Baines Lodge Medieval Night a Resounding Success
Written by Adrian May
If you attended the Baines Lodge Medieval Night, you already know what a unique event you witnessed. As the current Junior Warden, I had the pleasure of attending and assisting during the event, and I must say, it was an evening unlike any other.
From the moment I arrived, I was transported back in time to an era of chivalry, honour, and mystique. The setting was nothing short of stunning, with rich fabrics and ornate decorations setting the scene for the festivities ahead. The Baines Lodge Medieval Night truly captured the essence of the medieval era, with authentic costumes, traditional music, and even a jousting tournament, an axe throwing competition and medieval dancing!
Despite the grandeur of the event, what really set it apart was the sense of community and camaraderie that permeated throughout the night. Our Masonic fraternity is known for its steadfast loyalty and brotherhood, and this was clearly evident in how Baines Lodge welcomed guests and interacted with one another. I saw first-hand the bonds and connections formed during the course of the evening, and it was truly heart-warming to be a part of it.
Current Master, Ryan Modlin said of the evening, “The Great Hall at St. Annes Palace, both aptly named, provided the perfect setting for an evening billed as Game of Thrones meets Monty Python’s Holy Grail. With the high beamed vaulted ceiling and the heraldic shields of lodges meeting at The Palace adorning the walls much of the work was already done to convert the room to a medieval banqueting hall. With rustic tables laid out and decorated with chopped up log candle holders, leaves, vines and ivy and a raised top table for two thrones on which sat the “Lord and Lady” of the evening the scene was almost set. Nothing, however, could prepare the organising volunteers or the hosts for what Masonic Event Catering, all bedecked in serving wench period costume, had in mind to push the night to the next level: A gluttonous feast of Game Terrine, Vegetable broth served in a cob followed by generous platters of meat on the bone: Lamb shanks, ham shanks and half roast chickens accompanied by roasted potatoes and vegetables. As if that wasn’t enough, and to truly capture the mood of a brooding medieval castle dinner was served among the fog of dry ice wafting across the tales. The audible gasps and feverish reaching for camera phones suggested that once again the bar had been raised in terms of masonic hospitality; desserts took the form of cheese boards, red wine poached pears and custard tarts. Not to be outdone by the caterers in the costume stakes, the St Annes Palace bar team presented themselves in the outfits typical of taverners of the day, offering shots of mead to the assembled lords, ladies, knights, maidens and even the peasants”', Ryan concluded.
The event was something that hadn’t been attempted before but it clearly captured the imagination of everybody involved, each one determined to enter into the spirit of the evening, enjoy themselves and also rustle up over £500 for good causes.
More Baines Lodge events are on the horizon with a Gourmet Night (book in above), a Mad Hatters (Afternoon) Tea Party and Baines Diamond Jubilee Ball all to come before the year is out. Details will be circulated in the usual manner…
