News

OUR FOOD, OUR FAMILY WITH MICHELA CHIAPPA

Friday, 27 December

BBC One Wales, 7.30pm

Celebrity chef Michela Chiappa is back with a brand new series – Michela Chiappa’s Welsh Family Cookbook – that sees her explore the social history of Wales through an array of delicious dishes.

Meeting families from diverse backgrounds from around Wales, Michela – previously seen in A Welsh-Italian Christmas with Michela Chiappa – uses their family recipes to help them reconnect with their roots.

In the final episode of Our Food, Our Family with Michela Chiappa, the Welsh-Italian cook is on Gower to meet and eat with a little-known community of Welsh-Norwegians.

At the heart of the community are the Blytt-Jordens – three generations of Welsh-Norwegians. They are among several families long-settled in the area who have only recently discovered each other but now regularly gather to chat in their first language and eat cake. Michela joins the Blytt-Jordens in the kitchen to whip up  traditional Norwegian delicacies from a national pudding made with apples called tilsorte bondepiker to hot waffles and a pretty sponge cake with a Norwegian twist.  

On tasting one of the more unusual dishes, a fermented fish dish, Michela says: “I wasn’t expecting that. You can really taste the salt and seasoning… Absolutely delicious. To think it’s 2 years old – I wouldn’t usually go there I have to say – but it’s very, very tasty!”

Michela’s guide is grandmother Sol Blytt-Jorden who was born in Bergen but came to the UK when she was 20. Sol’s son Scott was born and bred in the UK, and now he has children of his own, he’s keen to adopt some of his mother’s Norwegian traditions to pass down the next generation. The problem for Scott, a woods craftsman by trade, is that he’s better with a bandsaw than a whisk.

Can Michela and Sol turn him into a star turn in the kitchen by teaching him some delicious Scandinavian dishes?

Written by Bjarte Brask Eriksen published by Hordaland.no 16.12.2019

Translated by Mari Ropstad, WNS committee member

Click here for the Original article:

The people of Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland gave a million kroner to re-build the Norwegian seamen’s church in Cardiff. On December 15, the Church celebrated its 150-year anniversary.

The people of Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland gave a million kroner to re-build the Norwegian seamen’s church in Cardiff. On December 15, the Church celebrated its 150-year anniversary.

“We have a strong, deep and enduring friendship between Cardiff and western Norway. The seamen’s church has a special place in our heart. This beautiful building is 150 years old, and the anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on our friendship. It’s important to celebrate. We have a common cultural heritage. We look forward to many more years as good friends”, said Dan De’Ath, Lord Mayor of the City and County of Cardiff, in his speech during the celebrations of the church.

A message from King Harald

King Harald sent a greeting to the for the occasion, which the county Mayor Pål Kårbø  gave the Lord Mayor of Cardiff to be hung up in the church. The greeting read: “I send my best greetings to all who are gathered on the occasion of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the seamen’s church in Cardiff. Harald R.”

Popular home for Norwegians

The church full during the celebrations, both with Norwegian and Welsh people. Notable people in attendance included the Ministerial Advisor at the Norwegian embassy in London, Vibeke Rysst-Jensen. The priest at the Seamen’s Church in London, Torbjørn Holt, held the same church service as when the church, which was built in 1869, was consecrated on 16th December that same year.

“The church has been a popular home for all Norwegians who have come to Cardiff over the last 150 years. The church is the symbol of the friendship between Norway and Cardiff. We have a unique friendship,” said Roy Noble, presenter with the BBC, who told the story of both the friendship and the church, a history that has also been broadcast on the channel.

Norwegian ships responsible for two thirds of coal freight

Norwegian seafarers first came to Cardiff with timber. Later they would transport coal and iron. Cardiff was the capital of coal in the United Kingdom and two thirds of the coal export was done by Norwegian ships. Around 1960 the coal export declined, and the use of the church deteriorated. It was dismantled but stored and taken care of for the modernization and development of the port. During the 1980s, there was heavy pressure to have it rebuilt. A new plot, centrally located in the port, was provided, but there was not enough money for the reconstruction.

A gift of one million kroner

The then county governor of Sogn og Fjordane, Ingvald Ulveseth, took the initiative to provide a public gift from Western Norway, to rebuild the church. The then county mayors, Julius Fure in Sogn og Fjordane and Ole Dramdal in Hordaland, liked the idea. Thus, the two county municipalities, now to become one, joined together to raise money. In total, one million kroner was collected as a public gift, from what is now Vestland county. Combined with money raised locally in Cardiff, our seamen’s church was rebuilt and opened by Princess Märtha Louise on April 7, 1992.

Friendship is the key to success

Ken Poole, Head of Economic Development at Cardiff City Council, has a strong relationship with the church and Norway. “We have a strong friendship that has been around for a long time. This friendship is the key to Cardiff’s continued success. The city is built on trade and exports with great help from Norwegian seafarers. I remember many from my young days. They provided economic benefits to Cardiff. We are a tolerant and friendly city. The church symbolises friendship. It is important to me and the city. Although the church has changed, it is part of our legacy. We have a deep and lasting friendship. Long live Hordaland,” he said.

