Garston Masonic Hall was the venue for the 50 years celebration in Freemasonry for Ken Bullen of Harthill Lodge No 8443. The WM Jim Gwyther opened the lodge in due form and completed all the domestic business of the lodge, including reading the dispensation for holding the meeting at the hall after completing the move from Woolton Golf club
Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Dave Boyes entered the lodge and announced that John Murphy, Assistant Provincial Grand Master, demanded admission. The brethren were upstanding to receive John Murphy along with the Mersey Valley Chairman David Atkinson and other distinguished brethren
WM Jim Gwyther offered the gavel to John who accepted and requested Dave Boyes to place Ken Bullen in a comfortable seat before him and then begin to read Ken’s history. John started by saying: “Let us look back to the year 1951; the first residential tower block in Britain, a 10-storey point block called The Lawn, in Harlow New Town in Essex, is constructed to the design of Sir Frederick Gibberd. The average wage in 1951 was £1,891. Inflation in 1951 was at 9.5%. Inflation in May 2025 is 2.6 %, average price of a new house in 1951 was £2,000, average price of a new house in 2025 is £367,501, average price of a new Austin A30 car was £507, £1 in 1951 would be worth £33.37, today £1,000 in 1951 would be worth £33,468.74, today £5,000 in 1951 would be worth £167,343.69.”
In 1951, some very famous people were born; actors Peter Davison and Jane Seymour, singers Phil Collins and Bonnie Tyler, Gordon Brown the former Prime Minister and footballers Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish. The most famous of them all was Ken Bullen born in May 1951 in Mill Road, Hospital, Liverpool, the second child to his father Norman, a turf accountant otherwise known as a bookmaker who had a number of betting shops across north Liverpool, and mother Olive, who had a grocery shop on the corner of Towson Street and Adam Street, Liverpool 5. Ken has an older sister called Norma who is six years older than him. Ken spent the first six years of his life at the family home in Towson Street before the family moved to Maghull. Ken spent his early education years attending Breckfield County Primary and followed by junior school
Ken was keen on sport like most young lads in the City of Liverpool and he went on to play several sports including baseball, basketball, volleyball, cricket, in all of which he represented his school. His favourite sport however was football at which he excelled as a goalkeeper. Whilst growing up, Ken had a very good friend Eddie Hemmings who went on to be a sports reporter and commentator working for Radio Merseyside and the BBC as a rugby commentator. Such was Ken’s prowess as a goalkeeper that his skills were called upon to play in a Radio Merseyside team by Eddie Hemmings and he was able to boast that he played in a team with and against a number of famous international footballers such as Roger Hunt, Ian Callaghan, Tommy Smith and an FA Cup winner Derek Temple who Ken described as being the nicest man he ever met in football.
Ken’s skill and reputation as a goalkeeper playing for local pub team in the Kirkby league spread across the Merseyside area and he was, in the parlance of football, ‘tapped up’ by a rival pub team to join them. As everyone is aware, football these days is a vast financial industry, and the talent of footballers is recognized by the huge cash incentives offered to players in transfer and signing on fees. As mentioned, Ken was approached by a pub team from a rival pub in the less salubrious area of south Liverpool with a fantastic offer of a signing on fee which consisted of a free drink at the pub after the match, with a half sheet of bacon ribs for his mother. Despite the tremendous inducement and opportunity to play with the team, Ken declined their offer.
Ken’s working life started upon graduating from Mable Fletcher Technical College with qualifications as a chef and in hotel catering management. His career saw him being employed at various hotels in the Liverpool area including the Adelphi, the Stork and the Exchange Hotels. On one occasion whilst working at the Exchange Hotel he was requested to make an omelette for a diner who transpired to be the famous Hollywood actor Gregory Peck. On another occasion, Ken was viewing the kitchen facilities at a new brewery being built in Runcorn for the Bass Charrington brewers and was called upon to prepare a Christmas lunch for 300 managers and senior staff working out of a Portakabin. After the lunch and despite many refusals by Ken to accept a gift from the brewery manager, he reluctantly accepted several cases of beer which nearly broke the suspension on his car.
After a while Ken, decided to change career and move into sales, particularly food wholesale, distribution and manufacturing sectors, with national and international businesses. During this time, he set up his own consultancy with his very good friend, David Painter, who is also a member of Harthill Lodge.
When Ken was a young dashing man about town, he and his good friend Eddie Hemmings used to socialize in the pubs and clubs of Liverpool and they each took turns at each venue to spot and try to dance with young ladies. On one occasion in 1972 it was Ken’s turn to spot suitable ladies and whilst at a nightclub called Samantha’s Playground, off Dale Street, he saw a girl who he fancied, it was Barbara who subsequently after a couple of years courting became his beloved wife Barbara who married on 26 October 1974. Barbara is four days younger than Ken and was also born at Mill Road Hospital and Ken has speculated that both he and Barbara may have been on the same maternity ward, although he has been unable to verify it. Since he has retired from working, in addition to his Masonic activities, Ken is actively engaged in managing the electoral roll database at his wife’s church and volunteering at the church foodbank.
Turning to Ken’s Masonic career, he was initiated into Harthill Lodge, on 20 March 1975. Ken worked his way through the progressive offices of the lodge and in 1986 became WM of Harthill Lodge for the first time, he would again be WM in 2007 and again in 2024. Ken was recognised by the Province of West Lancashire on 25 May 1995 when he was appointed to the rank of Past Junior Grand Deacon, then on 17 of October 2002 he was promoted to the rank of Past Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works and on 12 May 2016 to the very high rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden. Ken has continued to serve his lodge as secretary and group representative and has served the former Garston Group as the group webmaster and publicity officer from November 2013 to May 2022. Turning to the Royal Arch, Ken was exalted into Kirkdale Chapter No 1756 on 1 October 1993 and installed as first principal on 25 August 1998. To read John’s full script, click here.
Ending his review of Ken’s history, John said: “I’m sure I speak on behalf of everybody present that we are absolutely delighted to see you here this evening to celebrate your 50th anniversary as a Freemason and even more so that you have allowed us to celebrate your special evening with you. Ken, such is the importance of your own golden jubilee that our Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews has caused a certificate to be struck to mark this wonderful achievement.” David Atkinson then read the certificate and it was then presented to Ken by John. The lodge was closed by the WM and the brethren retired to the festive board after a drink’s reception.