Just in from the United Grand Lodge of England:
The Grand Ball
Freemasons’ Hall, London · Saturday 30th September 2017
Grand Patron: The Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Kent, KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADC
5th August 2016
Dear Sir and Brother,
We are writing to inform you of a most exciting event planned for the celebrations of the Tercentenary of the United Grand Lodge of England in 2017: The Grand Ball.
On Saturday 30th September 2017, our home, Freemasons’ Hall in Great Queen Street, London, will be transformed into the venue for The Grand Ball. This will be the highlight of the social calendar for the Tercentenary celebrations, but will also be an opportunity for Brethren of any rank, and from all Provinces and Districts, to be present at one of the official UGLE celebrations with their families and friends.
The evening will commence at 8.30pm with a Champagne reception, and finish with bacon sandwiches for the survivors at 3am! It will be a suitably grand event to befit the 300th Anniversary of the institution, and is being generously supported and subsidised by UGLE, enabling our iconic building to be beautifully prepared, and food and drinks to be available throughout the night—all included in the ticket price of £160 per person.
Various entertainments will be placed in several different areas of the building, including the Grand Temple, which will be transformed into one of the largest raised dance floors in London. There will be considerable variety, including a big band, a jazz group, a ceilidh, discos (both ‘silent’ and noisy), and quieter rooms to enjoy a glass of wine and chat to your guests.
Although there will be plentiful and varied food available throughout the night, there is not a formal dinner. However, there are many excellent restaurants nearby for brethren wishing to dine with their guests before the Ball and similarly a selection of nearby hotels to suit most budgets, to spend what is left of the night (or weekend) in comfortable surroundings.
We can promise all those who attend a fabulous night, and are hoping to welcome Brethren and guests from across the country, and from other countries. We would therefore be grateful if you could distribute this invitation to the Brethren in your Lodges and add The Grand Ball to the announcements under the First Rising.
Tickets will go on sale via the website (www.thegrandball.uk) at 9am on Friday 30th September 2016 (exactly a year before the Ball), and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis so that everyone has an opportunity to buy tickets. Even though there will be up to 1,500 tickets available, we expect demand to be high—so early booking will be essential. Please do sign-up to our mailing list via the website and encourage the Brethren of your Lodges to do so to ensure you are kept up to date with all our planning and preparation in the coming months—and so they don’t miss out when ticket sales commence! There is also a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thegrandball) and a Twitter account (www.twitter.com/grandball2017) which you can ‘like’ and follow for updates.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us on [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you at the Ball!
Yours sincerely and fraternally,
The Grand Ball Committee
