Mystery Pan-Piper...

I've never seen or heard this before, but there's a couple of blokes driving around the village in a plain un-marked small white van at about 2mph.

The driver seems to be studying a map, and the passenger is playing enthusiastically what appears to be a cheap set of plastic pan-pipes into a 10kW public address system, which has a level of distortion I never thought possible!

Occasionally, the pan-pipes stop and words are spoken, but I can't make out what is being said because of the distortion. From the pattern and length of the noise though, I'm pretty sure they aren't saying the same thing every time, but the pan-pipes seems to take precedence over the spoken word anyway.

As far as I can tell, they have covered every road in the village at least 4 times over the last 3 hours, and are still going strong. They aren't collecting anything or handing anything out - so does anyone have a clue as to what's going on?

No idea, but send them over here. Sounds a right laugh!

Must be a political thing. Although if they were just going round playing really loud pan pipes that would be better haha.. we could all follow them!

I think you will find they are people trying to earn money in a very old and honest way sharpening tools such as knives scissors and scythes

Yes they are sharpening things,and very handy it is too!!I remember years ago people doing this in England!

Ponderosa is correct it´s the knife sharpener. When you hear that high pitched sound it means the knife sharpener is in your village!

Yes it is knife and more importantly in rural areas tool sharpening. They used to go round on a moped so things must be looking up

This was what they used to sharpen tools and knives in my village when I lived up North!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

ha like the picture Caz! good portable business that
Must keep an eye out for the pan pipe knife sharpeners!

He didn't have Pan Pipes, he played his Asturian Bagpipes!

Very funny when he was trying to cycle at the same time - no not really!!!

Unfortunately he was camera shy and wouldn't let me take any photos of him, but here is the typical dress of the area...

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Well, I didn't see them stop for anyone so business must have been bad that day!

I remember the 'Knife Sharpener' man when I was a kid growing-up in Birmingham. He carried no tools, but was expert at using the edge of the kerb to sharpen knifes, scissors, garden shears, etc.

My Mum used the back doorstep