A week last Sunday, I stood on the banks of the Ribble with dozens of Mark Masons and their families watching hundreds of yellow plastic ducks sail along the river and thought ” What are we doing here and what’s it all for ??” Well folks, here’s one very good reason.. Peter Firth, Chief Officer of the Mosses Centre in Bury wrote to me a few weeks ago asking if we could help with the purchase of a new bingo machine for the Monday afternoon bingo session attended by groups of local pensioners (please take a few moments to check out the website at www.mossescentre.co.uk. Following a quick referral to the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund, a two-word answer came back – “Do it !” oh and can you also go along and do the presentation ?

So on Thursday afternoon last week, me and my good lady Chris made our way to sunny Bury and met Peter, who gave us a quick tour of the centre. This really is an amazing place with all sorts of activities going on – pre-school kids club, job club, youth club, dance classes (wish someone would explain to me what “Zumba” is) etc etc , indeed things for all members of the community young or old.
So it was with great pleasure I handed over a cheque to Peter on behalf of the ELMBF and I can tell you it gave me a real buzz to do so and I thought “THIS is why we were stood on that river bank;  we’re doing it to benefit other people and that’s why ‘we are  proud to be Mark Masons”
Eyes down….and your first number is…two little ducks, 22 (oh NO !!! Not ducks again!!….Ed.)