United Grand Lodge
of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons
of England


 
Province of
South Wales Eastern Division

News
Report

John and daughter Jane immediately after their London to Brighton bike ride Wing Commander John gets on his bike for heart charity! No doubt, during his Royal Air Force career, Wing Commander John Irfon Davies, CBE, often covered thousands of miles in a day at the controls of Britain's nuclear deterrent of the day, the V-Bomber. However, the 58 miles that he covered on Sunday 15th June 2003 must have presented at least as much of a physical challenge as anything he had previously encountered. At the age of 73 he chose to ignore the advice of friends who, says John, "thought he had gone mad!"  He enrolled himself into the British Heart Foundation's London to Brighton Bike Ride. He was one of 27,000 (yes, that's right, twenty seven thousand) participants all of whom were aiming to raise funds for the charity. John's daughter, Jane Newman (seen with him in the photograph above), had been a participant in 2002, when the event raised £2.3 million! In persuading her to do it again, he offered to accompany her. John admits that as the day grew nearer he felt some trepidation. However, they both managed to complete the event and John has raised over £1,500 for his efforts so far. John is a member of Cardiff's Harlequins Lodge. In 2001 he was appointed Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies of the United Grand Lodge of England.