As the United Grand Lodge of England Universities Scheme Lodge for the University of Leicester, the Wyggeston Lodge was proud and honoured to host the 2018 Association of Medical, University and Legal Lodges (AMULL) Festival on Saturday 6th October 2018.

Around 100 people attended, including the Master of the Lodge, W.Bro. Paul Marvin and his family. Despite the rain, everyone enjoyed a superb day of fraternity, festivity and fun.

The Festival started with an interfaith service at Leicester Cathedral, the resting place of King Richard III, and was conducted by the V.W.Bro. Rev Canon Michael Wilson, Grand Chaplain, whose excellent proceedings and highly topical address were rounded off with a rousing rendition of “Jerusalem” which the assembled congregation sang with gusto. Past Master, W.Bro. Dr. Andy Green also gave a reading during the service: St. Luke 10. 25–37, The Parable of the Good Samaritan.

After the service, the Leicester Guildhall, one of the best preserved timber-framed halls in the country and with a history dating back 600 years, hosted a brilliantly entertaining and interesting talk by Professor Turi King from the University of Leicester on the excavation in Leicester that led to the discovery of King Richard III. Her talk, which entirely captivated the audience, was rapturously received and universally declared to be “brilliant”.

A champagne reception followed and the festival was concluded by a delicious lunch in St. Martin’s House, culminating in a toast to AMULL given by W.Bro. Paul Marvin with the response given by the AMULL President, R.W.Bro. David Williamson, Past Assistant Grand Master and Past President of the Universities Scheme.

AMULL was delighted to make hardship grants totalling £5,000 to three excellent students including Bro. Andrew Slater, a member of Wyggeston Lodge who received £1,500 to assist him in studying medicine.

On receiving the award, Bro. Andrew said: “The kind and humbling words from all at the presentation has given me new perspective into the struggles I’ve faced so far since coming to study medicine. The insight has really brought new life and fire into my dedication to persevering along this path. It’s not too far now that I will be on the other side of my University education and fighting the good fight.”

AMULL was also delighted to make an award of £1,000 to Leicester University Scholarship Fund, which was accepted by W.Bro. Michael Turnbull on behalf of the University. This donation was generously matched from the Leicestershire and Rutland Masonic Charitable Association presented by the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire and Rutland, R.W.Bro. David Hagger.

AMULL President and Honorary Member of the Wyggeston Lodge, R.W.Bro. David Williamson said after the Festival: “All-in-all a truly memorable Festival from every aspect!”

Now that the summer is here, the members of the Wyggeston Lodge went over the border to the Northamptonshire based Warner Edwards Distillery for a tour and tasting session.

The Master, Paul Marvin, along with members of the lodge, and their families gathered in glorious sunshine at Falls Farm in Harrington and were immediately greeted with a refreshing G&T.

The tour started with soaking up the beautiful countryside atmosphere of farm and learning that the gin was made with water from the natural springs on the farm. The tour continued with meeting ‘Curiosity’, the bespoke Arnold Holstein copper-pot still and learning about the distilling process and some of the botanicals used to flavour each of their six global award-winning gins.

The taste testing of their gins (dry gin, elderflower gin, sloe gin, rhubarb gin, melissa gin and honeybee gin)  followed in a group session with a description of each from the host, Helen Mackenzie. The best mixers to use and appropriate garnishes for each gin were also described by Marketing Executive Zoe Whittle.

After stocking up on gin to take away from their on-site ‘Tack Room’ Shop it was a short trip to the Tollymache Arms for lunch and a few more gins which completed a wonderful social event.

 

 

 

We’re pleased to announce that the Association for Medical, University & Legal Lodges (AMULL) Festival 2018 will be held in Leicester and hosted by Wyggeston Lodge No.3448.

In August 1485 King Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, and buried by the Grey Friars in Leicester. In August 2012, Leicester City Council, the University of Leicester, and the Richard III Society began a search underneath a car park in Leicester, to find King Richard III’s remains. In the days that followed the archaeologists uncovered a skeleton with battle wounds and a curved spine. The skeleton was exhumed and the process of formal identification began. Experts from the University of Leicester used DNA sampling to link the skeleton to Richard III’s descendants. After further careful scientific examination, the University announced in February 2013 that the skeleton found was indeed Richard III. King Richard III was reinterred in Leicester Cathedral in March 2015.

The AMULL Festival this year will be held within Leicester’s Historic Quarter celebrating this incredible archaeological finding starting with an Ecumenical Service in the Cathedral where Richard III is buried and located just 100 steps away from where he was discovered.

Following the Service, guests will gather in the adjoining 600 year old Guildhall, which is one of the best preserved Grade I timber framed halls in the country, to listen to our Speaker Prof. Turi King from the University of Leicester. Prof King will take them through the journey of the discovery of Richard III, from the early stages of planning the dig, through to the excavation and the results of the various strands of analysis carried out on the remains.

This will be followed by a champagne reception in the majestic Lord Mayor’s Parlour with its oak panelled elegance and the lovely cobbled courtyard (if dry). Guests will then have a sumptuous lunch in the delightful ambience of St Martin’s House, the stunning Grade II listed former Wyggeston Grammar School. St Martin’s House has recently hosted the Queen on her last two visits and they will have a replica of the meal she chose last year for the community Maundy Thursday lunch.

Once again a truly interesting day out in an ambient setting is offered that the public would not normally see. Members, wives, partners and friends are cordially invited to join us at AMULL 2018 and an early booking is advisable.

The booking form can be downloaded here: AMULL Annual Festival 2018 – Application Form