Not just any old bonspiel but the 49th playing of the Hans Thaut Trophy. Forty-four teams will enjoy both the curling and the socialising  for four days in the stunning setting of G-P, high in the Bavarian Alps.

The team – Johnjo Kenny, Bill Gray, David Whyte, Tony Tierney and David Hume – were invited to the competition by well-known German international curler Rainer Schopp who organises the jolly.

Look out for ‘Bill’s Blog from Bavaria’ which will chart the daily adventures of our heroes. Cocktails and huge sausages are two challenges that lie ahead.