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
Welsh Norwegian Society 