The Lodge of Merit No 466 which meets in Stamford has been involved in conjunction with the Woods Family Fair in assisting to provide a safe and exclusive fair experience to local Stamford children and young adults with learning needs. W.Bro Ian Hall was the instigator and it is now in its eleventh year. I am sure that all the brethren involved get as much enjoyment and satisfaction as the guests themselves!
Originally the fair was opened as the Mid-Lent Fair in March, but it was proving difficult to get the rides from different providers to open at the same time. It was decided that it would wait until the summer fair on the Stamford recreation ground where Ashley and William from the Woods family could solely supervise and control the event with the assistance of brethren from the Lodge of Merit.
The showmen are fantastic and operate the rides so that all guests are comfortable and not scared. However, this is not always the case for the helpers who were feeling ill after some of the rides and certainly did not do much to showcase their driving skills ! Each guest was given a big bag of candy floss at the end of the afternoon.
Many of the showmen are members of the Showman’s Lodge No.9826 that meets in Loughborough and will warmly welcome visitors to their lodge, particularly Stamford Masons. We are indeed grateful to all involved.