So, three weeks on the trail and it seems that Masonic meetings are to be like coppers and buses, you don't see one for ages and then two come along at the same time !!! I only have a few rules to follow on this adventure, try to stay in sight or sound of the sea, don't set any goals that will stress me as I try to achieve them and visit every Masonic Centre that lies on the coast of the UK. If I can't get in to a Masonic Centre then so be it but if a meeting happens to be taking place while I'm close by, I hope to visit the Lodge and experience the true attraction for me being a Freemason, the chance to meet new people and visit new Lodges. The Lodges I visited in Filey and Scarborough this week didn't disappoint, the hand of fiendship was offered and I gratefully accepted. I was wined, dined and treated to an Initiation where a new brother was welcomed into the fraternity and an Installation where the Master was Installed and he appointed and invested his officers for the forthcoming year. The icing on the cake was the generosity shown by the brethren in both Lodges when they donated the proceeds of their raffles to the MCF in support of my walk.
Thank you to the Freemasons of Filey and Scarborough, it has been an honour for me and I hope to see you again on my return.
The stretch of coastline between Bridlington and Whitby has been spectacular. Many of us will have visited the places along this stretch of coast from the road, had a look round and then left. What we don't often do is explore the bits between the towns and villages and we are missing a real treat. The network of paths is excellent and irrespective of what the weather is doing, the scenery is breathtaking. Treat yourselves when you next visit one of these towns, go for a walk along the coastal paths and take it all in.
If you are planning to stay overnight, don't just walk into the first pub/hotel as I did and accept it !!! A little research before hand will save you the distress of having to complain and will hopefully ensure your visit is a more enjoyable one.
My final reflection for this week. The support I am still getting from family, friends and the Freemasons of Lincolnshire is quite overwhelming. Lovely people going out of their way and often at considerable expense to support me on this journey, thank you to each and every one of you. I am enjoying the peace and tranquility when out on the trail, in the middle of nowhere for hours on my own but actually, when I get a message or a call or when someone travels to join me for a stretch, it completes the experience perfectly. There is so much beauty to see around our shores so of course it is good to share that but the laughs and the contact with familiar faces makes the cold, wet lonely times much more bearable.
As we move into the last week of January, I have no idea what this week has in store for me but so long as it is more of the same, I'll continue to enjoy every moment of this adventure.
