Metropolitan Grand Lodge SLGR investiture and Annual Meeting
W Bro Trevor Koschalka PAGDC reports, photography: Sam Bassan and Raj Patel The Grand Temple was a sea of light and dark blue regalia and the Metropolitan Stewards were resplendent in their crimson collars and aprons. Up in the gallery, friends and families were waiting to see their friends and loved ones invested by […]
LONDON CRAFT DIGEST WINTER 2022 – 2023
Here are just a few stories from London Freemasons and the London Lodges that have met over the last few months . Within the W Bro Glen McDonald Inspectorate, inter-Lodge visiting is encouraged. One of the ways this is stimulated is by having our own Inspectorate cup. On 1st December 2022, St Catharine's Park Lodge […]
Various stories from London Lodges and Freemasons
A double initiation, The Welcome Project, & Meat (lots of) On 4 February the United Arts Rifles Lodge No 3817, also known as the Brazilian Lodge, was honoured to host the Metropolitan Grand Lodge's Welcome Project as well as the Metropolitan Grand Inspector, W Bro Huw Pritchard. On this occasion, two new Brazilian masons were […]
Man at the Top W Bro Tony Shepherd PJGD, PASoj Metropolitan Grand Inspector
In conversation with W Bro Simon Bennett SLGR, LGCR MetGInsp I was born in the City of London Maternity Hospital, Islington, in December 1962, coming from a long line of Londoners, spanning over two centuries, of men and women who were born, married and died within a couple of miles radius of where I […]
Triple the fun at Imperial Cadet Lodge No 3824
Report by W Bro Paul King, Metropolitan Grand Charity Steward At the Annual General Meeting of Metropolitan Grand Lodge on 1st March 2023, the Metropolitan Grand Master, RW Bro Sir Michael Snyder, announced the London Freemasons' 2023 Appeal. Bros Terry Goldsmith, Ian Dibbens and Vinay Malhotra with their Proposers and the Worshipful Master and […]
Tall Ships Youth Trust: transforming lives at sea
W Bro Richard Cavanagh reports In 2022, the London Freemasons’ Charity provided a grant of £5,000 to enable 20 disadvantaged young people from London to participate in a Tall Ships Youth Trust voyage. Formed in 1956, Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT)is the UK's oldest and largest youth development sail training charity, offering transformational […]
Arena 51 Print Edition
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One of Britain’s finest jazz drummers receives his 50th
Tony Kinsey, one of Britain's finest jazz drummers, received his 50 year Long Service Certificate from the Lodge and Chapter of Asaph 1319 on 3rd April 2023. Tony was born Cyril Anthony Kinsey on 11 October 1927 in Sutton Coldfield. In his easrly life he worked on various trans-Atlantic ships and during his various visits to New […]
The London Freemasons support London’s Air Ambulance Charity’s fundraising campaign with pledge of £3 million
The London Freemasons support London’s Air Ambulance Charity’s fundraising campaign with pledge of £3 million The London Freemasons have committed to raising £3 million for London’s Air Ambulance Charity. The charity is in the midst of its largest ever appeal, “Up Against Time”, to raise £15 million by Autumn 2024 to replace its helicopter fleet. […]
FOREWORD RW Bro Christopher M Hayward PJGW, Deputy Metropolitan Grand Master
Video by Ian Bozic. As I write this foreword for Arena, change is all around us. We are mourning the death of our late Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, whilst pledging our allegiance to our new King, Charles. We have a new Prime Minister and, for us Freemasons, a new Pro Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master […]
EDITORIAL W Bro Seb Giroux
Dear Arena readers, You may have spotted that Arena has come out a little later than usual. This comes among some of the changes we are bringing forward. We have re-aligned the four annual editions to better report on key Metropolitan events such as the LGR investiture and the Lord Mayor’s Show. We […]
Standing on the shoulders of a giant
I’d met Matthew earlier this year at a Festive Board and felt I’d made a new friend – it felt like we’d covered every topic under the sun. It was a real pleasure to pick up our conversation again a couple of weeks after he was appointed to his new role and see how he […]