‘Metro writes up the UGLE’

    

Nick Edwards for Metro

Nando Caicedo strikes a pose inside the Grand Temple at Freemasons’ Hall, London. A Mason for six years, he appears here to sport a pastiche of regalia: a Worshipful Master apron, Royal Arch Companion jewel, and Tercentenary jewel, complemented by the ‘One Journey’ necktie.

Another win for the communications team at the United Grand Lodge of England upon landing some favorable coverage yesterday in Britain’s largest print newspaper. Metro, a tabloid distributed for free to commuters on weekday mornings, published a story describing Freemasonry’s efforts to attract younger men to its lodges, so it’s a familiar angle without surprises.

Nick Edwards/Metro

In “Secret rituals and symbols on lattes: Metro goes inside the Freemasons Grand Lodge,” News Reporter Luke Alsford, with photographer Nick Edwards, visited Freemasons’ Hall, the Grand Lodge’s headquarters, and interviewed several Masons, including Grand Secretary Adrian March. 

Metro also is online. Click here. Its print edition boasts a daily circulation of more than 950,000. It can be found at bus stops, rail stations, Tube, Metro, etc.

The story touches on the mix of generations found in Masonic lodges, charitable works, the beauty of the building, and Masonry’s desire to alleviate the loneliness pandemic afflicting younger men today.

“From the gowns to the bar and the briefcases, there does appear to be plenty to get involved in as a Freemason,” Alsford writes in conclusion. “What exactly it all entails is still only for the initiated to find out.”

The ensuing comments on the webpage are what we’d expect.