Chingford Masonic Social Group

An Interview With
RW Bro Col Sir Neil Thorne OBE TD DL Provincial Grand Master 1995 - 2005

It is always frustrating if I do not receive material for inclusion in Newsletters therefore after the completion of the January edition I decided to approach our RW Provincial Grand Master to see whether he would allow me an interview so that I may include a profile before his impending retirement.
My request was granted and I met Sir Neil in one of his office in Westminster on a sunny afternoon in April.
Neil Gordon Thorne only son of Henry Frederick & Ivy Gladys Thorne was born in Seven Kings on the 8th August 1932. He attended South Park school and recalls marching around the playground waving the Union Jack to celebrate Empire Day. At the outset of the Second World War the school broke up and, because of the concern about air raids, children were not concentrated in one area but were taught in small class groups mornings or afternoons in peoples private houses.
Young Neil passed a common entrance exam to attend the City of London School which, shortly afterwards, was evacuated to Marlborough as the Head was President of the Public School’s Headmaster’s Association and his friend was the Master of Marlborough College, this meant for a few years he was taught in Marlborough.
The school however relocated to the Embankment just at the time of the dreaded V1 rockets which necessitated a rather long holiday (16 weeks) in 1944. After the V1 came the V2 which was somewhat more terrifying. In 1945 with the cessation of hostilities normal school was resumed with much catching up to be done. Sports in which he participated were athletics, rugby & hockey.
Having passed his School Certificate (‘A’ level in today’s parlance) Neil went in to 6th Form and then to London University where he took his chosen subject Estate Management. This led to a BSc and later to qualification as a Chartered Surveyor. Whilst at school he was enrolled in the compulsory combined cadet force and with National Service to follow volunteered for the University Training Corps. Holiday employment was not easy to come by so on one fairly long holiday he decided to take basic training and on a long subsequent long vacation he took the officer cadet training course at Mons. In effect he was commissioned before he was called up. The Queen Mother was Chancellor of the University and presided at Neil’s Graduation.
In leaving University he spent a short time with Bernard Thorpe & Ptrs - Surveyors; in 1957 joined the Royal Artillery M. Quo fas et gloria ducunt (where fate and glory lead) and was posted to the British Army on the Rhine where he became a gun position officer and later an Assistant Adjutant; a role that was to open opportunities of a most diverse nature.
In 1958 the British Army were still allowed to practice anywhere in Western Germany and that did causing damage to farmland for which the local farmers were compensated at a level negotiated with the farmers’ by a Joint Services Liaison Officer who was a British civilian. The farmers’ bill was presented to the German government for payment. Some 13 years after the war the German government expressed their discontent with the situation and the British Ambassador was instructed by the British Government to re-negotiate the are for training and agree fresh rates of compensation. What followed could provide material worthy of a Dickie Attenborough ‘Ealing Studios’ farce.
The British Ambassador instructed the Major General Royal Artillery on the Rhine to sort out the problem; he in turn, for some unknown reason, sent for his Nuclear advisor, the CO of 2nd Lt Neil Thorn’s Regiment and assigned the task to him. The Regimental CO was somewhat involved in equestrian matters (3 day Eventing to be precise) as was his Adjutant who participated in the Events, so he delegated the task to his second in command, a Major who held the war rank of Lt. Col. Hence a unique situation was created whereby, for a period, the Regiment was being run by a Major assisted by a National service Assistant Adjutant. Due to a quirk of fate the Major became very ill at a critical time and was unable to take part in the final negotiations which were then placed in the hands of a 26 year old 2nd Lt. Who had to be presented as a “Staff Captain” in order not to offend several hundred German farmers and their negotiators.
Fortunately the negotiations were satisfactorily concluded and remained in being for around 20 years.
On completion of his National Service Neil joined the “Terriers” and took up full time employment with Bernard Thorpe & Ptrs and later Hull & Co - Chartered Surveyors where he became Senior Partner having also qualified as a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS). He spent 30 years with the TA and achieved the rank of Lt Col and the Colonel.
From a very early age NGT had shown an interest in politics, not really surprising as his grandfather and mother had both been active in the political field, however his mentor was really Geoffrey Hutchinson (MP for Ilford and later Lord Ilford) who showed 9 year old Neil around the Houses of Parliament.
From Councillor on the London Borough of Redbridge (1965-68) and the Greater London Council (1967-73) to MP in 1979 his varied Political activities have been innumerable and are well documented in Who’s Who. Many tasks undertaken resulted in lasting policies being adopted; in particular, whilst the GLC, his study on pedestrianised streets and also the St. Katherine’s Dock development.
Neil Thorne was Initiated in a London Lodge at the age of 23, awarded a Military OBE when he was 48 and received a Knighthood at the age of 60. In recognition of his services to the people of Nepal (particularly in respect of guidance in writing the Constitution for the new democracy) he was also honoured with a Nepalese Knighthood; the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu. For his services in facilitating the return of Pakistan to the Commonwealth he received a Pakistan Knighthood Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam.
One of the questions I put to Sir Neil was “What do you consider has been your greatest challenge? His reply was that in each phase of his life he had been faced with challenges of different kinds, each requiring to be addressed in distinctive ways, but near to the top of challenges must be the office of Grand Master for the Province of Essex.
When I enquired whether the challenge was in reaching the office he replied that it was an honour that he had not expected or solicited. The performance of the duties of the office over the period of 10 years presented the challenge; all of which he had enjoyed and from which he had gained much experience. Sir Neil has no intention of retiring from his Parliamentary activities au contraire he has already agreed to undertake further duties in his capacity as Director and Chairman of the Armed Forces and Police Service Parliamentary Schemes. His duties will again take him on his overseas travels to the West Indies, Afghanistan, Iraq, Holland, Canada and Australia.
Although Sir Neil does not have a son to emulate his Masonic career he does have God-sons who are active in the Craft and no doubt they take full advantage of their mentor.
My final question to Sir Neil was “What advice would you give to young people of today, not only young Freemasons but generally? His answer was “Whatever you do the more you put in the more you get out, everyone should try and become involved in a variety of activities and pass knowledge gained from one to the other”.
The interview was carried out in a very relaxed and informative manner and I am grateful to Sir Neil for his time and the courtesy he extended to me.
It is clear that the Province has been under the command of a Brother who has been, and remains, well respected in may walks of life and in many countries. On behalf of the Board of the Directors for the Loughton Centre, Essex Masons in general and the members of Group 3 in particular I extend thanks to Sir Neil for his stewardship as Provincial Grand Master of Essex and wish him well in all that he does in the future. When he hangs up his Essex spurs later this year his successor will certainly have a hard act to follow……W Bro Jim Fretwell Refero relata (cum grano salis), for those whose latin is not so good the translations are:- “Refero relata” - I tell the tale as I heard it and “cum grano salis“ - with a grain of salt…..Editor W Bro Allan de Luca