"I am absolutely sure there will be no-one in this industry who will doubt for one moment that the best best man won the Award on this occasion."

So said Richard Woodman-Bailey, Master of the Worshipful Company of Masons, the masons' livery company, as HRH the Duke of Gloucester personally presented John Bysouth with the first ever Duke of Gloucester Gold Medal for outstanding lifetime achievement in stonemasonry. 

The presentation was made at the dinner after the Stone Federation annual conference on 25 November.

The Gold Medal has been created in co-operation between Stone Federation and the Worshipful Company of Masons, whose most distinguished liveryman is the Royal Duke who has lent his title to the Gold Medal, which is also the first Award to carry the Duke's new cypher.

The Gold Medal has been introduced as the highest accolade the industry can bestow on those within it for not only their own contribution to the industry, but also for their efforts in passing on the skills of the craft to future generations.

The industry nominated those who they felt deserved the Award. John was not the only nominee, but he had the greatest number of nominations. Presenting the Medal, the Duke said he hoped John would be inspiration to others in the industry. "We are delighted to have found such an excellent first winner of this Award," he said, but also congratulated the others who had been nominated, some of whom he expected to be presenting the Medal to on future occasions. 

John Bysouth, himself a former Master of the Worshipful Company of Masons and a former President of Stone Federation Great Britain, was too moved to be able to respond on the night.