Parade marks formal birth of world's newest Orange lodge - following in the century-old footsteps of bygone brethren
The newest Orange lodge has just been officially launched - and it is not in Northern Ireland.
William Prince of Orange LOL1 Brixham was formally instituted on Sunday in the small southern English fishing town of the same name.
The News Letter had previously reported last month that the lodge was about to be formed.
Now the lodge has issued a statement saying the ceremony has taken place.
"The specially-commissioned officer and member sashes were made by Bro Harold McCloy from Ballymena," it said.
"And Bro Philip Anderson of Coleraine painted the outstanding new bannerette featuring the Prince of Orange.
"The bannerette unveiling and consecration were done by the lodge chaplain Worthy Bro Ian Smart, assisted by the immediate past Grand Mistress of Scotland Sister Isobel Campbell and the immediate past Grand Master of England Brother W.R. Bather.
"The bannerette was presented to them for unveiling by the youngest member of LOL 1, Bro Dylan Stevenson, who is 17, and a member of the Orange lodge in Cardiff.
"An excellent service of thanksgiving was held during the day which featured the reading of Psalm 118 by Sister Helen McFall of Paisley, Scotland, who is the oldest member of the lodge at 92 years.
"At the conclusion of the meeting, formal photos were taken and then a parade was held, led by Everton and District Pipe Band, which stopped outside All Saints Parish Church where Abide With Me was sung, before proceeding on to the statue of William Prince of Orange in the Strand, where the events closed with prayer and the National Anthem."
The statue exists because the south Devon seaside town was where William of Orange landed from Holland with his army in 1688 before being crowned King William III in London (and going on to defeat James II at the Boyne two years later).
As such, the town used to be home to an Orange lodge too. It had about 60 members but petered out around the time of World War II.
The new lodge's institution ceremony took place "exactly 100 years to the day from when the previous Brixham Lodge was instituted".
The new lodge does not have a dedicated hall or regular monthly meetings.
Instead it is a “a lodge of special purpose” which anyone can register to join from anywhere in the world, not just the local district.
At time of writing it has 180 affiliated members from all over the world, about half of whom were present for the ceremony.
One of its key organisers is Ian McFarland, originally from Northern Ireland, who has been appointed its deputy master.
The master is Tim Lord, who is also the Most Worshipful Grand Master of England.
A jewel and 1800s-style membership certificate with ribbons and wax seals were commissioned for the event, bearing members’ numbers.