Columbanus Motorcycle Lodge – A Gold Star Attraction
Representing Somerset Freemasonry, Brethren from the Columbanus Lodge proudly dusted off their ancient relics to display them at the Royal Bath and West Showground at the end of February.
No, not their newly installed Worshipful Master and his Officers, but a fine selection of classic motorcycles!
Columbanus is a travelling lodge for motorcycle enthusiasts and the occasion was the annual Bristol Classic Motorcycle Show which is always greatly anticipated as the first big show on the calendar.
This was the first time the Lodge exhibited at the show, and they were able to do so thanks mainly to the efforts of their newly installed Worshipful Master Rob Bullen, who did all the administrative legwork.
It would also not have been possible without the tremendous support of the Somerset Provincial team, who loaned the exhibition stand, which attracted a great deal of interest over the course of the weekend: it was surprising how many brethren came forward, unaware of the existence of the Lodge.
The display included bikes from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, including some very rare bikes that turned many nostalgic heads from visitors to the show.
On display were: Rob Bullen’s 1952 BSA B31 and 1959 BSA Gold Star; Kent Baxter’s 1964 Lambretta; Malcolm Cupis’s 1979 Yamaha XS1100 and 1983 Honda CB1100F; Richard’s 1977 Honda Gold Wing and a beautifully engineered 1976 Kawasaki Z400 Chopper; and Dave King’s 1996 Triumph Thunderbird.
With the event being such a success, Columbanus is now planning to follow the example and attend many more throughout the season.
The Lodge is based in Keynsham and meets five times a year – on the third Saturday of May, June, July, September and with installation in January. They travel to Masonic Centres in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire as well as Somerset. Meetings tend to be very relaxed in nature and are always followed by a carefully planned ride. All the members have more modern machines than those displayed, which tend to be more commonly used for the meetings!
If you are a Masonic biker and would like to learn more about Columbanus you can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/columbanus9941 or otherwise please contact their Secretary, Val Cooke: v.cooke@blueyonder.co.uk
