Spanish Mark Degree Grand Assembly - Benidorm

 District of Spain Mark Grand Assembly

3rd February 2024 

In Attendance:

• Ian Wardle
• Mark Smith 
• Suman Patel (who had told me earlier in the week he was at a conference)
• Two other strange blokes from Ravensworth Union, one of whom didn't even recognise me

Lodge Business:

The Spanish Mark degree Grand Assembly.  Basically giving out promotions. 

Meal:

About eighteen courses of some strange Spanish stuff.  It was very nice but I was so pissed towards the end they could have served up dog eggs and I would have ate them.  

Cost: 48 Euros

Comments:

Well this was a biggy!!!  Vanessa and I arrived on Thursday afternoon, dropped our stuff off at the Grand Hotel Bali, Benidorm, got very drunk watching some blokes aggressively playing dominoes and then had a huge argument.  Friday night was a very entertaining presentation by Mark Smith from The Antiques Roadshow, ex-SBS and a fellow Mark Mason.  Saturday's meeting kicked off at 10:30 and probably went on for a couple of hours.  It was funny hearing the work done in two languages.  Dining was amazing, there must have been somewhere in the region of 400 masons in attendance, and I sat next to miserable looking Michael Davis who was surprisingly good craic throughout and opposite a Scottish pain in the arse called Colin, whom I later found out is universally hated for his bad manners and potty mouth.  Must have tanned at least a couple of bottles of red and a good few beers, so that I was minging by the time the meal was finished.  Quick change then into the bar area to literally dance, and drink, all night with the friendly locals.  Sunday night was a Durham Province organised three course meal, with half a bottle of wine each, at the Chinese Garden......for the ridiculous sum of 24 Euros.  Brilliant weekend, wish we stayed the full week.