Many links with Cardiff

County Mayor Pål Kårbø highlighted the special friendship between Hordaland and Cardiff, but also with Sogn and Fjordane, which will now become a combined western region with Hordaland.

“We have created many links over the years with Cardiff. We have had many projects together such as cultural heritage, economic development, food festivals, education and learning. We have a lot in common and a lot to share. It is great to learn from each other and enrich our cultural life through collaboration and creating new jobs together. I am confident that our friendship will go from strength to strength,” said the county mayor.

Will become Vestland

Kårbø pointed out that Hordaland and Sogn and Fjordane will merge to form a new combined county of Vestland from the start of the year.

“We must work hard to create new traditions and build new culture and identity. It is good to know that the Church Rebuilding Committee was a collaboration between our two counties, which will now become a new region. So the new Vestland has a historical responsibility for the restoration of the Norwegian church which has become a cultural centre. I am optimistic for our future friendship,” said county deputy mayor Pål Kårbø.

The stage is set for the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Norwegian Church this Sunday, December 15, and we are really looking forward to it!

Although the event is now fully booked, there is a brilliant anniversary exhibition in the Dahl Gallery – called A Little Piece of Norway in Wales – which is open to everyone daily from 10.30am to 4pm until December 16.

The exhibition displays 150 years of history in pictures and words, containing personal stories of people closely connected to the church and WNS, and traditional Norwegian artefacts and household items kindly on loan from WNS members.

There will also be opportunities to view the exhibition throughout the day on December 15 for those who are lucky enough to have secured a space.

We had a fantastic day today.

Thanks to Inger Elisabeth Meyer Counsellor, Royal Norwegian Embassy who represented His Excellency, The Norwegian Ambassador Wegger Christian Strømmen, Councillor Rev. Tom Sverre Tomren from Hordaland Fylkeskommune and The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of Cardiff & Lady Mayoress, Councillor Dan De’Ath to make this event truly special.

Dear members of Welsh Norwegian Society and friends.

WNS members decorated the large Christmas tree in the Norwegian Church on Sunday – the room already smells like Christmas when you walk in.

And the new living Christmas tree has been planted outside the Norwegian Church, as a gift from Hordaland. So now the scene is set for two very special events in December, to mark the 150th anniversary of the Norwegian Church.

1st December: Festival of Light and Friendship – Christmas tree lighting

A free public event to mark the friendship between Wales and Norway. All welcome. We would especially love this to be a chance for old friends to get together; people who have supported WNS and the Norwegian Church over the years.
See the attached poster.
Norwegian menu including waffles, in the cafe from 12 noon onwards
drop-in Roald Dahl storytelling and lantern-making workshop from 1pm, Salvation Army band 4pm, Christmas tree lighting ceremony at 4.30pm.
After the ceremony, everyone is invited back inside to warm up with Gløgg and pepperkaker (donated by IKEA), when we’ll turn the lights down low and Santa will pay us a visit.

15th December: Official 150th anniversary celebration

After a welcome reception at 11.30am, Reverend Torbjørn Holt will hold a commemorative church service at 12 noon to reflect the original church service held on 16th December 1869. This will be followed by an entertaining day, with interesting talks and musical performances, to reflect the bonds between Wales and Norway. See the attached programme for details.
There will be 30 Norwegians travelling to join us from Norway, including Torill Nyborg, former Mayor of Hordaland, and Rev Helge Pettersson will fly in from Spain to join us – dear friends of WNS and the Norwegian Church from years gone by.

This is a special invitation for WNS members to attend – for this event we need an RSVP no later than Wednesday 4th December to contact@welshnorwegian.org.
If you would like to attend only part of the day (e.g. the church service plus lunch), please let us know, but we hope people will also stay for at least part of the afternoon.

If you haven’t renewed your membership please do so and if you need the payment link emailed again, please let us know.

We had a lovely coffe afternoon with new and old members last subday. We had first, second and third generations coming together decoration the Christmas tree in a true Norwegian style at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff.

Welsh Norwegian members were invited to participate and show Michela Chiappa some traditional Norwegians cooking. We are excited that the BBC Wales program will be broadcasted later this year.

In the program you will see how Rødsei or Oldsalted Pollock has been prepared and eaten for centuries, as well as how you can make Salted Cod from Bergen at home in Wales. We also have a taste of homemade Rømmegrøt (sour cream porridge) with cured meat and find out how this is seen a a dinner meal and not breakfast!  

And, of course there is not a Norwegian party without the Norwegian cakes! We pride ourselves with the Verdens Beste (World’s Best Cakes and yes that is the name!) and we served Bløtkake (Norwegian style cream cake), and Tilslørte Bondepiker (who’s not got a good translated name), gomme and bruost (brown cheese).

Please stay tuned the program will be showed at BBC Wales later this year.

Welsh Norwegian Society hosted a successful AGM earlier this month and we had a fantastic performance from the Norwegian Choir Kor på Randen who visited Wales and showed us their fantastic bunads

The new committee for 2019/20 is as follows:

Chair: Tyra Oseng-Rees

Secretary and social media officer: Craig Williams

Treasurer: Tony Parry

Members secretary: Johan Butenschøn Skre

Committee member: Justin Andresen

Committee member: Mari Ropstad