1. travel
2. tourist destinations
3. australia and new zealand

Den Danske Forening
Heimdal
May 2010
All musicians on stage and dancers at the Scandinavian Folk Music Festival 28 March 2010
Photo: Kim Tvede
Medlemsblad
Newsletter for the Danish Association ‘Heimdal’ – Established 1872
THE DANISH ASSOCIATION “HEIMDAL” INC
36 AUSTIN STREET NEWSTEAD QLD 4006
Contact details: 0437 612 913
www.danishclubbrisbane.org
Contributions
If you would like to share your news, you are
welcome to send emails and other material to the
editor for publication. The closing date for the June
issue is 20 May 2010. We will endeavour to publish
all material submitted but reserve the right to edit or
not publish your contribution. Any material
published does not necessarily reflect the opinion of
the Danish Club or the Editor.
From the Editor
Webmaster: Aage Christoffersen
18 Boardman Street
Kallangur QLD 4503
Phone: (07) 3204 5761
Skype: lydatronic
Email: [email protected]
WELCOME TO OUR NEW
MEMBERS IN APRIL
Inga Brudenell, One Mile
Iben Giessing Lund & Christian Lund
Nielsen, Fortitude Valley
Crystal Maymann & Nicholas Maymann, Woolloongabba
Erik Nielsen, East Brisbane
Help grow the club bigger and
better
The beeches unfolded their first leaves on
April 12 in Denmark – quite early
considering the long and cold winter, but a
sure sign of spring in the Northern
hemisphere. The days here are getting
colder, time to think about indoor activities
such as fine wine tasting – come to our
event May 14 and let Rick introduce you to
new and old wines which may become your
new favourites.
Editor:
Lone Schmidt
Email: [email protected]
It was good to see that the Sunday lunch
was popular with members and guests.
Thanks to Birte and Hanne for volunteering
their assistance on the day together with
Chloe and Emma: they all worked hard with
preparations and then cleaning up
afterwards. How would we manage
without them?
Photo: Alan Przybylak
What’s on at the Danish Club?
Café Danmark
23 April 2010
from 6 pm
Try our tasty homemade ‘smørrebrød’: the menu varies from time to time, but you’ll
often find ‘rullepølse’ (spicy rolled pork), fish wedges, roast beef, pate, roast pork and
‘Esrom’ cheese. Or try our delicious hot dogs. The bar is stocked with genuine Tuborg
and Carlsberg beer brewed in Denmark as well as your favourite Australian beers. If
you like a glass of wine with your food, there’s a good variety of whites and reds on
offer.
It’s also an opportunity to buy delicious Danish pastries, specialty breads and organic
biscuits direct from Britt’s Danish Delights. Tea will be there with smallgoods and
quality meats from Flemming, the Danish butcher at Woolloongabba. It’s a good idea
to order in advance and pick up at the café.
Legestue
Kids’ Play Group
Every Friday and 1st Sunday
from 9.30-11.30
See contact details in the newsletter – give your children a chance to speak Danish and
play with other children in their age group.
Wine & Wit by Rick
14 May 2010 (NB! Friday)
6. 30 pm
Rick will guide us through the wine tasting and give us a fresh view of the world of wine
– see details of the event in the newsletter with booking information.
Folkies Old & New at Heimdal
Concert
15 May 2010
6.30 pm for 7.30 pm start
Another fantastic line-up of performers - and again the people behind the Folk Rag
invite members of the Danish Association to enter at concession rates. Look in the
newsletter for details of the artists. Kitchen and bar are open for business as usual.
Cafe Danmark
28 May 2010 from 6 pm
Bamse’s Fødselsdag
Teddy Bear’s Birthday Party
6 June 2010 (NB! Sunday)
10.30 am
Bring your favourite teddy bear and come to a birthday party for all teddy bears with a
special birthday cake, singing and dancing with Pia Blak and Kurt Christensen.
