An evening of celebration for Lytham St Annes Circle

Recently members of the Lytham St Annes Circle, accompanied by their wives, gathered at the Glendower Hotel, LSA to celebrate the presentations of a 50-year membership scroll to Brother Adrian Crook and a 40-year scroll to Brother Past Grand President (PGP) Tony Godden.

In addition to the Brothers of the LSA Circle there were twenty Brothers from throughout the UK at the meeting to celebrate Adrian’s and Tony’s milestones.

After an enjoyable meal and under the watchful eye of the present Circle President, Brother Charles Murphy, the Master of Ceremonies, former PGP Brother Mike O’Malley got the formal part of the evening underway.

The Scrolls were presented to Adrian and Tony by the Past GB National President Brother Eddie O’Donnell, who had travelled from his home in West Lothian with his wife Catherine, to conduct the ceremony.  Both scrolls should have been presented during the Covid-19 restrictions when Eddie was GB National President.

SOCIALLY DISTANCED Bro. PGP Tony Godden, Past GBNP Eddie O'Donnell, Bro. Adrian Crook

Brother Adrian Crook is a well-known visitor to Catenian Circles in the area. His first visit was from the family home in St Annes, when his mother took him to be born in a Maternity Home at Blackpool!Adrian has a strong voice, honed as a bingo caller during a summer job on St Annes pier, before starting his working life at BAE Systems, Warton. Adrian’s father introduced him to the Circle, but unfortunately passed away a month before his formal installation into the Lytham St Annes Circle at their meeting in June 1970. His parents were the Mayor and Mayoress of LSA in 1956-57 and opened the ERNIE Office during their year and were given the second Premium Bond in the UK. (By the way, the number has never come up!) Adrian moved from Warton to Cambridge and then to Holland working for Phillips for 30 years. During his absence he kept his membership alive and attended meetings when on holiday. Adrian retired and left Holland for LSA in 2001. He immediately immersed himself in the Catenians, becoming Circle President in 2002 and 2003 and also again in 2015 as well as holding many more posts. Adrian is a Knight Commander with Star of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and has made numerous Pilgrimages to the Holy Land. During one in 2014, he first met his future wife Susan. They were married in April 2017.

Brother Tony Godden joined the Maidstone Circle in 1981, moving to Lincoln, then becoming a member of the West Lothian Circle taking a major role, and finally ending up in the Lytham St Annes Circle. In 2011, Tony became Grand President. During his time in office Tony, accompanied by his wife Kelly, travelled to Australia and the Indian sub-continent, where he inaugurated new Circles in both countries, as well as Ireland and Malta. During their year they were away from home for 222 nights, took 46 flights, 22 rail journeys and drove 18,500 miles. Tony worked in Higher Education, ending up managing a College with 8,500 enrolments and a staff of 300 plus. After taking early retirement, he became Business Support Manager for a group of eleven schools. Tony is also a Knight Commander with Star of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.