It was a great pleasure for WNS to join in welcoming the latest batch of visiting students from Vestland in Norway to Cardiff. They come to spend a year at Cardiff and the Vale College in an association that goes back around thirty years, during which time many firm friendships have been made.
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Cllr Helen Lloyd Jones, welcomed the group in a ceremony at the Mansion House. Kate Keohane, the new Historical Outreach Officer at the Norwegian Church, pictured front left, talked about the long history of Norwegians in south Wales and the Norwegian Seamen’s Mission, which established churches in Cardiff, Barry, Swansea, and Newport, and ran community activities and social services.
Bethan Winter and Kevin Burden of the WNS spoke about the current community of Norwegians and friends of Norway in Wales, and invited the visiting students to make themselves at home at the church, as Norwegians have done in Cardiff for 150 years.
We hope to see the students at our social events and, in between times, in the Norsk cafe at the Norwegian Church.
We’re holding our ‘midsummer’ barbecue and party early this year, but we’ll be keeping the St Hans traditions alive.
Midsummer is an important time of the year in Scandinavia, when the days are long and the sun shines late into the evening – an important annual respite from the long nights and grey days of the winter! Like their fellow Scandinavians, Norwegians throw a big party on or around the summer solstice, typically 21st June, referred to as the Festival of St Hans (who is known in English as John the Baptist).
It typically features bonfires (often on the beach), eating, drinking, and music-making. We will have a fire pit, barbecues, gentle games and other activities for all ages, and perhaps a bit of music too.
Our venue
Our venue is a private garden in south-west Gower, kindly made available for our use by a member. The address and directions will be shared with members after booking. Please park carefully to allow others freedom to leave at any point.
What to bring
Please bring your food and all crockery and cutlery for your personal use, including cups or mugs for drinks. You might like to bring a cushion and/or blanket, and perhaps games.
We welcome you to bring music instruments if you play any.
We will arrange for barbecues, provide wood for the bonfire and charcoal for the barbecues, and tea, coffee, squash and cake.
If you have a vegetarian diet and wish to avoid cross-contamination by meat, please bring a (disposable) barbecue for your personal use.
Travel
The venue is not easily reached by public transport, but we do not want to let that stand in the way of any member wishing to join us. Please contact us at contact@welshnorwegian.org or via Facebook and we will try to hook you up with someone travelling from Cardiff or Swansea.
Accommodation
There is space on the grounds for three tents or small campervans to pitch. Please reserve a space when booking. There is an outside toilet, but no shower facilities. There are of course many other accommodation options on the Gower, including at the nearby Skysea Caravan and Campsite https://www.porteynon.com/.
Weather
We all hope for and expect good weather in June – but this is Wales! Two years ago we had to postpone because of heavy rain; last year we couldn’t light a fire because of an extended hot and dry spell. If bad weather is forecast and we are forced to cancel, we will let you know as soon as we can, and refund your tickets.
Booking
Tickets cost £8 per adult and £4 per child, which goes to cover the cost of wood and charcoal, refreshments, and liability insurance cover for the private home.
There is no additional charge to camp, but please reserve a space when you book.
This is a members-only event, so please ensure at least one of your party is a paid-up member of WNS. You can take out or renew membership (£10/year) on the booking form. Ticket sales will remain open until the event, but it really helps your volunteer committee to know expected numbers so we get in sufficient supplies.
We hope you had a wonderful day if you were celebrating Norway’s National Day. Thanks to everyone who joined us in Cardiff. We think there were more than 100 in the procession from the Wales Millennium Centre to the Norwegian Church. Here’s a flavour. Thanks again to the Salvation Army Band for providing music, including ‘Norge i rødt, hvitt og blått’ – Norway in red, white and blue, as seen here today!
The procession was joined by a flag-waving Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Cllr Bablin Molik, who welcomed everyone to the church and to Cardiff. She extended a special welcome to visitors from Norway, including students from Åsane High School from Cardiff’s twin region of Vestland. They had come to Wales especially to set up an exhibition on tourism to the region in the upstairs gallery of the church.
Åsmund Berthelson of Vestland Council remembered the long ties between the two regions. The trade in pit props from Norway and coal from Wales had long been superseded, he said, but trade and educational ties remained, and the bonds between the two countries remained strong.
Tony Olavesen, one of the Welsh Norwegian Society’s new honorary members, recalled the wartime collaboration between the UK and Norway. He laid a wreath to recall those who lost their lives fighting to preserve freedom.
Music was provided indoors by young vocalist Freya, who sang a modern Norwegian tune, ‘Stardust’, and pianist Janet Neilson.
