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Croeso i’n gwefan Welcome to our website
2025
Connections to the Armed Forces
LOL 803 are rightly proud that many of our members have served their King / Queen and country in the British Armed Forces. We have members past and present, who have served in the Royal Artillery, The Staffordshire Regiment, Welsh Guards, Royal Air Force Regiment, Scots Guards, The Rifles, Royal Marines Reserves, Royal Engineers and the 79th Armoured Division during World War II.
Our members have seen active service in Northern Ireland, Germany, Bosnia, Sierra Leon, Iraq, Afghanistan and been stationed at various locations around the world.
Our Late Brother James Needs (originally from Port Talbot) served during the Second World War. He was evacuated whilst injured, from Dunkirk in 1940 and was sent to Northern Ireland to recover from his injuries and later re-joined his regiment. In 1944 he was a member of the 79th Armoured Division and landed on Gold beach, Normandy, on the morning of D-Day on 6th June. He was driving a flail tank, one of the famed ‘Hobart’s Funnies’, which destroyed German mines on the landing beaches. He took part in the advance on Berlin.
After the war James returned to live in Northern Ireland and was a very active member of the Orange Institution, as a member of Seapatrick LOL 217, in County Down. In the 1990’s he came home to live in his native Port Talbot and later transferred his membership to Rawlins White Memorial LOL 803 of Cardiff – a proud Welshman in a Welsh Orange Lodge. Sadly, James passed in April 2016 at the age of 96. We discovered at his funeral that he had been awarded the Military Medal, which we had not known. James was a proud, but humble man, to the end. It was an honour to have known him and he is greatly missed by his family and by his Orange Brothers both in Wales and in County Down.
All our Veterans bring their military discipline and experience to the Lodge. They are highly respected members of LOL 803 and it is important for the members who did not serve, to understand the challenges which many ex-servicemen face today. Life is not always easy for them, as many Veterans struggle with regular life, finances and PTSD. They have served their country and done their duty. They deserve our respect and any help which we can give them.
LOL 803 are supportive of our members who have served their country and we are very sympathetic to the needs of Veterans (and currently serving) members of His Majesty’s Armed Forces.
2025 Meetings in Cardiff
9th May
13th June
18th July
8th August
12th September
10th October
14th November
12th December
New Logo and Website for Grand Orange Lodge of England
2025 started with a new logo and website for the Grand Orange Lodge of England The logo is similar to those used by the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland, so therefore adds consistency to the Grand Lodge logos.
The new website is full of historical, cultural and religious information, on where our Institution has come from, what it stands for and the direction in which it is moving.
To view the new website click on the logo on the left.
2024
Christmas Charity Donation
Our charity this year has been the Cardiff Foodbank (Trussell Trust). On Thursday 19th December 2024, we made a drop off to their depot of 165.2 kg of food and essentials to the value of £350. This amount had been donated by LOL 803 members and their families, and is a great gesture as we try to help some people less fortunate than ourselves at Christmas time, which is not a happy time for everyone.
This is our second donation to the Foodbank this year, as we made a donation at Easter. Many thanks to all at LOL 803 for their contributions.
‘And now abideth, Faith, Hope and Charity (love), these three but the greatest of these is Charity…….1st Corinthians ch 13 vs 13
The Duke of Schomberg Trophy comes to Wales
The Duke of Schomberg skittle trophy was contested for again in Bristol on Tuesday 3rd December, between The Somme Memorial L.O.L. 842 of Bristol and Rawlins White Memorial L.O.L. 803 of Cardiff. This has become an annual event, held just before Christmas and part of LOL 842’s Christmas celebrations.
After a short meeting in the Bristol Lodge room, a period of harmony was enjoyed by all. Battle then commenced for the small but prized trophy. After 2 close ends the teams headed into the final third end neck and neck. When the final bowls were thrown, the scores were exactly level ! A throw off between the Worshipful Masters ensued with Brother Joe Stevenson emerging victorious over Brother Darren Hawkins by 1 skittle.
The famed trophy was then presented to the Welsh Brethren by Brother Hawkins.
Thanks must go to LOL 842 of Bristol for their great hospitality and generosity on a memorable evening. Next year in December the trophy will be contested in Cardiff………so for the first time the Duke of Schomberg Trophy ‘legally’ heads across the Severn into the land of dragons……’here be dragons!’
Lodge of Research and Education visit Cardiff
On Saturday 12th October 2024, the Grand Orange Lodge of England, Lodge of Research and Education, visited LOL 803 of Cardiff. The day was a great success with LOL 803 meeting in the morning, followed by lunch in the Parish hall. In the afternoon the Research Lodge met and this included some valuable information given on Welsh Orangeism by the WM of the Research Lodge Brother Owen Roberts.
Afterwards LOL 803 gave their Powerpoint presentation and talk on ‘A History of Welsh Orangeism from 1798 – 2023’. This follows two years of extensive research.
The research goes back to 1798 (only three years after the formation of the Orange Institution), when Welsh Militia regiments were sent over to Ireland to help suppress the 1798 Rebellion by the Society of United Irishmen.
13 Regiments from Great Britain, were given Orange ‘marching or military’ warrants during the 1798-1800 period and of these two were Welsh – so of the very first 13 Orange Lodges to be held in Great Britain, two of those were Welsh.
The day was a great success and also included a lovely wooden piece of art presented to LOL 803 by Brother Eric Larkin and gifts presented to the members of the Lodge of Research.
Many thanks to the Lodge of Research for accepting our invitation and travelling down to South Wales. The video on Welsh Orangeism will soon be available. LOL 803 used the talk as part of an ‘Open Day’ for friends, family and visitors to learn a little of the Orange Institution.
On Friday evening the 19th July, Rawlins White Memorial LOL 803 of Cardiff, met for their monthly meeting.
Amongst the main business was Twelfth of July reports. LOL 803 had members on parade at several venues including Southport, Belfast, Londonderry, Carrickfergus and on the previous weekend in Glasgow, as guests of County Grand Orange Lodge of Glasgow. These annual parades mark the victory of King William III and the Williamite forces, at the Battle of the Boyne.
The meeting also included the Installation of a new Lodge Tyler and the presentation of a Royal Arch Purple certificate to Brother Andrew Thomas, by our Worshipful Master Brother Joe Stevenson.
We were also delighted to have the Metropolitan Provincial Grand Orange Lodge bannerette in our Lodge room for the meeting.
On Friday 15th March 2024, the members of LOL 803 marked the 12th Anniversary of the Lodge formation. On the evening we were honoured to have in attendance the Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of England Wor. Brother Tim Lord.
Following a successful meeting, a period of harmony was enjoyed in the Lodge room and there followed a talk and slide presentation by Brother Ian McFarland on ‘A History of Welsh Orangeism from 1798 to 2023’. The history of the Institution in the Principality goes all the way back to 1798, when Welsh Militias were sent to Ireland to suppress the rebellion.
It was a very enjoyable evening and many thanks to Brother Lord for travelling a long distance to be with us.
Orangeism once had a strong presence in both North and South Wales, particularly in the valley areas – at one point Aberdare even had its own District Lodge. There was also a District Lodge in Buckley in North Wales.
The original Cardiff City L.O.L. 803 met from 1907 until 1921, when it went out of existence and it is this dormant warrant number which our Lodge has revived. More information on the history of the Orange Institution in the Principality can be seen on our Cardiff Orange History page.
