The Deputy Provincial Grand Master, VWBro Alex McLaren painted a picture of WBro Brown’s masonic life and times as a member of
County Palatine Lodge of Mark Masters. He was accompanied by WBro Trevor Parvin, Provincial Grand Secretary and WBro Ian Brookes, Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies

In 1964 on the 12th of February, Bro Brown was Advanced in County Palatine Lodge of MMM when the average wage was £16 a week

On the 14th February 1977 he was Installed in the Chair of his Lodge, when James Callaghan was Prime Minister, he was the only PM to have held the 4 Great Offices of State. PM, Chancellor, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary and he enacted the first Devolution of powers to Scotland.

In the Mark Bill was appointed Prov G Reg in 1980, Promoted to PProvGMO in 1986 and to PProvGSW in 2005

Bill has served under 9 Craft PGMs and 6 Mark PGMs that must be a record and has seen 22 Prime Ministers come and go!

Bill Brown was born in Crewe on 22nd February 1920, he was born into a large family of 3 sisters and 4 brothers, only Bill survives today.

Bill spent his childhood and early teenage years in Crewe and he went to Crewe School, his family moved to Wilmslow when he was 17 and apart from his wartime experience has been a Wilmslow resident ever since.

After moving from Crewe Bill was employed with Manchester Corporation, as a clerk in the Water Department, dealing with the huge ledgers in which Water Rates were recorded, his whole career was spent in dealing with the revenue of water charges, he retired in 1985 as Income Office for North West Water who by that time had taken over responsibility for water services from the local authorities in this part of the world.

Bill married his childhood sweetheart Flo, a Wilmslow Girl, in 1945; after they had both finished military service, Bill in the Royal Air Force and Flo in the Army. They moved into their home, where Bill still lives. They spent more than sixty happy and contented years together before Flo sadly passed away. They had two sons one which now lives in Sheffield and the other in Macclesfield, keeping a close eye on his father. Bill has two grandsons who obviously bring him great happiness.

At the outbreak of hostilities in 1939 William Greatbanks Brown enlisted in the Royal Air Force as a Radio Mechanic, after training he became and LAC Radar Fitter. He worked on and maintained the very new radar system known as Chain Home High.

Everybody who was present wished Bill well, as indeed do all who know him.