It is cloudy when we get up and a little cool, but we decide this is probably good if we want to walk and explore the town of Frankenberg.

We both use the facilities and showers; they are communal but very good. We breakfast and dress in ‘mufti’, Galliard printed t-shirts and and shorts/cropped trousers (as are other groups). We meet together on the Sportsplaats at 9.30 and walk together to the Ederberglandhalle (cultural centre), the place of registration for Europeade.

It is well organised; there are not many there when we arrive at 10.00am and most people only speak German, which is a bit of a problem when we try to explain that we can’t print anything off from the online website, as we are in motorhomes! Eventually our two guides (Angelika and Gabby) arrive, who explain that they have never done this before.

They are not much help as they don’t speak much English either We muddle along, Maureen (our leader) is cross and irritated, but eventually we do get a printed programme and information in English, wrist bands (that gets us our meals and into all the events) and our bag of ‘goodies’.

It is almost noon when we arrive back at our campers, we lunch and have a quiet afternoon. Around 4.00pm we put on our costumes and walk back along the river towards the town to the catering tent next to the arena for 5.00pm. We collect a hot meal of chicken and vegetables, on paper plates with wooden cutlery, and sit at trestle tables and benches to eat in a very hot and crowded marquee. The food is OK, but not as good as the previous Europeade Festival in Finland, where we ate in local schools with proper catering kitchens and dining rooms.

From the catering area it is a steep climb up Steingasse to the Obermarkt square. At 7.00pm we assemble in front of the small arena stage for an hour of pre-performance entertainment (folk dancing and singing). At 8.30pm the Opening Gala proper begins, but we wandered back down the hill as it takes half an hour to walk back to the sports centre camping. We are very tired and need to rest.