Category: News

Romjul – a Norwegian Christmas in Wales

Romjul: a Norwegian Christmas in Wales

by Kevin Burden, posted in News

Romjul – pronounced “rom-yool” – is the Norwegian word for the period between Christmas and the New Year. This year it is also the title of an exciting new theatre production, developed by the Welsh drama company Theatr na n’Og in collaboration with the Norwegian Church Arts Centre and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It tells the story of two Norwegian sisters evacuated to Cardiff during WWII, who find themselves hiding from “trolls” in the little white church in the heart of Cardiff Docks.

It features traditional Norwegian stories and folk songs, and is an educational performance aimed at schools and families. Shows will last around 45 minutes.

There are public performances in English on the following dates:

  • Wednesday 3 December: 6:00pm
  • Saturday 6 December: 11:30am
  • Sunday 7 December: 11:30am (part of the Festival of Light celebrations)
  • Wednesday 10 December: 6:00pm
  • Saturday 13 December: 11:30am
  • Sunday 14 December: 11:30am

Tickets are £10 each and are available to purchase, either in person at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre or online at: www.norwegianchurchcardiff.com/whats-on/

The Vita Quarter playing at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay

Summer news from your society

by Kevin Burden, posted in News

Hei alle sammen! Helô bawb! Hello everyone!

We hope you’re enjoying the summer and, if you’re not already on holiday, have had, or are about to get, a pleasant break.

In our summer newsletter we’ve got news of our 30th birthday celebrations on Sunday 21 September between 2 and 5 pm. There’ll be a free concert of Norwegian music played by the church’s resident string quartet, coffee and cake, and a chance to see a brand-new exhibition telling the story of the Norwegians who found themselves in Cardiff and south Wales during World War Two. We’ll also hold our Annual General Meeting.

We’d love to hear from you if you’ve memories or memorabilia to share. 

Other events planned for the coming months include a specially-written family theatre piece for Christmas performed by the innovative Welsh theatre group Theatr na n’Og. 

You can read the newsletter online, or download and print it here: https://tinyurl.com/wnsnews

If you’d prefer to have a printed copy, please send your postal address to contact@welshnorwegian.org, and we’ll print and send you one. (Not making paper copies the default any more saves us costs and many hours of labour – but we will always do it if that is what you want or need.) 

Fortsatt god sommer – keep having a lovely summer!

Your WNS Committee

Celebrating Roald Dahl - a concert by the Vita Quartet

A family concert inspired by Roald Dahl

by Kevin Burden, posted in News

The wonderful Vita String Quartet will be playing in the Norwegian Church again at 2 pm on Saturday 27 September when they celebrate all things Roald Dahl, with an afternoon concert of music inspired by his wonderful stories.

The quartet will be joined on stage by a fellow Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama student who will narrate extracts from his books to music.

Do join this talented group of musicians for a magical family show. Tickets cost £5 from https://www.norwegianchurchcardiff.com/whats-on/

The baptismal font at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay - used to baptise Cardiff-born writer Roald Dahl

They will be performing next to the font used to baptise Dahl: he was of course born to a wealthy Cardiff-based family of shipbrokers, and Dahl was educated at the Cathedral School in Llandaff. Did you know that the fearsome Mrs Trunchbull in Matilda was inspired by a sweetshop owner in Llandaff?

Read more about Roald Dahl’s links with Cardiff here: https://welshnorwegian.org/norway-in-wales/roald-dahls-wonderful-wales/

Poster advertising exhibition on Cardiff and the Norwegian Community in the Second World War

Wartime Cardiff and the Norwegian community

by Kevin Burden, posted in History, News

During the Second World War, Cardiff became a temporary home for many Norwegians — seafarers, refugees, and members of the resistance — who helped shape the city’s wartime history.

Now, a new exhibition aims to tell their story. It’s being organised by the heritage officer at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay, Thomas Husøy, and his colleagues. They would love to hear stories of the Norwegian community from that time, and would especially welcome the chance to put on display photographs, artefacts, and archival material.

Contact Thomas at thomas@norwegianchurchcardiff.com if you’ve something to share.

The exhibition will run in the upstairs gallery at the church between 16 September and 19 October. Admission will be free of charge.

Saturday morning celebrations in Cardiff of Norwegian national day 2025

by Kevin Burden, posted in News

We will celebrate Norway’s National Day in Cardiff again this year and, as it will be a Saturday, we will do so in the morning, in the more typical Norwegian fashion.

Meet at the Wales Millennium Centre at 10.15 and join us on a red, white and blue procession to the Norwegian Church, where we’ll raise the flag, sing the national anthems, and lay a wreath to remember the fallen.

