|
Wot No Frenchies!
As the Air Berlin flight came into land at Munster/Osnabruck airport the whole landscape was snow covered to an extent I haven’t seem in the UK for twenty years.
Three of us were on our way to join the 2/KGL based in Osnabruck for their annual Stiftungsfest.
This
year was to be last one to be held in their Regimental club house which they were having to leave after almost 30 years. So I thought it appropriate to see the place before the opportunity disappeared. The Club
house is a beautifully converted farm building on the outskirts of Osnabruck, large bar area, a sizable meeting room, a big function room which would comfortably seat 60 for dinner, the necessary kitchen facilities
(decidedly not period!) and a loft for storage or rough sleeping.
The
organisation was as you might expect, distinctly Germanic but with a strong human face, Heiner, Karsten and Anne-Marie were leaving nothing to chance with 50 of us to feed, it needed careful co-ordination.
Shortly
after we arrived the snow started to fall seriously, classic Christmas card scenes (http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/ixregiment/KGLStiftundfest#) so I moved distinctly closer to the wood burning stove. What did the KGL do, DRILL! Blakey would have been proud of them! Although I noticed my two GBers did not join them, something about bar duty?
However
the drill did not last long. The 5th Line Battalion of the KGL not to be out done decided to have photographs taken posing in the snow.
Lunch
was served, strong soup and you’ve guessed it sausages, well what else would you expect, so far, beer, sausages, soup, and snow! The afternoon passed peacefullish, I bought a nice late period pocket watch, then lost
it, but someone found it for me, thank you Jannes, that was too close :-( Much chat with old friends as people arrived from all over German and there was a stream of Dutchies arriving with stories of snow storms to
the south of us.
Soon
the multitude was gathered, the ladies retired to dress in their finery before the evening started and there was bustle
in the kitchen as the caters arrive with the food. Our two stalwart English barmen decided that it was time to raise the standard in a number of senses and they devised an English Cocktail to warm the cockles of German and Dutch hearts, some sort of concoction of good port and excellent liberated Napoleon Brandywine, you weren’t allowed to refuse and it all slipped down very nicely.
Dinner
was called and over 50 of us sat down in pure candlelight, served by the NCO’s and men of the KGL looking good in their white mess coats, Karsten and Rob as Sergeants acted as wine waiters and the meal cracked on at
a good pace. What was that KGL Rifleman doing standing behind his Commanding Officer with an umbrella at the ready? Apparently you need to ask Dave Allen, something to do with Stiftungsfest 2007?
Major
Lange gave a speech, apparently all about the Regiment’s plans to convert a 14th century
farm building they had bought into their new club house. Well the next day I saw the new place, it is a monumental undertaking, as Simon said , if it was a ship you’d have to sink it! Good luck 2/KGL I certainly don’t envy you that project! However they set off optimistically, no Stiftungsfest next year but 2010 maybe!
I
proposed the loyal toast and after a slight hiatus before the sweet, see they are human after all! We settled into
the serious business of the evening. I gave up at about 2:00 and Rob and I retired back to the hotel, no I wasn’t camping. Simon partied on!
I
made it to the excellent breakfast at about 09:30, but my colleagues didn’t. How many Germans does it take to explain to a German taxi driver how to get to their club house? Apparently four. How do you make the
Dutch retreat? Say SNOW forecast and stand back!
As we left the airport it was still snowing!
Well,
what a weekend. In the 48 hours of the trip, I managed to retire for less that 6 hours, its a long time since I did that! If you are invited to the 2/KGL Stiftungsfest I commend it to you. The most significant
factor, well, it was the first event of any sort I have been to in 15 years where there wasn’t a single Frenchy! Thanks to Rob, Simon and the 2/KGL for a blinding weekend.
|