The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Cllr Bablik Molik, visits the exhibition on tourism to Norway put on by students from Vestland
The Welsh Norwegian Society and the Norwegian Church Cardiff Bay have confirmed plans to again mark Norway’s Constitution Day in Cardiff on Friday, 17th May.
The celebrations in Cardiff will begin at 4:45pm with a colourful flag-waving procession from the Wales Millennium Centre to the iconic Norwegian church.
There, the Norwegian flag will be raised and the national anthem sung. Everyone will then be invited inside the church to enjoy music and speeches from representatives from Norway and Wales.
Norway’s constitution was a declaration of independence signed in 1814 after four centuries of rule by Denmark. At first it was unsuccessful, and Norway fell under Swedish rule. Norway finally won its freedom as a nation in 1905, but in 1940 was invaded and occupied by the Nazis, who banned all displays of national pride, including the 17th May celebrations. Understandably, Norwegians today are fiercely proud of their hard-won independence.
“The 17th May is a day of celebration in Norway with the festivities usually starting with champagne breakfasts and lasting until late into the evening,” explains Bethan Winter of the Welsh Norwegian Society. “The streets are lined with crowds eagerly waving flags and proudly dressed in their colourful and unique national costume, the ‘bunad’. The event is a highlight of the Welsh-Norwegian society’s calendar and we want to bring a flavour of the celebratory mood to Cardiff Bay.”
Norwegian-style refreshments including waffles and traditional cakes will be on sale at the arts centre café which will be open until the evening.
This year there will also be a small programme of free events at the church on Saturday, 18th May.
At 1pm the church historian, Thomas Alexander Husøy-Ciaccia, will give a talk on the history of the Norwegian seamen who travelled to south Wales and the church mission which was set up to support them, resulting in the building of churches in Cardiff, Barry and Swansea.
Between 2.30 and 4pm there will be Norwegian-themed arts and crafts activities available for children.
Upstairs in the gallery there will also be an exhibition on Vestland county, Cardiff’s twin region in west Norway, curated by Norwegian high school students.
The Norwegian community in Wales extends a warm velkommen to all.
Editor's note: Ken wrote this charming recollection of his involvement with the Welsh Norwegian Society for our Autumn 2021 magazine. We re-publish it now following his passing as the best possible testimony for his contribution to the preservation of the church, to the society and the community over many, many years. Ken's wife Signe pre-deceased him shortly after he wrote this account.
It is lovely to have the opportunity to share few of my recollections of becoming involved with the Norwegian Welsh Society. Over the years it has brought me into contact with many wonderful people. Some are named below, and I apologise to those missed out.
My involvement came about because of an earlier association with norskkrigseilerssamfunnet which enabled Norwegian seafarers who had sailed with the Allies during the Second World War to maintain contact with each other. During the early eighties, [my Norwegian-born wife] Signe and I were honoured to be allowed access to this formidable association of Norwegians who had sailed on the famous one thousand ships that defied the Quisling Government’s orders to sail to an Axis port. They had stayed loyal to the Norwegian Government in London and chose to exile themselves to serve the Allied cause.
I had sailed with such men under the Norwegian flag and was touched by the affection with which they regarded the Welsh coal ports and their people. One of them taught me the words of ‘Sjømannen og stjernen’ which tells of the sailor’s yearning for home and family during those dreadful years.
Most of the members of the Society had married women they had met whilst in exile and had made their homes all over the UK. The Association met twice yearly, on 17th May and near to Christmas. Organised by Mr Erling Pedersen, who lived in Cardiff, and another gentleman called Jorgensen, the meetings took place in the banqueting hall of the historic Westgate Hotel in Newport.
They were grand events which filled the hall. We sat each side of two rows of tables taking up the whole length of that fine room. Across the front was another table seating the officers of the organisation, the Norwegian Ambassador to the UK and the Lord Mayor of Newport. There were speeches, a fine meal and music for dancing away the rest of the evening.
Age takes its toll, and the long tables became shorter year by year. Eventually the sad but wise decision to wind up the organisation was made. But we had made lasting friendships, with people from South Wales like Stan and Ellen Waine and Ebba Lovering. With these, around 1986, Signe became a member of the small group working hard to save the Norwegian Seamen’s church from demolition and she has furnished some of the details from her hospital bed.
The church building looked quite sad at its old site. It just had to be renovated.
At that time the building looked quite sad at its old site at the head of the Bute East Dock. Its decaying corrugated iron cladding belied its fine interior. It just had to be renovated to take its rightful place as an important part of Cardiff’s history. In 1987, it was dismantled and put into storage ready to be reassembled on its new site. The group worked hard, and forged links with the seafaring community of Hordaland, which includes the historic seaport of Bergen on the west coast of Norway. Aware of its links with the Welsh Norwegian community, Hordaland contributed £250,000 to the project.
