DAVID'S LIFE

 

Jon gave a summary of David’s life: The story began in the year 1933, towards the end of that period of time which history describes as the Great Depression. These were indeed troubled times, not just economically, as Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in this year, almost immediately starting his campaign against Freemasons as well as opening the first concentration camp at Dachau. The Oxford Union passed a resolution ‘that this house will in no circumstances fight for king and country’ and a huge earthquake and tsunami hit Honshu in Japan. How ironic that this was also the year that HG Wells published his book ‘The Shape of Things to Come’.

 

David’s father, Harry, was a boot and shoe repairer. Harry was also a journeyman, and that is a wonderful term which from time to time is found in a Masonic context. A journeyman is a craftsman who has completed his time as an apprentice and is a master of his craft, however, under the English system, he is not able to take on his own apprentices. If you look into Masonic history, prior to the ‘creation’ of the Master Masons degree as a separate ceremony, Fellow Craft Freemasons were often referred to as journeymen. David’s mother, Alice, kept house for him and his father. As a child, David lived at Kings Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, just a few miles away from where we were meeting. David was educated at Kings Road Primary School, progressing to Old Trafford Senior Boys School in 1944, which he left in 1947 with a heavy heart. From there he moved to Manchester College of Technology, which later become UMIST. In 1953 David joined the choir at St Hildas as a baritone and also became a Sunday school teacher.

 

Amongst his childhood memories are occasional holidays in Blackpool and North Wales. David started work at the age of 14 at James Lord and Son Letterpress Printers, on Moss Lane West, Manchester, where he was apprenticed, and afterwards became a journeyman, eventually becoming a partner in the firm. David’s starting salary was 17s 6d per week, which equates to around £100 per month in today’s money. Sadly, the business was subject to a compulsory purchase order in 1971, and closed its doors for the last time. Soon after, a brother came to relieve David’s distress and he joined Sinclair Printers in Cheadle for a two year stint.

 

David married his first wife in 1963, with whom they had two children; Gillian, and Ian. He has four grandchildren; Owen David, Joseph, Matthew, and Ruby Grace. In 1967, David was elected to Stretford Borough Council, for a three year period, following in his bosses footsteps, as he had been a local councillor for the same ward since 1929. He was a co-opted member of the Education Committee until 1973 when Stretford ceased to be a local authority. In 1973, David changed career and joined Manchester City Council as an Education Welfare Officer, in which he describe as the most interesting and rewarding experience of his life. David’s final job was in the Customer services department at Sainsburys in Salford, and you retired in the millennium year 2000 at the age of 67.

 

David met his second wife Joan in 1986 on a visit to the Holy Land. In this year he also started training as a Reader in the Church of England, being licensed in Manchester Cathedral in June 1990. One of the highlights of David’s ministry has been to officiate at the weddings of both his children. David married Joan in 1987.

 

One of the absolute highlights of David’s life has been to receive the Royal Maundy from the Queen at Manchester Cathedral on 5t April 2007, an honour only bestowed on a very few people each year. David’s notes recorded the event as follows: “Smiling, she presented me with the red and white purses containing the coins. Thank you, Ma’am I said. Again she smiled and lightly shook my hand and then passed on to the next recipient. It was a wonderful experience.”    Click below for details of David's Masonic Career.

 

David's Masonic Career ...