Live Blog: The Great Provincial Ride Out

2130: The head of Warwickshire Freemasons, RW Bro Phil Hall expresses his gratitude to the whole team.

A phenomenal achievement for you and the team. The whole of Warwickshire Freemasons are so proud of you. Thank you for all you have done in completing the challenge and in raising such a fantastic sum for the 2023 festival. Now for a long hot bath..

Day 16: Everyone is back home having travelled 2518 miles and visited 16 provinces in 16 days.

Day 15: Today' schedule is as follows: St Albans, Twickenham and Surrey. Thank you for your continuing support.

2030: We are visiting the Lodge of Good Fellowship 276 in Chelmsford. A lovely meeting and a great company of the Brethren.

1130: We are in this exquisite provincial museum in Norfolk with RW Bro Stephen Allen, Provincial Grand Master of Norfolk Freemasons.

Day 14: We will start the day by riding to Norfolk. This will be followed by Ipswich and Chelmsford.

1800: Today's last stop is Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

1300: Our next stop is Bedfordshire. We were kindly welcomed by Assistant Provincial Grand Master W Bro Hugh G M Love and the members of BEDA Chapter.

Day 13: Our first visit is to Beaconsfield Masonic Centre in Buckinghamshire.

2300: Lovely evening with the Brethren at Graveney Court Lodge 8636. We were accompanied by W Bro Mark Bassant, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master of East Kent and members of Widows Sons from the same province.

1500: We are in the Province of Sussex now.

1350: RW Bro Philip Hall, the Provincial Grand Master of Warwickshire expresses his gratitude to Wiltshire Freemasons.

1240: The Wiltshire Provincial Grand Secretary W Bro Rob Evans welcomes Assistant Provincial Grand Master of Warwickshire W Bro David Greenwood and his team to Salisbury. We thank for this hearty welcome and kind donation.

1100: In Horsham, with the Brethren including the members of the Widows Sons Southern Chapter.

Day 12: Today's route is Chandlers Ford, Horsham, Bromley Common and Whitstable. We are looking forward to the meeting of Graveney Court Lodge this evening.

Day 11: First, we visited Devon and Hampshire & Isle of Wight. We are in Dorset this evening, visiting the Lodge of St Cuthberga 622 where a great initiation took place.

Day 10: It is a rest day for the team. We wish you all a happy Sunday.

2030: W Bro David Greenwood and the team have arrived in Exeter. We need a good rest for tomorrow. We thank everyone who have supported us so far.

1430: We are in Bristol. Unfortunately, we could not meet Provincial Grand Master RW Bro Jonathan M.W. Davis due to his illness. On behalf of all Warwickshire Freemasons, we wish him a quick recovery.

1030: W Bro David Greenwood is welcomed by the Provincial Grand Master for Gloucestershire, RW Bro Tim Henderson-Ross.

Day 9: Today's route is the following: Gloucestershire, Bristol and Cornwall.

2200: Starting the journey in Bromsgrove followed by Shropshire, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and finishing in Berkshire.

1030: RW Bro Philip Hall expresses his greetings and gratitude to all involved in this great campaign.

0930: Today's next stop is Worcestershire. RW Bro Robert Vaughan kindly welcomes W Bro David Greenwood.

Day 8: W Bro David Greenwood is starting the second half of the Great Ride Out. Having welcomed by RW Bro Phil Hall, the head of Warwickshire Freemasons, David attended to Warwickshire Installed Masters Lodge last night where over £1000 was raised in support of the 2023 Festival.

1450: RW Bro Michael Timothy Holland expresses his fraternal greetings and kind wishes:

Great to welcome you to our Province and thank you for your gift of the commemorative piston. Ride safely and congratulations on your fantastic effort to visit all mainland provinces in a period of two weeks.

1420: W Bro David Greenwood is presenting a memento to RW Bro Michael Timothy Holland, Grand Master of the Province of Herefordshire.

1330: Special thanks to Saint Padarn Lodge members.

1130: We are at the Province of Monmouthshire. What a nice and warm welcome with tea and biscuits.

