Each lodge and chapter have their stalwarts or figureheads and Dennis Fitton certainly falls into that bracket at St Bede Royal Arch Chapter. Anyone who has heard Dennis deliver ritual will remember him and cannot fail to consider him one of the very best and most distinctive speakers. Dennis has now achieved a magnificent 50 years of continuous membership in the Royal Arch Chapter, which was finally recognised during a regular ceremony on the 21st September 2016. Postponed from March due to illness, Rakesh Bhalla was pleased to attend on behalf of the Grand Superintendent and to present a certificate to Dennis after reviewing a well filled life in masonry and outside of it.
Born in Lancashire in 1927, Dennis Fitton went to Eccles Grammar School before his first job as a photographic technician at Fords in Trafford Park. At that time the firm were still making engines for the Lancaster bomber so it was appropriate that he did his national service in the RAF albeit in Jerusalem.
When he was released from the RAF in 1948, Dennis followed his parents to live in Whitley Bay and has stayed up here ever since, continuing to work in photography at Turners before joining Reyrolles in Hebburn in 1954 as Chief Photographer. Many in Hebburn are proud of their time as Reyrolles employees and enjoy looking back through books that contain many a photograph taken by Dennis himself. Dennis was rewarded for his membership of the Institute of Incorporated Photographers becoming President of the Northern Region in 1969.
A keen dancer, Dennis met Betty, at the Roxy in Blyth, and after a few more dance hall evenings they married in 1954 and moved into a self-build bungalow in Cullercoats. Their 2 children, 2 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren speak loudly of a happy family life well spent, with his son Michael becoming a member of his mother lodge, St Paul, in 1982, 19 years after Dennis joined, before following him into the Chair in due course.
Dennis was a keen cyclist before joining the Lambretta Club Northumbria, travelling all over England and Scotland, with Betty on pillion, in the heyday of the original Mods. This culminated in the trip of a lifetime when they covered over 3,000 miles in a fortnight, travelling to Rome in 1959 on their Lambretta. These days their beloved Lambretta has been exchanged for a motorised scooter which Betty rides solo whilst Dennis ‘jogs’ along behind!
In response to Rak’s introduction, Dennis said how he had thoroughly enjoyed his life and had met so many good friends over the years, one of whom, John Craig, had even drove nearly 7 hours up from his home in Crawley Down, East Grinstead, to be present at this special night for his old friend, whilst Eric Brown literally crawled off his sick bed to be there too, that is the measure of the man and the esteem he is held in. First Principal, Harry Prince, was pleased to present Dennis with a bottle of his favourite tipple and some flowers for Betty before Dennis rounded off the speaking turns by presenting a most generous cheque to Rak, for Durham Benevolence, to commemorate his many years in the Royal Arch, before giving personal thanks, on behalf of himself and Betty, for the years of companionship from his fellow masons.