Warrant: February 1927
Meetings: Fourth Wed: Oct-Nov, Jan-Apr
Installation: April
Aintree Lodge was consecrated on 30th March 1927 in the New Hall, Barlows Lane, Aintree. Our Mother Lodge is Dormer No.4389. On the occasion of our consecration a clock was presented for use in the Provincial Office. It is still in use.
The Lodge had always thought deeply about our brethren who may have fallen on hard times. Aintree Lodge Benevolent Fund was set up by unanimous resolution in 1948, and is still in operation.
The history of a Lodge is a history of people, and there have been many distinguished Masons in Aintree Lodge. W.Bro Albert Letheren (the timber merchant) was the only one of our members ever to be honoured with Grand rank. He had been our Master in 1929-1930, and was also the first Worshipful Master of our daughter lodge, Warbreck No.6976. Albert received the rank of P.G.StdBr, shortly before his death in 1982, in his 93rd year.
Indeed, longevity is something of a tradition in Aintree Lodge; W.Bro Fred Lord, our Worshipful Master in 1966 and now residing in Tithebarn is now in his 96th year. Fred was our Tyler for 14 years.
We have also had one or two distinguished members. W.Bro Stuart Dixon was well-connected enough to have the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Bro. Alderman James C. Cross, attend his installation in 1932. Bro George H. Ridley, who was initiated in 1944, later became Deputy Fire Chief for Cumberland & Westmorland. At the celebration of his 50 years in Masonry in 1994, the brethren were impressed to learn that, in his youth, George had been a Wall-of-death rider !
In March, 1961 the then Immediate Past Master, W.Bro David J. Jones presented a Book of Remembrance to the Lodge, the purpose of which was to record the names of those of our brethren who have passed to the Grand Lodge Above. The book has been faithfully and assiduously updated by successive secretaries.
The Lodge has met in several locations over the years. Folowing the first eight years after our Consecration in New Hall, Barlows Lane, we came to Bootle Masonic Hall for the first time in 1935. In 1940 we moved on to the Constitutional Club. After 25 years there we went to the Carlton Masonic Hall in Eberle Street. Charges got out of hand and we had intended to move to Hope Street, which promptly went on fire (had they heard we were coming ?). We came back to Bootle in 1968, but returned to the Carlton in 1973, when Bootle looked likely to close down. In the event it was the Carlton which closed so we again returned to Bootle in 1976 and became part of the Bootle Group in 1981.