News

Save the green space around the Norwegian Church from property developers!

The Welsh Norwegian Society appeal to save the green space around the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay.

Click here to visit change.org and show your opposition to the plans to develop the last remaining green space in Cardiff Bay into a collection of residential and commercial buildings.

The below message is taken from the #SaveOurBae campaign which has been set up to petition Cardiff City Council and oppose the development.

#SaveOurBae

We need to protect Cardiff Bay’s Britannia and Waterfront Parks from the proposed Association of British Ports (ABP) Dolffin Quay development. This development would replace the last remaining green space in Cardiff Bay with a collection of residential and commercial buildings.

The grassed area and children’s playground on the Britannia Park site are the last remaining ones of their kind easily available to local families with children in the area.

Cardiff Bay is a unique and world renowned waterfront. Britannia Park has been a vital part of Cardiff Bay since 1993. It is much loved, not only by Cardiff residents, but also by visitors who come to enjoy the outside spaces, art and heritage.

Most properties in Cardiff Bay are without gardens. It is vital that we protect the only remaining green space.

We therefore call upon Cardiff City Council to reject any application from ABP that would remove the Britannia and Waterfront Parks.

Join our campaign to #saveourbae and protect Cardiff Bay’s last green space.

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Y mae’n rhaid inni amddiffyn parciau Britannia a Waterfront Bae Caerdydd rhag y datblygiad a gynigiwyd gan Gymdeithas Porthladdoedd Prydain (ABP). Fe fyddai’r datblygiad yma yn cael gwared o’r man gwyrdd diwethaf yn y Bae i wneud lle i gasgliad o adeiladau preswyl a masnachol. Y man gwyrdd a’r cae chwarae plant ym Mharc Britannia yw’r diwethaf o’u math yn yr ardal sydd ar gael yn hawdd i deuluoedd lleol a’u plant. Y mae Bae Caerdydd yn unigryw gyda enw byd eang. Y mae Parc Britannia wedi bod yn  rhan hanfodol o Fae Caerdydd er 1993

Y mae pawb wrth eu bodd gyda’r parc. Y mae’n cael ei fwynhau nid yn unig gan bobl sydd yn byw yng Nghaerdydd, ond hefyd gan ymwelwyr sydd yn dod i fanteisio ar y mannau agored, y celfyddyd a’r hanes yma. Y mae rhan fwyaf o’r cartrefi ym Mae Caerdydd heb ardd. Y mae’n holl bwysig i warchod yr unig fannau gwyrdd ar ol. Galwn felly ar Gyngor Prifddinas Caerdydd i wrthod unrhyw gais datblygu oddi wrth ABP a fyddai’n lleihau neu gael gwared ar Parciau Britanni a Waterfront.

Ymunwch a’n ymgyrch i warchod ein bae (#saveourbae)- y man gwyrdd agored olaf yn y bae.

Peter Birger Persen – President of the Welsh Norwegian Society

It is with great regret that the Welsh Norwegian Society have news of the passing of our President Peter Persen on the 21st June 2017 at University of Hospital Wales. Our sympathies and condolences are passed to his family and friends.

Peter Birger Persen born 1929 was the son of a Norwegian Sea Captain.  Peter was born and raised in Cardiff, but nevertheless always felt his Norwegian heritage strongly.  He often sailed on his father’s ship as a boy and used to frequently say that he knew the Kiel Canal as well as he knew Roath Park Lake.

He became President of The Welsh Norwegian Society and gave much of his time to this job.  Peter was much appreciated and will be sadly missed.

Peter married his wife Betty at the previous Norwegian Seamen’sChurch before the present Church was built.  He is survived by his wife, a son and daughter plus 3 grandchildren who are the 5th generation of the family.

The funeral takes place on Wed. 12th July at the Briwnant Chapel, Thornhill Crematorium  at 12.45 p.m. followed by internment at the cemetery at 01.30 p.m.

The family request that those who may wish to offer flowers instead if they choose to do so offer an independent donation to Parkinson’s UK or via a retiring collection at the chapel.

St Hans Midsummer Bonfire and Barbecue

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Friday 23rd June saw the Welsh Norwegian Society visit the Gower to celebrate the Midsummer Solstice with a barbecue and bonfire. The damp weather did not put anyone off from enjoying themselves as we showed the best of British and cooked under umbrellas in the rain!!

As always there was coffee and cake and to warm the spirits a little aquavit was shared to toast the occasion.

The evening was topped off with a traditional bonfire that lit the night sky. Many thanks to all those members that helped to make the evening such an enjoyable success.

17th May celebrations held in Cardiff Bay

Norwegian Constitutional Day celebrations were held in Cardiff Bay on the 17th May. Over one hundred Norwegians and other nationalities with an interest in Norway came together to parade from the Wales Millennium Centre to the Norwegian Church Arts Centre.