The enterprise was a stupendous success. The church was rebuilt in its current position. The old, corrugated iron cladding had been a condition imposed by the nineteenth century port authority, and it was replaced by traditional timber painted a sparkling white. In April 1992, the building was reopened by Princess Martha Louise of Norway in the presence of the Norwegian community and the civic dignitaries of Cardiff. Signe was given a lift to Central Station in the mayoral car, an event now firmly ensconced in our family saga.
The enterprise was a stupendous success. The church was rebuilt in its current position.
The old church immediately commenced its new role as an Arts Centre and preserving the memory of the ships and men that hauled pit props from Norway and took coal home again. It was also creating strong links between Wales and Norway.
One of the by-products of the enterprise was the Sunday group. I call it that because it met on the last Sunday of each month at the church. It was made up of the remaining members of that original group which set out to save the building, funded by a bequest from Ellen Greve to enable members of the group to maintain contact with each other.
There was Ellen, Stan, Ebba, Mary Allen, Sid Eide, Deris and Hugh Deeks, and Averil Goldsworthy who was chair of WNS from 2003 to 2017. There were so many interesting people to chat with, like the musician, the late Mr. Nichols and his son and daughter in law, David and Pauline.
We would enjoy good coffee, Norwegian style cakes, waffles, and a good old chinwag about our experiences of Norway and her people. The highlight of the afternoon was drawing the raffle. We all contributed a prize, and most of us went home with one. Our son Gareth used to assist Stan in selling the tickets, making the draw and calling out the winning numbers. It helped the growth of his self-confidence no end.
The ancient Norse gods must have approved of the event.
Then there was the Midsummer Garden party, traditionally held in Ebba’s spacious garden in Sully. Ebba, her family, and friends would furnish a sumptuous buffet. Betty and Peter Persen were prominent memories, and Peter, who became president of the Society, would light the traditional bonfire. The ancient Norse gods must have approved of the event for only on one or two occasions were we obliged to seek refuge from the rain in Ebba’s beautiful home.
The seventeenth of May was, of course, a special event with all flags flying around the church. Around 2006, Karen Allen, the Society’s development officer, started the tradition of parading from the Wales Millennium Centre through Cardiff Bay to the Church. In the evening, all the members of the Society met for a meal, provided by the caterers who ran the Norwegian Church coffee shop. Society members contributed to the menu by supplying their own mulled wine, starters, and gateaux to ensure things could be as authentic as possible. We were never disappointed.
Christmas was celebrated with a whole day event lighting the Christmas Tree and singing the Norwegian national anthem. Evening saw us enjoying another delightful Christmas meal with akvavit served by Erling and Sylvia Lindoe.
We danced around the Christmas tree and sang carols to Mrs. Carol Roese’s accompaniment. Mrs. Barbara Bailey sang for us, she and her husband Colin regularly making the trip from Magor. Even when Colin became wheelchair bound, they managed to make the trip.
It was at one of these events that I first met Solveig Borthwick, and her husband, Don, who was the Society’s first chair. Tony and Carole Olavesen, Alan Milne, and Alan Hall were other new friends made at these events. Alan Hall taught at Atlantic College, and we were frequently joined by Norwegian students at who were always a joy to chat with.
In 2002 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the Norwegian Church. We were joined by Bodø Cathedral Choir, led by their charismatic conductor, Magne Hansen. He had the choir encircle the audience in Llandaff Cathedral which created a very special sound. They sang for us at Ebba’s Garden party, and at the church, first from the balcony before proceeding down the stairs to the hall. The Society also arranged for them to perform in St David’s Cathedral which the choir thought was very special.
For our April meeting we are leaving the familiar surrounds of Cardiff Bay and heading for the hills! Join us on Saturday 20th at Emmeline’s Tea Room in charming Abergavenny for coffee, cake, and chat – in English, Norwegian or Welsh.
We have a table booked at 2.30, but the cafe is open all day from 10 to 4. Emmeline’s is a Norwegian-run venue so we are sure of authentic Nordic delights – check out the menu at https://emmelinestearoom.com/
Emmeline’s is at the Old Police Station in Baker Street – postcode NP7 5BB. For those driving, it might be easier to head for the Byefield Lane Car Park at NP7 5DL. Let us know below if you can offer or need a lift!
There are two direct trains from Cardiff each hour, which take about 40 minutes. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the station into the town centre.
There is no shortage of male voice choirs in south Wales. But an afternoon concert at the Norwegian church in April provided a rare treat: a chance to hear a men’s choir from from Skien in south-eastern Norway: the snappily-titled Monastry Island and Scheen Waterfall Walking and Singing Men’s Association.
