21 April 2007: 39th Frankfurt Spring Ball

On 21 April 2007 it was time: The first Frankfurt ball, after 38 others, within Frankfurt's city limits! After the search and organisation team around Eva Schiedrum had located the Volkshaus Enkheim as a possible ball venue in summer, 2006, and painstakingly fixed the contract details, vaulted the catering obstacles and solved all other organisational problems, the ball could begin.

After the obligatory dance-through session, again led by Dagmar Suhm, in the afternoon (which had to start late as pianist Anselm had left his cable case at home — also a large hole in the dance floor had to be taped shut provisionally), the organisers could take a deep breath and have some cake, brownie crumbs and other delicacies, while most of the other guests spread out to the café, ice-cream parlour etc. in the nearby Hessen Center mall. Our long-standing decoration chief Ulrike Theurer's decoration ideas were installed very quickly, looked great, and allowed the »flower lasses« an extended break as well.

Punctually at 7 p.m., Toni Auchter greeted the approximately 80 dancers with the strains of his bagpipes, before the dancing started on the rather ample floor (with the well-practiced team of Dagmar and Anselm as co-MCs). A big advantage: The strictly oblong shape of the hall made the Hattersheim-style stick-on »set lines« extraneous, what a sense of freedom ... At a little before 8.30 p.m. the dinner buffet was opened in the adjacent »club room«, expertly prepared, even without a local kitchen, by the future tenant of the Volkshaus restaurant. Even if not everything looked 100% as ordered in the beginning, everybody did find something to eat — and the dessert contributions by various members of the club, from marble cake to Tiramisú, were very well received.

After another round of bagpipe music and the obligatory waltzes and zwiefachers, Scottish dancing continued until, almost exactly on time at 12.30am, the circle was closed for »Auld Lang Syne«, and the 39th Frankfurt Spring Ball finished with a polka and last waltz.

Our summary: It was worth it! The new hall is really nice, and the food fulfilled (if not exceeded) our expectations as well. Thanks very much to all helpers from the Frankfurt club, and also and in particular to the guest musicians, Christine Moos (fiddle) and Joe Wheadon (double bass). Also of course the Saalbau team and our caterer and his crew! We're looking forward to meeting all of this year's guests (and others!) again at the 40th (Anniversary) Spring Ball on 19 April 2008 — the organisation for this has already begun ...