By Ken Davies
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.
It was all truly magical.
Welsh Norwegian Society 