Alzey Winzerfest - 1988
Visit to Alzey, Rheinhessen, Germany, 16th - 20th
September 1988
To celebrate their 50th Anniversary Winzerfest, Alzey
invited performing groups from all their twin towns to join them.
Harpenden (just north of St Albans) is their English
twin; and since
a good number of St Albans Morris Men live there, we were delighted to
accept the invitation to spend a long weekend in the delightful and
friendly town of Alzey.
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Here, SAMM and their ladies are greeted at the
airport with
typical Alzey hospitality - featuring many bottles of their excellent
wine!
Photo by Sandy Glover
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Official Team Photo!
Chris Hillier
John King
Sandy Glover
Steve Prentice
Gordon Jones
Mike Bennett
John Price
Allan Hart
John Seaborn
Reggie Welbank
Photo by Pam Glover
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Performance of "Ring o' Bells" in Alzey's main
square.
Photo by Pam Glover
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Sunday 18th September - the day of The Big Parade!
Hard work,
dancing and processing for two and a half hours? Not when you're
continually fortified with mugs of local wine!
Photo by a member of Hiel 'n'
Toe
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SAMM compare notes with Hiel 'n' Toe - Harpenden's
Scottish
dancing group - about the stresses and strains of processional dancing.
Photo by a member of Hiel 'n'
Toe
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After which we borrowed their swords to do a
version of the
stick dance - Postman's Knock. (Or "Postie", as Hiel 'n' Toe called it.)
Photo by a member of Hiel 'n'
Toe
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John Price persuaded a local wine princess and the
bandmaster
of the Polish marching band to join him as the centrepiece of "The
Rose", as SAMM danced round.
Photo by Pam Glover
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We left Alzey with great memories and some lovely
mementoes of the
occasion. Nearly two decades later, we recall with grateful thanks the
great hospitality shown to us by the town of Alzey, and wish all our
hosts continued health and happiness.
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Webslave
Mike
Bennett
