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Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures
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Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures |
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Subject: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Valmai Goodyear Date: 11 Jul 06 - 03:41 AM Dear Everyone, Trevor Curry the whistle player has uploaded some pictures taken on Sunday 9th. July of this extreme sport being played: http://www.curry.f2s.com/photos/ We're now selling advance tickets for Les Barker at the Lewes Arms Folk Club on Saturday 9th. September and John Kirkpatrick on Saturday 16th. September. Please send a cheque payable to 'Lewes Arms Folk Club' for £6 per ticket and most importantly a stamped addressed envelope to 20, St. John's Terrace, Lewes BN7 2DL (UK). We're also taking bookings for John's all-day Anglo concertina workshop; booking forms are on the club website www.members.aol.com/lewesarmsfolk. Tootle pip, Valmai |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Splott Man Date: 11 Jul 06 - 03:52 AM Was there alcohol involved? |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Long Firm Freddie Date: 11 Jul 06 - 04:11 AM Does dwile flonking really date back to the Suffolk harvests of 400 years ago or ...is it just a good excuse for getting drunk and celebrating Christmas in August? Splott Man appears to have surmised correctly! LFF |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Folkiedave Date: 11 Jul 06 - 04:26 AM We played this a number of times whilst I was at Folk Union One and I seem to remember Mike Waterson taking part in one of these. We also had a competition with the Bridge Folk Club at Newcastle at one of the meets we used to have in the North Yorkshire Moors. Also around 1967 we probably pnched the idea. I think another event took place at an early Whitby Folk Festival. I remember trying to get a young lady drunk (known as "going for the crumpet" only to find out her capacity was that of about four blokes combined. 'Course, we used to make us own fun in them days. |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Paco Rabanne Date: 11 Jul 06 - 04:51 AM This was a regular event at our annual Rugby club barbeque in Hull years ago. |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Liz the Squeak Date: 11 Jul 06 - 05:36 PM I last saw Dwyle Flonking (southern variant) back in the 1970's.... it's another of these 'drink up the last of the old beer/cider to make room in the barn/cellar for the new' rituals. Folkie Dave.... you'd be surprised at how many women can drink men under the table.... LTS |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Fliss Date: 12 Jul 06 - 02:15 PM It was part of the events at Wye Agricultural college in the late 60s. I went over for the day from Christchurch College Canterbury to watch. There was also some manic event on a pole over water with two contestants and large sacks. Think the aim was to drown the opponent! Ah the heady days of youth. fliss |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: The Borchester Echo Date: 12 Jul 06 - 02:23 PM In around 1973 I interviewed the person who claimed to have invented this and confessed to passing it off as an ancient custom. Of course, I have no idea whether he was making it up. I just did the story. |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Mingulay Date: 12 Jul 06 - 02:31 PM Back in the 60's when I were but a young(ish) sprog I actually Flonked the Dwile on the Queen's estate at Sandringham. Not too sure if she actually knew about it mind. At a quiz night some years ago I had an argument with the quiz master who insisted that it was the same as Welly Wangin'. Buffoon! He was obviously not a man of culture and learning. |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Herga Kitty Date: 12 Jul 06 - 03:19 PM I watched dwile flunking in the late 60s, but didn't inhale.... the guy who organised it (Dick Brooker) was a member of the Herga Folk Club but also a leading light in the local 18+. I think I was under 18 at the time. Dick went on to be a founder member of Wheatley Morris. Kitty |
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Subject: RE: Dwyle flunking @ Lewes Arms - pictures From: Valmai Goodyear Date: 12 Jul 06 - 03:25 PM Many thanks to Long Firm Freddie for the fascinating website on the subject. Some thoughts about the possible origins of the game or ritual are included in the original message I sent inviting musicians to take part in this year's contest: 'Dear Everyone, The annual fixture between the Lewes Operatic Society and the hop-based life-forms of the Lewes Arms front bar will be held at 2.30 pm on Sunday 9th. July. All musicians are not only welcome, but protected by heavy fines from being splashed with stale beer and eligible for bribes in the form of free drinks. (Lewes Arms, Mount Place, Lewes, Sussex, BN7 1YH, UK.) For those of you who have not witnessed this ancient and almost mystical sport, there are two teams of twelve. They dress themselves in bucolic gear and their kit is inspected by the umpire before play begins. Points are deducted for poor turn-out, such as the absence of twirlers (string tied round trouser legs to keep rats out) and excessively flarksy weskits. The first member of the batting side takes a position next to a bucket of carefully-matured beer in which is a swadger (broom handle) with a dwyle (bar towel) wrapped round the end. At a blast on the umpire's duck whistle, music strikes up and out desperately (that's where you come in) and the members of the fielding team join hands and dance round the batsman in a circle. When the umpire blows again the dancing team must immediately stop, but must not break the circle. The batsman must then immediately flunk the dwyle at any member of the opposing team. He scores one point for a hit on the arms or legs, two for a hit on the body and three for a hit on the head. If he misses, he has to drink a pint straight down in less time than it takes the fielders to pass the swadger from hand to hand round the circle or lose a point. The batsman may be fined for hesitation; the fielders may be fined for breaking the circle or moving after the whistle. Anyone may be fined for intimidation. A batsman who splashes the band or onlookers is fined. A side whose score is weak can improve it by bribing the umpire, scorer or the band with drink, gifts or sexual favours. One year every member of a team gave the umpire a scented candle, so this is not necessarily as attractive as it might sound. Bribes are declared to the scorer and registered in the score book. At the end of the match the losing side may empty the bucket over the umpire. This is obviously a pagan survival which has evaded religious persecution by adopting a faintly Christian disguise. Students of folklore will recognise elements from the Grail legends: the Holy Spear, the vinegar-soaked rag and the vessel of bitter drink. The dancers in their circle echo the twelve apostles, but also the members of a coven. The batsman is a sacrificial victim who spreads blessing in the form of a stylised asperging before being despatched for the good of the community. The umpire's fate would have originally been ritual drowning, but appears to have been converted to stylised baptism in accordance with the practices of the more modern religion. This is a much more venerable and stimulating sporting contest than any other which may be on display before the public at the same time. (N.B. Not indoors if wet.) Tootle pip, Valmai' |
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