Day 7: Snow surely was not in the plan. Despite all challenges, a new and hopeful day lies ahead of us.

We will ride to Newport this morning followed by Hereford. Then, we will pick up some more company for the ride in to Birmingham.

Day 6: We are welcomed by Cheshire Widows Sons, with a very kind donation and escort into Llandudno, north Wales, where the team and Cheshire Widows Sons are kindly hosted by R W Bro John Charles Hoult, Provincial Grand Master.

Our schedule for the rest of the day is to reach Carmarthen at 1430 followed by a lodge meeting at Brecon tonight.

1600: W Bro David Greenwood, in company with Neil McGill, Lancaster Group Chairman, presents a memento to Peter Schofield, Assistant Provincial Grand Master of West Lancashire.

Day 5: We visited West Lancashire, East Lancashire and Cheshire. In Sandbach, we presented our memento and had a lovely meal with our Brethren.

2200: We have been welcomed by the members of Copeland Lodge 4607 in the Province of Cumberland and Westmorland. What a lovely evening.

1530: Northumberland is our next stop. We are presented with another cheque of £500 for the festival. Thank you everyone.

1230: We are in Durham and what a lovely welcome from our Brethren here. Many thanks to everyone. Another £500 donated for Warwickshire 2023 Festival.

1215: We are approaching Sunderland.

1200: The first stop of the day at Saltburn by the Sea. We are welcomed by more members of the Riding Chapter of Widows Sons.

0910: Bad news. Our Communications Officer's motorbike was stolen overnight. If you see this motorbike, please let us know.

0800: Our Brethren in Dorset looking forward to welcoming us. So are we.

Day 4: This is how our day looks like.

2200: We thank to the Ridings Chapter of the Widows Sons for their kind hospitality.

2000: Here is the Yorkshire version of Hakka, aka 'Yakka'.

1150: Speaking of the Widows Sons, let's hear out the stories behind their road names.

0830: The Provincial Communications Officer W Bro Ian Slesser sends an update far from the north of the country.

Day 3: It is a slow day. There will be no official visits. However, we will ride out with the Widows Sons today. Later, we will reach Middlesbrough and, hopefully, we will greet our brothers and friends in East Yorkshire next morning.

2130: The day comes to an end in West Yorkshire. A warm welcome and hospitality by West Yorkshire Freemasons. Thank you.

1420: Finally, we arrive at Pelham Suite and are welcomed in a very impressive lodge room by the members of Free Wheelers Lodge 9991.

1320: We are leaving Nottingham for Lincolnshire with blessings.

1220: Our first visit to Nottinghamshire. W Bro David Greenwood is welcomed by R W Brother P G Marshall, Provincial Grand Master. Another memento is being presented in return of which W Bro David receives another cheque in contribution to the 2023 Festival.

0630: Dear Brethren are waiting for us in Lincolnshire. A big 'Thank You' to all.

Day 2: Another fresh day to ride after a strong coffee. We will visit Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and West Yorkshire.

Here is the route for today.

2120: W Bro David Greenwood is wholeheartedly welcomed at St Werburga Lodge 4147 by Provincial Grand Master of Derbyshire, RW Bro Steven Varley, and the members of Derbyshire Motorcycle Lodge 9950.

1310: Everyone arrives safely at Leicester Provincial Grand Lodge. W Bro David Greenwood is presented with a donation of £500 towards the 2023 Festival.

1130: The team are leaving Yenton for Leicestershire.

You can visit Just Giving page and donate for Warwickshire's 2023 Festival.

Please note that funds to be raised by this trip will include the donation of a motorcycle to Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes and emergency funds for the humanitarian relief needed in Ukraine.

Please Donate

1100: Below is the route of the first day.

25 March 2022: Assistant Provincial Grand Master W Bro David Greenwood are ready to set off from Yenton Assembly Rooms with members of Mike Hailwood Lodge for the Great Provincial Ride Out.

The first memento was presented to Deputy Provincial Grand Master V W Bro Peter Manning. The rest are waiting to be presented in commemoration of the journey in the coming days. The goal is to visit 44 provinces in 15 days.