In 2024 a small group of members from the Widows Sons (Guernsey & Alderney) Chapter travelled for our first visit to a national rally, held in Devon, under our President Andre Quintal. In addition to a hugely enjoyable weekend, we also met many Brothers and Sisters from Chapters as far afield as Portugal and France. It was during conversations with a couple of members from Cornerstone Lodge in France that we were invited to meet up at their rally in 2025.
And so, on 4th June six members of the Chapter, Rob Grant (President), Andre Quintal, Sean Petralia, Tim Smart, James Scowen and Brian Crocket, sailed from Guernsey to St Malo, and then after a brief overnight stay, drove the 240 km down to Erdeven on the stunning Brittany coastline.
The trip down was not without mishap, as Andre’s Harley suffered a catastrophic breakdown of the rear pulley 100 metres from the destination, requiring the bike to be unceremoniously pushed over the finishing line!
After a couple of welcome beers, Helen, our host for the weekend, soon very kindly arranged for Andre to borrow her spare Harley Sportster, so after a 70-minute drive to her house he was soon back on two wheels. Freemasonry at its best!
What followed was an absolutely fantastic weekend with like-minded Masons enjoying some great organised bike rides around the peninsular, an unusual but very impressive badging ceremony for new members, and plenty of eating, drinking and partying.
One further mishap occurred when Sean’s bike suffered a nail in the tire during a ride-out. This was promptly put right through the combined efforts of Tim with his repair kit, and a French Brother with his air compressor, and he was soon back on the road, enjoying the sights and roads of this scenic part of France.
We had a superb long weekend and got to experience Freemasonry as we know and love it, with our French and Belgian Brethren, bringing back many happy memories of fun spent with our new friends. If you ever get the chance, and have not already done so, I would strongly recommend a visit.
