Who’d have thought it? Not in my wildest dreams did I think that Freemasonry would lead me in the direction that it has. Back in the 1970s I bought a butchers shop in Rochester from one Mr John Dallimore, a well known Freemason in the Medway Towns. Being an inquisitive person, I asked him about the Craft, and later, in 1976, was Initiated into the Loyal and True Lodge No.4050 at Manor Road, Chatham, subsequently being Installed as Worshipful Master ten years later in 1986.

Sadly, in 1989 I lost my wife to breast cancer and of course my life changed dramatically. Later that year I met Eve, who would become my second wife, and later still in 1996, having sold the butchers shop, we moved to Spain where a chance for a new way of life had presented itself. We found an old raisin drying house on the outskirts of Javea in Alicante and set about putting things right, which took the best part of 8 years. What am I saying? We’re still working on it today, although things have now slowed down considerably. Whilst having a haircut one day, I found myself surrounded by a bevvy of beauties having their hair done for a ladies night (it is a unisex salon, by the way!). Naturally I asked whose, what and where, and at that moment some more people arrived, when I was introduced to none other than the then Deputy Grand Master of Spain and the Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Valencia. Fortunately he is English, so I didn’t have to struggle with my Spanish, and after a short discussion he invited me to his next Lodge meeting.

That did it! It was not long before I joined Logia Deportiva No.83, and I now belong to 4 Lodges here in Spain. Things are very different here, in that some of the Lodges have their ladies dining with them at the festive board following the Lodge meetings. Therefore the charity and fund raising side has the ladies much more involved because they know each other so well, with the additional benefit of full attendance when it comes to dances, BBQs and other functions. Little did I think when I came to live in Spain that I would be Installed into the Master’s Chair for a second time. I was specially fortunate to be the Master of Logia Deportiva in it’s 10th year and was Installed at the 50th meeting, and Eve and I had a wonderful year with a full social programme.

Since then I have been appointed to the rank of Provincial Junior Grand Deacon (acting) in the Province of Valencia. Ain’t life wonderful? As I said at the beginning, who’d have thought it?

WBro David Oliver

Ed45, p9