The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations - Masonic Province of ...

Oldest cable tramway
given new lease of life
THE Shipley Glen Tramway is the world’s oldest working
cable tramway (cliff lifts excepted), and has been taking
passengers up the steep wooded hillside that links Saltaire
Village World Heritage site with the delights of Shipley
Glen and Baildon Moor, since 1895.
In 2008 the Tramway was closed to the public in order to
bring its hydraulic cable system and electric controls up to
modern standards and a major fundraising campaign was
launched by tramway volunteers.
In autumn last year, members of the Lodge of Amity
No 4148, together with their wives, attended the Tramway
and handed over a cheque for £1,000 from the PGM’s
Fund.
Clr Dale Smith, chairman of the Tramway trustees, said:
“This money was desperately needed to help complete
our major refurbishment project. Now that work can be
completed, we intend to run the Tramway on every Sunday
afternoon.”
Afterwards the Brethren and ladies rode up and down
on the Tramway and they enjoyed a guided tour by
Richard Freeman of the small but fascinating museum at
the bottom station.
Clr Dale Smith’s father, Thomas Raymond Smith, of
Shipley Paint, was the Lodge of Amity Master in 1956.
Together with his brothers, Rodney and Martin, Dale
remembers attending many social events at the old
Wainman Street Masonic Hall, Shipley before the move to
Hoyle Court in 1957.
•Picture shows Brethren and Clr Smith at the cheque
handover
Thank you to carers
WHEN John Harston’s late wife was cared for at Barnsley Hospice,
the Saxa Ruba Conclave No 308, Red Cross of Constantine, of
which John is a member, wanted to support the charity.
“Local hospices provide a wonderful service,” said John, who
was pleased when his Conclave donated £250 to the hospice in
his wife’s memory.
John is pictured, right, with hospice representative Janet
O’Hara, and Knights Oswald Wright and Tony White.
Celebrating five years
of charitable support
OVER the last five years, the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund
has supported 11 applications for assistance from charities and
clubs in and around the Otley area. Such support has made a
significant difference to each organisation and goes a long way
to highlight the charitable credentials of Freemasonry in helping
worthy local causes.
The beneficiaries are quite diverse and rightly seem to
represent the range of charities, sports clubs and organisations
which fulfil a social role within our society. In all cases the “need”
has been acute and fortunately the PGM’s Fund has always
come up trumps.
The largest single donation arose from the arson attack
which destroyed the Guide Hut in Guiseley. With support from
several neighbouring Lodges a major grant of £30,000 made the
prospect of rebuilding a reality and the resulting structure has
provided a wonderful new base for Guiding in Aireborough.
“Caring for Life” is a local charity which provides
accommodation and daytime therapeutic activities on a farm
at Cookridge for disabled or vulnerable men and women. The
vehicle provided through another major grant of £15,000 not
only provides transport for the workforce to move around the site
but also is a workhorse to help maintain the roads on site.
The cricket clubs in Pool-in-Wharfedale and Otley benefited
from grants towards a replacement machinery store / scoreboard
and a new roller respectively.
Guiseley Junior football club has had its kit replaced, while the
Weston Lane Junior Football Club in Otley has completed muchneeded
electrical work.
“Behind Closed Doors” helps victims of domestic violence;
the PGM’s Fund enabled it to replace computer and office
equipment. A similar application on behalf of “Aireborough
Voluntary Services for the Elderly with Disabilities,” has helped
breathe new life into its “elderly database”.
•Picture shows Brethren and cricketers at Pool-in-Wharfedale CC
The Lodge
No. is on
the cheque
AFTER a successful year
as Master, Graham Pearce
was delighted to present a
£1,283 cheque to Deputy
Provincial Grand Master Jack Pigott towards WRMCL.
The funds were raised by Brethren of Ryburn Lodge No
1283 throughout the year.
V W Bro Pigott was delighted to accept the donation on
behalf of the charity and said the money would provide a
boost in the run- up to the coming festival.
Picture: The deputy PGM receives the cheque from Graham
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