Let's Schunkel

For all those who miss The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club, this weekend you need to be in our village.

It's the now traditional annual "Let's Schunkel" fest held in a field barn belonging to the Family Müller who clear it out to let the youth of the village transform it in to a big party room.

Schunkeln (shun-keln) is the name in the German language used to describe a certain rhythmic movement to the beat of a song, people link arms and sway side to side on the spot. This is done either standing or sitting where people move side to side on their seats via the upper body. Sometimes people will also move backwards and forwards, as well as stand up sit down movements. (Wikipedia)

Sounds like the ideal sport for people like me with kidney stones. It is however an event organised by the KLJB - Catholic Rural Youth Movement - a society/club with over 70,000 members in 1,900 groups. In Bavaria, only, the society is also part of the Bavarian Far,mers Union.
The society accepts members from 14 years old concerns itself with the christian rural youth, is environmentally very active and gets involved in the international solidarity issues.

Given the ages of the organisers, one might be forgiven for thinking it is one big disco but in fact it's for the whole age spectrum. Featured on Saturday evening is the village brass band which accompanies the eating and drinking. Not quite sure when but the point does come when the over 30s meander home across the fields and the DJ mounts the podium.

Sunday morning starts with a youth church service at 10:15 followed by lunch and a beer or two......

Knowing we couldn't make it, I popped by an hour or so before it started to take a few photos. Quite rightly my explanation of what I was up to was greeted with a large degree of scepticism and so to avoid any problems I had to restrict the photos to rather lifeless scenes. I was determined to at least get a bit of life in by getting one of the girls in her dirndl carrying in a crate of beer. Of all the helpers I think there was only one male who was setting up the BBQ - the rest were all girls.

However judging by the sounds drifting over to our place in the early hours of the morning, it must have been a good event. I think it is great and all the organisers, helpers and the Family Müller should be congratulated. I hope they raised lots of money.

In the photo one can see some of the professional set up. On the far left the temporary bridge for the firehose pipe coming from the village (see map) to keep the party supplied with fresh water. Then the beer wagon, the WC's with bthe "pissoir" around the back and finally the Fendt with slurry tank ready to cope in all events.

The extra photo shows part of the incredibly clean and wonderfully decorated interior. I would have liked to have done a bit of a panorama shot to include the kitchen and bar areas but given the doubts, thought it best to leave it and even waited until the event was nearly finished before posting - didn't want to cause a crowd control problem by having scores of Blipers turn up.

(Does anyone remember that amongst others the Three Degrees, Roy Orbison and Bill Haley appeared in the Wheeltappers? I didn't but there again I never watched it!!)