A visit to Trinity is always special.  Whether it’s to witness its special workings or marvel in the fabulous Master’s chair, it is always worth the effort.  However, the recent meeting was extra special for the lodge in general and for Tim Goddin in particular as it saw him receive a certificate marking 50 years service to Freemasonry.

Unusually for Warwickshire on such occasions, the Master, Michael Trevelyan, opened his lodge before welcoming the Provincial Grand Master, Philip Hall  into the lodge.  Having conducted a couple of items of business, the Master was pleased to invite Philip Hall to take to the floor where he was joined by Tim and the customary ‘chat’ began.

As always, the assembled throng learnt a great deal about the life and times of Timothy Peter James Goddin that started with his grand entrance in Harrogate back in April 1943.  His mother was a housewife and his father registered patents and trademarks.  It was this work that brought the family to Coventry where Tim received his early schooling.  As he grew older, he moved to Denston School in Uttoxeter in Staffordshire at which he enjoyed English, History and Geography – perhaps not surprising as his grandfather was a renowned writer of geography books as well as a few novels – and also fencing.  Apparently his studies and distractions of the female kind put pay to this but not before coming equal first in a national schools fencing competition!

Tim left school not really sure of his next step so his father arranged for him to try a few different professions.  This led him to accountancy and Tim taking his articles in a local firm.  Various job moves saw him become a financial director but he had always wanted to have his own business.  He found a manufacturing company for sale, raised the money required to buy it but the rug was pulled from beneath him at the last moment.  Undeterred, Bro Tim decided to work for himself and established his own consultancy preparing business plans for over 350 small businesses in Warwickshire.

He met his wife, Roz, at a party in the early 70s.  She was training to be a midwife and it was apparently not love at first sight.  A relationship gradually developed and they enjoyed 45 years of marriage before Roz’s sad passing in 2017.  Tim’s sons, Mark & Miles, both followed him into Trinity although Miles’ work took him away from the lodge.  It was a delight that they were both able to be present both to support him but also to be able to relate a couple of entertaining family tales that only Brother Lads can tell about Brother Dad.

In addition to his work, Tim dabbled in selling cars for a while and also got his pilot’s licence and achieved over 175 hours in the air.  He had a go in a helicopter, landing it on his back lawn much to the surprise of the neighbours, but found it all costing a wee bit too much.  Instead he let others do the flying and he indulged another passion – travelling.  As such, he has a home in Spain and used to have one in Bulgaria.

As his father and grandfather were both Freemasons, it was perhaps inevitable that Bro Tim would follow suite.  However, it was his oldest friend, Tony Richards, who proposed him into a Trinity Lodge that was somewhat different to that of today.  It had around 50 members and a rather stern atmosphere.  Tim enjoyed the ritual and thoroughly enjoyed his first year as Master in 1987.  Over the years, he has loved combining two of his passions – travel and Freemasonry – and developed many foreign masonic contacts.  Indeed, he helped establish the English-speaking Hiram Lodge No 37 in the United Grand Lodge of Bulgaria and it was a delight to see that two Provincial Deputy Grand Masters, Lubomir Parmakov and Yordan Nickolov, along with Preslav Atanosov had come to support Tim.  They were delighted to formally present him with a special diploma from the Master of Hiram Lodge.  Such was the draw of the evening that two brethren, Thrassy Papangelis and Nikos Tselios, had also come from Periandros Lodge No 153 in the Grand Lodge of Greece.  They also came bearing gifts and were delighted to present the Master with a beautiful plaque recognising the links between the two lodges.

As he always does on such occasions, the Provincial Grand Master asked Tim what advice he would give to an initiate.  His response was simple – do as much, or little, that you are comfortable with and do not join anything until you are ready!  With that, Philip Hall read out the certificate before formally presenting it, along with the requisite lapel badge, and thanked Tim for his rather cosmopolitan service to Freemasonry over the past 50 years.  All in all, it was not just Tim that had been treated to a fantastic night!