There the flag was raised to the national anthem performed by the Salvation Army Fellowship band. Once inside the church speeches were provided by members of the Society and a violin performance performed by Vyvyan Lucas and a moment was taken to remember those who gave their lives to protect our freedoms.

Traditional waffles and coffee were then enjoyed by all.

Welsh Norwegian Society on BBC Radio Wales

This Sunday the 14th May between 0930 and 1100 the Welsh Norwegian Society will feature on the Roy Noble Show on BBC Radio Wales.

Dr Tyra Oseng-Rees from the Society will be talking to Roy about the plans for the 17th May Norwegian Constitutional Day Celebrations, the history behind the day and a little bit about the Society and our links with the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay.

The show are also interested to talk to Tyra as a Norwegian person who has chosen to settle in Wales on a professional level as an academic in Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity St David and on a personal level bringing up her young family in Wales.

Syttende Mai Dinner 2017

The Welsh Norwegian Sociey will be hosting their annual 17th May dinner at the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay from 7pm on that day.

This traditional event follows the day time festivities which include a procession from the Wales Millenium Centre to the Norwegian Church at 10am accompanied by the Salvation Army Brass Band. See the events page for a full program of the daytime events.

The evening dinner is open to Society members and non-members and consists of a three course meal in the Norwegian Church. Main course choices include Fillet of Chicken with Leek, Carmarthen Ham and Caerphilly Sauce, Poached Salmon Fillet with Asparagus and Lemon Butter Sauce and a vegetarian option of a Mediterranean Lasagne. The cost is £21.50 for members and £24.50 for non-members.

Please e-mail contact@welshnorwegian.org for menu details and booking form by Saturday 6th May, on-line payment is available. Booking is essential as places are limited due to demand for this evening event.

25th Anniversary of the Norwegian Church

On Saturday 8th April the 25th Anniversary of the Norwegian Church was celebrated by the Welsh Norwegian Society in the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay.

We were joined by the following special guests with past connections to the Norwegian Church:

  • Terje Inderhaug
  • George & Lyndsay Bartlett – George was Company Secretary and Trustee of the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust until 2006
  • Mike Parkinson, representing his late father Ewart Parkinson OBE – Ewart was President of the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust until 2006
  • Amy Vignes & grandson Luca (proudly quarter Norwegian!) – Amy was a member of the Norwegian Church management committee. Her late husband Geoff Vignes was the first Chairman of the Norwegian Church management committee until 1995.
  • David & Pat Griffiths – David was the first Administrator of the Norwegian Church Arts Centre until 1997.
  • Neil Sinclair & sister Leslie – Neil was Chairman of the Norwegian Church management committee 1999, and is an authority on the history of Tiger Bay.

Welsh Norwegian Society member Professor John Hines, former chair of the Norwegian Church management committee, kindly gave a welcome speech for our visitors and society members in attendance.

This was followed by a short talk by Terje which warmly recalled the efforts to save the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in the 1980s, and also looked ahead to the future of the twinning links between Cardiff and Hordaland. Terje is confident the links can grow again to include wider cultural and economic development links, in addition to the strong Hordaland schools exchange link.

Following this celebration there will be further events over the summer to continue the close links enjoyed by Cardiff and Hordaland and these will be announced shortly.

25th Anniversary of the restoration and reopening of Norwegian Church

On Saturday April 8th 2017 the Welsh Norwegian Society will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the saving and restoration of the Norwegian Sailor’s Church in Cardiff Bay. Crown Princess Martha Louise attended to perform the ceremonial opening of the church.


We will be celebrating the anniversary with a very ‘hyggelig’ afternoon of coffee and cakes where we will be joined by a special guest Terje Inderhaug and his wife visiting from Bergen. Terje was a student in Cardiff at the time of the fundraising appeal to save the church and took an active part in the process of finding enough money to dismantle the old and build the new church.

A trust was set up and together with the Norwegian Support Committee and Hordaland Kommune two hundred and fifty thousand pounds was raised between Norway and Wales to save the church.

Terje helped set up a link between Cardiff and Hordaland which has continued to this day. We are very proud that we were able to save the church and look forward to celebrating the 25th Anniversary of its reopening with Terje.

Membership of the Confederation of Scandinavian Societies


The Welsh Norwegian Society is proud to announce that it has obtained membership of CoScan the Confederation of Scandinavian Societies.

CoScan acts as a coordinating body for societies which work for cultural exchange between UK and Ireland on the one hand and the five Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway, on the other.

CoScan was founded in 1950 and is an autonomous non-profit making organisation funded by subscriptions from its affiliated member societies and individual members, by voluntary contributions and fund-raising activities.

CoScan comprises about 30 member societies, representing over 30,000 individuals, bringing together those with an interest or family roots in any of the five Nordic countries.

Their member societies cover a wide range of cultural and social topics, providing a network of advice, support and social contact.