of a long shot to get a go at helping open Grand Lodge. Sadly, I didn't get the chance, although I came within 5 minutes at the 2017 Annual Investiture Meeting when the Pursuivant got held up and nearly missed the meeting!


Although I take part in the procession now, I don't have to go to the rehearsal which is held on the morning of the meeting. In 2016 I did have to go the rehearsals and I think that was my favourite part of the year. It's just like your lodge rehearsal, but on a bigger scale. 

RW Bro John Kufuor, Former President of Ghana and Past Senior Grand Warden, UGLE
As Assistant Pursuivant I didn't actually have anything to practice, which meant I got to play the roles of the people too important to be there. in 2017 the incoming Senior Grand Warden was John Kufuor former President of Ghana. As RW Bro Kufuor is such an eminent man, the DC's were very keen for the Senior Grand Deacons to be absolutely perfect. Their job at the end of the meeting is to hold up the procession of visiting dignitaries, so the Senior Grand Warden can take his place immediately behind the Rulers. 

The lodge Senior Deacon is important, but in Grand Lodge it's the rank given to Assistant Provincial Grand Masters. At the Investiture Rehearsal I was John Kufuor and the two APGM's were made to practice escorting me out of Grand Lodge over and over again! In the end one of them got fed up and sneaked off. Thirty seconds later the Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master, Peter Lowndes walked in with John Kufuor and asked him if he would like to practice walking out!

The DC went white, because he didn't want to admit that he had lost one of the APGM's and I had to pretend I was the AWOL Senior Grand Deacon. Fortunately, we weren't wearing our regalia, or the game would have been up there and then! Peter Lowndes (a former Grand Director of Ceremonies) watched our performance and I always like to think he was none the wiser, but I'm not absolutely sure. He was far too nice to say anything if he did notice though!

The Grand Temple

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