Events 2016
Christmas Lunch Swedish Style
14 DECEMBER 2016
Lisa’s Kitchen and Bar in Portobello was the venue for our Christmas lunch attended by 16 members. The meal was served in buffet style and there were all the usual favourites, herring in different sauces, salmon, ham, sausages, Janson’s temptation, bread and crispbreads and cheese etc. It was an enjoyable occasion and we are grateful to Paola Killinen and Chris Kaye who found the restaurant and tried it out for us.
The Rise and Fall of Nokia Mobile Phones
21 NOVEMBER 2016
There was a particularly high attendance for Nigel Litchfield’s talk on the Rise and Fall of Nokia Mobile Phones. Nigel worked for Nokia from 1990-2004 during which time he held a number of senior positions culminating in becoming the first President of Vertu, Nokia’s luxury phone division. He brought a fine array of old phones with him which kindled feelings of nostalgia in many present at what was a most interesting presentation.
A Book Evening
18 OCTOBER 2016
Our meeting in October was an intimate occasion when members talked about favourite books. These ranged from poems by Eino Leino, to a book of photographs of trains taken by military photographers during the war years. We were joined by the author, Jouko Heikura who talked about his book Joki kaupungin alla
A Visit to Carlyle’s House
24 SEPTEMBER 2016
Thomas Carlyle’s house in Cheyne Row is an interesting example of how an intellectual couple lived in London in the 1850’s. It also provides a connection to an event planned for January 2017 at the London Library, Carlyle having founded the Library in 1841. The house is not large we had to be split into two groups for the tour of the house which was ably led by Marjatta Bell.
Visit to Knebworth House
11 JUNE 2016
It was not the sunniest of June days but fortunately the threatened rain did not materialise when a small number of members visited Knebworth House guided by Paola Killinen. The Lytton family has a long and interesting history and has occupied the house since 1490. It was a most interesting day out and much enjoyed by those who were there.
Dinner at KuPP
12 MAY 2016
Fifteen of us went to KuPP for a spring dinner, chosen as it is has a Scandinavian-influenced menu. It was a sharing menu which had something to please everyone, but unfortunately the restaurant was very noisy and the layout of the tables inhibited conversation except with those immediately adjacent.
Annual General Meeting
20 APRIL 2016
We held our AGM at the Finnish Church. In addition to the usual business of such a meeting, a resolution was passed to approve and adopt new Rules for the Society. We are grateful to the Pastor, Marjaana Härkönen, for allowing us to hold the meeting at the Church and to her staff for their assistance and the catering. The new Rules can be seen on the About Us page of this website.
Dinner and Concert at Drapers Hall
23 FEBRUARY 2016
The Anglo-Danish Society kindly offered us an allocation of tickets to attend a concert and dinner in the sumptuous premises of Drapers Hall. The food and music were outstanding and much appreciated by those fortunate enough to have been able to attend.
Jonna Nummela at Nordic Festival
17 FEBRUARY 2016
We had an opportunity to hear the playwright Jonna Nummela spoke about her experiences of both moving from Finland to England and also adapting to writing in English rather than Finnish. This was part of the Nordic Festival arranged by Bilingual Potential.
Finland’s Economy
21 JANUARY 2016
Lasse Sinikallas, First Secretary at the Embassy of Finland with responsibility for economic and EU affairs, gave a talk on the state of Finland’s economy and why he felt there were reasons to be optimistic about the future.