It must have been about 1:30 in the morning when someone remembered that everyone had to pack, and leave at 7:30; so, after replacing the carpet, furniture, and light, and leaving the crates of empties for Gabriele (deposits on the empties and crates, see), it was time to go.

There was a pause to draw breath, during which Mick was called on to give a rendering of 'Albert and he Lion'. This he did in a mixture of pidgin German and English (even he admitted later that he couldn't understand half of what he said), and quickly followed this up with a ghost story, this being initiated by Gabriele's ghost storey.

And then, after a whole week's barracking, the German's finally succumbed and, surprise! surprise!, they actually sang, starting with Gabriele, who led the singing of 'Green Grow the Rushes O', (the Earls couldn't remember the words!), and then all of them going on to sing old, romantic, German songs.

Some of the Earls madness had obviously rubbed off on their hosts, for those that gave them lifts back drove at breakneck speed on the wrong side of the road, and took a short cut through a garage strewn with parked cars; but everyone made it home safely, as usual, in the small hours of the morning, as even more usual.