In 1919 a deposit was made to secure the late Salisbury Hotel in Salisbury Street, St Helens a purchase not completed until 1921 with the formation of The Masonic Hall Company Limited. The minutes record that in March 1923 the Masonic Hall Building Co Ltd had purchased Wolverhampton House in Church Street, St Helens and Salisbury House is briefly mentioned as having been sold.
Two years later, the company being unable to obtain possession of Wolverhampton House purchased the premises of Messrs Critchley Brothers & Co (a former paint store) in Hall Street, St Helens and the St Helens Masonic Hall Ltd was formed. The building first appears on the maps in the 1880’s as a Temperance Hall.
The lodges moved to Hall Street in February 1927 after extensive refurbishments. This involved installing the dome, putting in the sweeping staircase-stained glass windows and modelling the frontage on Grand Lodge of London, all the work was done by members, there being nearly 500 at that time. Catering was done in the cellar with the food being sent up in the dumb waiter.
Since that time there has been many improvements including the installation of a lift, new catering facilities, practice rooms, eco efficient lighting refurbishment of the bars and function room. Installation of Health and Safety systems and procedures and alarm systems, in addition, the hall caters provide for a wide range of outside functions. To read more about the history of St Helens Masonic Hall, click this link; History.
To celebrate the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Freemasonry at the St Helens Masonic Hall in George Street, members of the Mersey Valley Group came together to celebrate. The event began with a welcome drink at 5:30 pm, followed by a delicious meal provided by catering manager Tony Ackroyd and his team in the dining room.
The evening’s entertainment was introduced by director of ceremonies Ian Halsall, who welcomed Hep to the Jive. The atmosphere was lively as everyone sang along and quite a lot of Masonic dad dancing was on display. At the end of Hep to the Jive’s first spot, Assistant Provincial Grand Master Andrew Whittle congratulated Brian and Julie Honey and Andy and Bernadett Nash for their hard work in making the evening a success and one that will be remembered for a long time.
Julie and Bernadett were presented with beautiful bouquets, while Brian and Andy received a congratulatory handshake and a promise of a drink, maybe, at some time.
A raffle was held, with an array of fantastic prizes to be won. After the raffle, Hep to the Jive returned to the stage and the dancing and singing continued. Overall, it was a fantastic event, and the four organizers Brian, Julie, Andy and Bernie should be proud of themselves for a job well done. Here’s to the next 100 years.
