On 14 October 2024, at Rochdale Masonic Hall a special meeting was to be held by Rochdale District Installed Masters 9211.
WBro John Curry PAGDC Assistant Provincial Grand Master, accompanied by an Area Delegation, accepted the gavel from the Worshipful Master to lead the celebrations and congratulate WBro Phillip Thornton PProvJGD on reaching 50 years of uninterrupted membership of the Craft. WBro Curry then proceeded to present some fun facts from the year Phillip was born and the year Phillip was initiated into Progress Lodge 4848.
During the meeting our Area Chairman, WBro Halford, read a letter from our Provincial Grand Master congratulating Phillip on this achievement. Phillip was also presented with his 50 year pin badge.
A personal tribute to Philip was given by WBro Ian Warrington PProvJGW
Phillip was born on 24th April 1948, through no fault of his own, on the dark side, in Bradford, to Peter and Kathleen. Peter was a chartered accountant who became a Partner in an Accountancy Practice in Radcliffe and the family moved to Whitefield.
Peter was initiated into Progress Lodge No. 4848 meeting at the Rams Head in Radcliffe in December 1957 and was WM in 1971. Whilst a member of Progress Lodge, Peter was one of the people instrumental in purchasing the former St Oswalds Mission in Breightmet for use as Radcliffe Masonic Hall, a place I know quite well, which is coincidentally celebrating 50 years as a Masonic Hall in November, so that has been a good long lasting move.
As the business expanded an office was opened in Heywood and the family moved to Heywood with Peter joining St Lukes Lodge No 4294. Phillip maintained his contact with the Dark Side by being educated at Rishworth School where he rose to the heights of Captain of Swimming.
Phillip is one of those increasingly rare people who worked for one company all his working life. He joined Midland Bank in 1966, becoming a Manager in 1985 and retired as Premier International Relationship Manger were none of his customers lived in the UK. Contrary to popular rumours I was never one of his customers. He does regret that the bank would not fund a world cruise so that he could visit his customers. Phillip retired in 2005 followed by his wife Joan’s retirement from teaching shortly afterwards.
I do remember Joan opening a lovely little café, about a hundred yards from here on Drake Street. It did a good lunchtime trade delivering to offices etcetera. She needed a delivery person and recruited Philip. I think that he therefore became Rochdale’s first Deliveroo driver but without the benefit of an electric bike.
Retirement gave Joan more time to focus on searching out bargain and self financed holidays, visiting various far away places. He tells me that they had a holiday at a gliding school where he managed to loop the loop which I think shows you that you shouldn’t allow amateurs to fly planes.
Joan and Phillip also owned a narrow boat for twelve years travelling the wonderful inland waterways and witnessing the delights of Skipton and Barnoldswick. They have two sons, Lister and Mathew and three wonderful grandchildren.
We have all possibly attempted to trace our roots and the places our ancestors came from but Joan and Philip’s research was before it was possible to pay the fee and go on the Ancestry website. In the 1980’s they did a course at Manchester University and the research took them on a grand tour to Cleckheaton, Ingleton, Bolton by Bowland, Wellington (Shropshire), Huntington, Launceston, and Limavady (County Londonderry). I did the same and my research took me to Stalybridge.
I have known Phillip for 50 years since he was initiated as a Lewis into St. Lukes Lodge No.4294, in 1974. I still remember the scary membership interviews that took place at the Central Conservative Club Heywood, and the annual Instruction Lodge visit to the Egerton Arms, Ashworth, known to all of us as the Chapel House. No breathalysers, happy days.
We came up through the various offices together and I will always be grateful for your friendship. Philip was Master in 1985, eleven years after joining and in the year when the Lodge celebrated 25 years of weekends in February at the wonderful Savoy Hotel in Blackpool with the wind howling through the draughty ill-fitting windows. I do seem to remember we peaked out at 300 attendees and took over the hotel next door. I am reminded that after 25 consecutive years of weekends they did present us with a complimentary cake in celebration.
Being a Banker and therefore possibly able to count to twenty without taking his socks off, it was not long before he was appointed Treasurer of St Lukes, a post he held for many years up to its closing in 2008. Phillip also served as treasurer of this Lodge.
Five years ago Joan and Phillip left Heywood to savour the delights Morecambe and for some totally unfathomable reason living in the same apartment complex as Michael Church-Taylor, but there we go there are drawbacks to everything. Phillip travels from Morecambe to visit this Lodge very regularly, this shows a great commitment to Masonry.
He tells me that he does a little watercolour painting for his personal enjoyment.
This brethren is a very brief rundown of my 50 years friendship with Phillip Thornton, I hope that it will continue for many more years. It was one of my proudest moments in Freemasonry when I was presented with this 50 year pin, and Philip it is a great delight to welcome you to the club. Long may our friendship and brotherhood continue. I thank you for the opportunity of presenting this tribute, it was a great privilege.