There’ll be music from the church’s resident string ensemble, the Vita Quartet, and Norwegian food and cakes and, of course, coffee, lots of it.

Upstairs in the gallery there will also be a fascinating new exhibition opening and curated by the Norwegian Church Arts Centre’s Heritage team – The Legacy of Prosperity: Exploring Cardiff Docks’ Industrial and Economic Heritage.

17 May is one of the high points of our social calendar and is a great chance to meet with other Norwegians, Norwegian speakers, and friends of Norwegian language and culture.

All are more than welcome! No tickets or booking are required.

An invitation to reflect on the diverse religious and cultural heritage of Wales

by Kevin Burden, posted in News

The heritage team at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre invite the members of the Welsh Norwegian Society to attend its upcoming heritage conference.

On April 9th, we are organising part two of a conference event for our heritage project. The first part took place in November with the theme “South Wales Port Communities: Heritage and History.” It will now be followed by the event “The Diverse Religious and Cultural Heritage of Wales.” The event is co-organised with Cardiff University and Llafur.

The event is due to start at 10:30, and those who are interested can register for the event on this link: https://fixr.co/event/the-diverse-religious-and-cultural-heritage-of-wal-tickets-334507467

Events in 2025

by Kevin Burden, posted in News

We apologise for the lack of communication and absence of events so far in 2025. Thank you for your patience. We just haven’t yet been able to build a calendar of events this year. Like all voluntary societies these days, we are short of volunteers to take on the duties (and rewards!) of organising and communicating activities. The big calendar events of the year – Norwegian national day, the midsummer party and the Festival of Light and Friendship at Christmas – absorb a lot of our capacity. We would welcome help with those, and/or the much less taxing monthly get-togethers. We have use of the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay; we can also travel and meet up elsewhere, as we did in Abergavenny last year. But it is always helpful to have a focal point – a speaker, a topic, an activity (such as cooking, crafting or learning the language) to bring people in. We know there is interest but cannot meet the demand with the existing resources. If you’d be willing and able to take on some of the load – however little – we’d love to hear from you. This is the 30th anniversary year of the WNS and we’d very much like to keep going!

It is exceptionally late notice – but we have decided to hold an informal get-together at the Norwegian Church tomorrow, Sunday 16 March, at 2 pm. All are very welcome.

Fellow members have promised to bring Norwegian books to swap or borrow.  

There is also talk that it is Scandinavian week at Lidl – so a great chance to pick up snacks and sweets.

Finally, we have confirmed with the church that this year’s national day celebrations will go ahead, with a small difference to the usual schedule, but one which will bring us more into line with the typical Norwegian practice. 17th May being a Saturday this year, we will celebrate in the morning, meeting at the Millennium Centre at 10.15, with a flag parade to the Church at 10.30 and speeches and flag raising at 11.00.

We will ask the church caterers to put on a Norwegian-themed menu. We hope to be able to put on a concert with the church’s new house quartet and perhaps some activities for children. 

We hope to see you tomorrow, on 17th May or at one of the other yet-to-be-scheduled events. If you can help, please let us know!

Med vennlig hilsen

Your WNS committee

A toy troll in the Norwegian church in Cardiff

Membership dues 2024-25

by Kevin Burden, posted in News

It’s that time of year again when we rattle our collecting tins and ask you for your annual membership fees. These remain a very modest £10 per year and will cover all the society’s expenses until next October.

We will be sending out frighteningly formal invoices via PayPal which you can pay online via PayPal or bank transfer – all details are provided.

We do understand that electronic methods don’t suit everyone, but using this system cuts our costs and enormously reduces the admin at our end. Do feel free to pay by cash or cheque if you prefer.

A view from the gallery of the Norwegian Church in Cardiff of the Christmas service

Festival of Light and Friendship 2024: Sunday 1 December

by Kevin Burden, posted in News

It is the highlight of this part of the year for us and for growing numbers of people who come to join in our celebration of international and intercultural friendship – and to throw some light into the even-darkening days.

Come and join us at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay where the Norsk cafe will be open all day for food and drinks.

The Salvation Army Band will again play a selection of British and Norwegian carols from 4 pm.

At 4.30, we will welcome our official visitors including the new Lord Mayor of Cardiff and representatives of Vestland County Council and, we hope, from Norway’s Embassy in London.

There’ll be some short readings in English, Welsh and Norwegian, some carol singing and lighting of lights on the tree and throughout the church.

The cafe will remain open until 6 for further refreshments.