Twenty-one of the choir’s 25 members made the trip to the UK. They were based in Hereford and made a special day trip to Cardiff to give a free concert in the Norwegian Church in the Bay.
The choir was founded by its current conductor, Kjetil Svestad, in 2010. It is associated with the Gimsøy and Nenset congregation in Skien. Kjetil is the organist and musical director at Nenset Church, where the choir rehearses.
The choir needed a name, and a competition suggested many funny choices. In the end the name Klosterøen og Scheensvassdraget Spadser og Mandssangforening was chosen. Nice and simple!
Scheen is the old spelling of the city of Skien, which is two hours’ drive to the west of Oslo and has around 55,000 inhabitants.
Founded as a ‘men breaking out of an ordinary mixed church-choir’, the singers come from different parts of the city and from different churches, and they represent a variety of talents, personalities and backgrounds. They sing both sacred and secular popular songs, depending on the occasion.
“We’re a bunch of happy amateurs,” they say, “singing because we enjoy it so much.”
“We hope to touch peoples hearts and bring our joy to others.”
We thank the choir for their performance and for permission to show some songs here.
We are deeply saddened to share the news that our dear friend and stalwart member of the society, Dr Ken Davies, has passed away. We know you will want to join us in sending heartfelt condolences to Ken’s surviving sons Robert and Gareth. Another son, Hwyel, predeceased him. Ken’s beloved wife Signe died in 2021.
Ken was a man of many talents and broad interests. Born in 1940 in Ffynnongroyw in north Wales, he left school at sixteen to go to sea. On his travels he met and married Signe, a Norwegian, and they spent time in Norway before settling in north Wales. Ken returned, aged 36, to college to get the further education he had missed two decades earlier. He studied psychology, sociology, history and linguistics, and also developed his interest in economics, industrial relations, politics, philosophy and literature. He studied further in Swansea, Birmingham and the Open University as well as teaching himself and spending many years working with disadvantaged people.
Ken wrote many academic papers and articles, firstly on his professional interest, but later broadening into maritime and local history. He wrote books on his beloved home town of Ffynnongroyw and the north Wales coal trade. He published a ‘fascinating and compelling’ novel, ‘Chasing the Tide’, in 2016, which was followed by an anthology of short stories and a collection of poetry.
Ken never lost his fondness for his wife’s native land, and was a stalwart member of the Welsh Norwegian Society. We recently made him an honorary member in recognition of his tireless efforts. He will be most fondly remembered and sorely missed. We will find a way to remember him properly in due course.
Ken’s cremation will take place on Friday 26th April at the Croesyceiliog Crematorium, Cwmbran at 1:30pm. Afterwards there will be a reception at the Ashbridge Hotel, Cwmbran. Everyone who knew Ken is invited.
Tyra Oseng-Rees is no stranger to the hot seat at WNS meetings. As chair, she led the successful campaign to restore the Norwegian Church to community control. She also steered the society through the difficult years of the pandemic. Not surprisingly, last year Tyra stepped down as chair to spend more time with her family and her growing business.
Now WNS has invited her back to talk about that work. She’ll be our guest at our monthly meeting at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay, at 2pm on Sunday 24 March.
Tyra is a glass artist who makes art and architectural pieces from recycled materials. She recently made a plaque which hangs in the Norwegian Church to remember Karen Allen, a former manager of the church and active member of WNS.
Karen Allen’s mother Mary and Torill Heavens of WNS unveil the memorial plaque that Tyra made from recycled glass to hang in the gallery at the Norwegian Church
Tyra says that as a designer in the creative industry, she feels there needs to be an emphasis on sustainability and the circular economy. Using waste glass as a raw material in her creations saves resources and energy, and is a contribution to reducing carbon emissions and tackling global warming. Tyra aims to break down the silo mentality between different disciplines by integrating the business into various sectors such as arts, education, construction, architecture, and the public and private sectors.
Tyra originates from Saltdal in Nordland, northern Norway. She came to Wales to study product design 20 years ago, and never left. She is now married with two children and firmly settled in Swansea. In 2017 she founded Oseng-Rees Reflection Ltd, which is the sole UK producer of architectural panels made from 100% waste glass, with notable installations at Cornell University and the Turner Museum of Glass. She has since gained a PhD in fused recycled glass material, and has been recognized as Bespoke Artist of the Year for 2023/24 and with the Female Entrepreneur Award for Swansea and West Wales in 2022.
Some of Tyra’s work
Tyra’s talk will take place in the function room at the Norwegian Church. Coffee and other refreshments will be available from the cafe before and throughout the afternoon. Guests are welcome.
Welsh Norwegian Society 