Chelsea Pensioners and Gurkhas visit Freemasons' centre
A GROUP of visiting Chelsea Pensioners and Gurkhas were welcomed to the Guernsey's Masonic Centre on Friday for a behind-the-scenes tour.
The Guernsey Freemasons have supported the Chelsea Pensioners' Liberation visit to Guernsey for more than 10 years. This year they have paid £1,900 to help cover the cost.
Yesterday, the visitors attended a tour by Provincial Grand Master for Guernsey and Alderney, David Hodgetts, who showed them around the temple in St Martin's.
The pensioners travel to the island every year for several days around Liberation Day, for a holiday and to take part in a wide variety of events to mark the occasion.
They are joined by the Gurkhas, whose trip is sponsored by Specsavers.
Mr Hodgetts said the Chelsea Pensioners represented, to the nation, the sacrifice that so many people had made through giving service.
'I have served and many of the masons have served so it does mean a lot to us to have them here today.
'My parents remained on the island during the Occupation, so I know from personal experience the impact Liberation had on them.
'To have the Chelsea Pensioners here to help us celebrate Liberation Day means a lot.'
