In 1890 Bucks and Berks were still a joint Province, but in that year they separated to become individual Provinces in their own right.
To celebrate the Centenary, in 1990, a mini festival was launched to raise funds for The Bucks Masonic Centenary Fund. The interest from which would be annually distributed to non-Masonic charities in Buckinghamshire.
W Bro. Bill Morris had the idea of planting a wood to be called 'Freemasons Wood', in Bucks, and obtained permission to plant 950 trees on two acres of land at Norduck Farm, just outside Aston Abbots.
He co-opted W. Bro. Ted Bunn to manage the wood fund-raising. Monies were collected by subscription of £5.00 per tree from Lodges and members of the Province at the fete at Hall Barn.
Accordingly, In November 1991 all the trees had been planted and Lord Burnham, Sir Ralph Verney and W Bro Bill Dodds (the then Master of Taplow Lodge), each planted an acer tree and buried a time capsule under a granite slab, which had been engraved with the Square and Compass and the year 1990.
To mark the 25th anniversary, Taplow Lodge members decided to re-site the time capsule and granite slab closer to the acer trees with easy access to the road. This was completed by the PGM Gordon Robertson, in the company of members of Taplow Lodge and their families, in October 2016. A suitable plaque giving historical details was placed in front of the slab.
The Provincial Grand Master is seen with the spade used at the original planting and donated by the then Provincial Grand Master R.W. Bro. Lord Burnham. The spade has now been part of the Lodge furniture for 25 years.
Incidentally, inside the capsule along with many Masonic items there was a packet of House of Lords cigarettes, together with a Daily Telegraph newspaper with the headline: 'The state of the pound causes concern over interest rates'.
In the photo: Charlotte Barnes (Bill Dodds' granddaughter), Barry Robinson (he did most of the physical), John Hurley, Brian Slayford, Sheila James, Gordon Robertson Bucks PGM), Martin Wing, David Ball, David Lamsdon, Tetyana Smith and Patrick Smith.
Also present were: Norma (Bill Dodds' widow), Jacqueline Barnes (Bill Dodds' daughter) and John Jackson (photographer).
Drone photography by Bernard Friess.