The Worshipful Master who talks to his tomatoes and dreams of tractors
Meet Nigel Buchanan, the Worshipful Master of Lodge 281, a man whose passion for vintage machinery is matched only by his dedication to family and Freemasonry. From his greenhouse in Eglinton where he tends prize-winning tomatoes to the Lodge room where he leads his brethren, Nigel embodies the perfect blend of earthiness and tradition. Known throughout the north west as “the gravedigger,” this tractor-obsessed grandfather has stories that will make you laugh and wisdom that might just change how you see the world.
How would you describe yourself?
“I am fairly hard working with a love of tractors and old machinery. I am fortunate that I get to combine my work and hobby with tractors and I own 4 and could bore the pants off anyone interested in listening to me about them. I recently have found a love of growing plants and if anyone needs a tomato, I’m your man. I am a proud dad and grandad. I am well known as the gravedigger in the north west and I love country music.”
Where do you hail from?
“I am from Eglinton and still live there.”
What’s your happiest childhood memory?
“My younger brother, who is unfortunately no longer with us, and I stole our oldest brother’s action man and floated it down the nearby stream which caused his eyes to seize. Thankfully the older brother still doesn’t know what we did!”
What was your first job?
“I worked in Scoop-a-market in Sackville Street as a green grocer when I was 17.”
Favourite book?
“Classic Tractor – you wouldn’t get me to read a whole book,” he laughs.
Favourite film and television show?
“Titanic and Game of Thrones.”
How do you like to relax?
“Pottering in my greenhouse talking to my plants because they are the only ones that will listen.”
Favourite meal?
“Potatoes and anything.”
Who would you most like to meet, dead or alive?
“Harry Ferguson,” he says without hesitation, referring to the legendary Irish inventor who revolutionised farming with his Ferguson tractor system.
What makes you happy?
“My family and wife.”
What makes you angry?
“Politics and tractor drivers,” he says with characteristic directness.
What human quality do you most admire?
“Hard working.”
What’s been your most embarrassing moment?
“I was stock car racing and at the starting line I revved the car up that much when the green light went I didn’t because I had run out of petrol.”
What human quality do you least admire?
“Laziness.”
What’s been the high point of your life to date?
“Having the family and wife that I have.”
What’s your most treasured possession?
“My 1973 Massey Ferguson 135.”
If you won the lottery, what would you do?
“Buy more tractors and possibly a bigger shed to hold them all.”
What made you want to be a Freemason?
“Curiosity about the history and rituals that go on within the Society. My father-in-law, Hazlett was also a Freemason.”
When did you start your Masonic journey?
“2015.”
What’s been the most memorable part of being a Freemason so far?
“Becoming the Worshipful master.”
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned since joining?
“The comradery and friendships and the craic that goes on within the lodge. I was told that what you put in is what you get out and I didn’t fully understand that until I actually joined.”
If you could be granted one wish in life, what would you ask for?
His voice softens: “Speak to my wee brother Mark again.”
How would you like to be remembered?
“Good craic.”
If you could write your own epitaph, what would it be?
“Here lies Nigel John, the bike stopped and he went on.”
As our conversation draws to a close, Nigel checks his watch – there are tomatoes to tend and probably a tractor that needs his attention. Here’s a man who finds profound joy in simple things: the purr of a well-tuned engine, the satisfaction of a ripe tomato, and the fellowship of his Lodge brothers. In an age of complexity, Nigel Buchanan reminds us that the best lives are often built on solid foundations of family, honest work, and genuine friendship. And if you’re ever short of a tomato in Eglinton, you know exactly where to go.
Interview by Bro. S McGill
