After a restless night's sleep on Sunday night, I spent Monday morning doing one or two odd jobs and preparing the replacement figure for fixing to my otherwise complete Dutch-Belgian infantry bases. After lunch I got ready for the meeting of my London Lodge, and by 2.45pm I was parking my car at North Greenwich Underground Station.
The trip into central London took just over thirty minutes, and by 3.30pm I was walking through the doors of Freemason's Hall and was in the lift on my way to Temple No.14 on the third floor. The meeting started at 4.00pm and we all had a great and enjoyable time ... and I even managed to deliver my part – 'The Address to the Brethren' – without making a total mess of it.
(I did make one mistake. I confused the number of my London Lodge – which is 3722 – with that of my Mother Lodge – which has the same four numbers but in a different order – and caused everyone to have a good laugh. As part of the ritual states that we should be 'happy and communicate happiness', I think that I managed to do that!)
We ate an excellent after-meeting dinner at the Kingsway Hall Hotel, and I won a bottle of sparkling wine in the raffle. The meal ended at about 8.45pm, and I was getting into my car to drive home by just after 9.20pm ... which meant that I just managed to avoid the start of the overnight roadworks that have been closing the stretch of the Blackwall Tunnel Approach Road that I have to use to get home.
So all-in-all the day went very well indeed!
The trip into central London took just over thirty minutes, and by 3.30pm I was walking through the doors of Freemason's Hall and was in the lift on my way to Temple No.14 on the third floor. The meeting started at 4.00pm and we all had a great and enjoyable time ... and I even managed to deliver my part – 'The Address to the Brethren' – without making a total mess of it.
(I did make one mistake. I confused the number of my London Lodge – which is 3722 – with that of my Mother Lodge – which has the same four numbers but in a different order – and caused everyone to have a good laugh. As part of the ritual states that we should be 'happy and communicate happiness', I think that I managed to do that!)
We ate an excellent after-meeting dinner at the Kingsway Hall Hotel, and I won a bottle of sparkling wine in the raffle. The meal ended at about 8.45pm, and I was getting into my car to drive home by just after 9.20pm ... which meant that I just managed to avoid the start of the overnight roadworks that have been closing the stretch of the Blackwall Tunnel Approach Road that I have to use to get home.
So all-in-all the day went very well indeed!
I'm glad, Bob. I hope that my suggestions helped a bit.
ReplyDelete-- Jeff
Bluebear Jeff (Jeff),
ReplyDeleteYour suggestions were very helpful, and I shall be eternally grateful to you for sharing them with me.
All the best,
Bob
Well done! Seems they did pick the right man for the job.
ReplyDeleteWell done!
ReplyDeleteI was just reading an article today about London cabbies and "The Knowledge". Very interesting! They put a LOT of time and effort into it!
Well done,I am very pleased all turned out well for you in the end.
ReplyDeleteAlan
Well done Bob.
ReplyDeleteRoss Mac,
ReplyDeleteNot so much that they picked the best man, but more like they picked least worst one!
All the best,
Bob
Fitz-Badger,
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Gaining 'The Knowledge' for the whole of London takes a cabbie years ... which is why they hate the introduction of satnavs!
Mini-cabs can be hired by telephone and driven by anyone ... and they use satnavs to guide them around the city. In theory this should make them as good as a traditional London Cab BUT lots of satnavs don't work well in the centre of London due to the density of buildings and small streets, and it is not unusual to see a mini-cab trying to drive the wrong way up a road because the satnav has not given the correct information. That never happens with a proper London Cab.
My advice is ALWAYS use a proper LOndon Cab. It may be more expensive, but it will get you from A to B quicker ... and the driver will know exactly where to drop you off.
All the best,
Bob
Tradgardmastare,
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I did it so well that it looks as if I am going to be asked to do it again next year ... by which time I might remember to say the correct lodge number in the last sentence!
All the best,
Bob
Conrad Kinch,
ReplyDeleteThanks! Despite the minor error, I enjoyed doing it.
All the best,
Bob
And you won a bottle of wine too! The Force was with you, obviously!
ReplyDeleteLegatus Hedlius,
ReplyDeleteAs I actually don't drink alcohol except on very special occasions I made sure that I won a bottle that my wife would enjoy drinking … so I managed to earn a few bonus points with her as well!
All the best,
Bob