Saturday 28th March 2009 saw three Newark Masons join 37 other members and guests of the Masonic Libraries and Museums Group at Peterborough Masonic Hall for the first of their two meetings planned for this year, hosted by RWBro Barrie Hall, PGM.

The curator of Newark Masonic Hall Museum and Library, Bro Chas Black, his assistant WBro Geoff Tindall and myself represented Nottinghamshire masonry at this very interesting convocation.

The meeting, ably arranged by W Bro Hardern, current Master of Richard Sandbach Lodge of Research 9600, began with a welcome to all, especially the day’s host and benefactor, RWBro Barrie Hall, to whose province we were all soon indebted for a sumptuous meal.

Aside from regular business there were many items of antiquity and interest on display, the central piece being a complete set of (American) aprons appertaining to the intermediate degrees of the Rose Croix (pictured). After a progress report by the staff of the library and museum of UGLE which expanded on their efforts to digitise minute books of lodges extant prior to 1900, the members were given a tour of the museum and temple, followed by a presentation of documents and curios which were then discussed.

The gathering then broke for lunch, generously provided by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire, after which the meeting reconvened to discuss members' own objects of interest and set a date and place for the next meeting, which was agreed as 12th September at Great Queen Street to coincide with a display on Freemasonry During the French Revolution.

Anyone wishing to join the Masonic Libraries and Museums Group, a resource for all interested in the preservation of antiquities, may contact the Secretary, WBro Roger Boylan, at roger@boylanandco.com