Cafe Danmark
26 June 2010 from 6 pm
SNAPS / BITTER / ØL
Stocks are running low, don’t miss your opportunity to pick up Tuborg and
Carlsberg beer brewed in Denmark. In fact, we think the Club is the only
place where you can get Tuborg in Australia at the moment. And if you think
Carlsberg brewed in Australia tastes more or less the same, take the taste
test. Do you know, by the way, that a Carlsberg beer is no longer called a
HOF in Denmark? Talk to Soren or Alan in the bar if you need a case of beer.
Price list 2010
Bitters
Gammel Dansk 1000 ml
1-Enkelt Bitter (new item) 700 ml
$ 60
$ 50
Snaps
Jubilæum 700 ml
Taffel (Rød Aalborg) 700 ml
Brøndum 1000 ml
Linieakvavit 700 ml (new item)
$
$
$
$
53
50
65
57
Genuine Danish beer (made in Denmark) – Taste the difference
Carlsberg Beer – 24 x 33 cl bottles
$ 50
Tuborg Beer – 24 x 33 cl bottles
$ 50
How to order and pay:
By email
[email protected]
Payment by direct credit to Heimdal’s account at Suncorp
BSB 484-799 Account 02495 1468
(Please use as reference your member number and ‘snaps’)
Lille snaps, du er så sød
Mel.: “Spurven sidder stum …”
Lille snaps, du er så sød
og gør mig så fornøjet.
Svier som en lille brun
klat sæbe i mit øje.
Put, put, put mig ned,
ned og dulme sorgen.
Ned og lave maven om
til tømmermænd i morgen.
Kilde: www.aalborgakvavit.dk
Wine Tasting
Come join us for a great evening of Wine
Get to try some wonderful wines from
around Australia.
Henrik will showcase the best varieties
from the main wine regions of Australia
and New Zealand.
Bring all your friends!!
When: Friday 14th May 2010
Time: 6.30pm
Cost: $15 per Head
RSVP: By 10th May to
Henrik Caspersen
0418 776 277
[email protected]
Get all your Danish Baked Goodies from Britt’s Bakery at Café DANMARK
4th Friday of each month
Authentic Danish Pastry & Organic Bread Products
Kringler, Smørtærter, Kanelstænger, Birkes, Rundstykker, Fuldkornsrugbrød,
Kransekagekonfekt, Småkager, Knækbrød og bagerens dårlige øje.
For information, order forms and delivery details, go to our website: www.brittsdanishdelight.com.au
Unit 5/10 Energy Crescent, Molendinar QLD 4214
Ph: 07 5571 6881 Fax: 07 5571 6947
Email: [email protected]
Letter from Toowoomba
Hi Heimdal,
It was a joy to participate in the Toowoomba Danes evening at the Toowoomba Jazz Club on Saturday
March 13th. Judging by the number of people present and the amount of laughter, a great time was
had by all. The Heimdal crew did an excellent job of making everyone feel welcome and extremely well
fed. The selection from the bar was not too bad either.
I have a very long connection with the Danish Association Heimdal. Some of your older members might
remember my parents Hanne and Preben Hansen who originally lived in MacGregor. My father was Vice
President together with Erling Nielsen (President) in the seventies and my mother was the editor of the
newspaper. It was typed, fordigraph printed and collated in our home each month by a team of three
couples including the Hansens, Nielsens as well as Doris and Boris Christensen.. The kids had the job of
attaching the address labels to each envelope while the parents worked in the rumpus room below.
We came to Australia (actually from Uddevalla, Sweden) in 1964 and became members in 1965.
During my growing up years I attended every imaginable event held. These included the traditional
festivals celebrated each year; monthly dances to a variety of dance bands; the Warana Parade floats;
Heimdal weekly Bingo; Bus Tours to the Coomera Hotel (now there's a laugh for you); etc. My sister
Nina was crowned Miss Heimdal in 1977 and represented Heimdal in the Miss All Nations Quest during
the Warana Festival. During the seventies it was decided to form a Youth Group at Heimdal. This of
course all took place at the Cleveland Street Premises. The Youth Group was very popular and had a
membership of around 40. Many of us had grown up together, as young families migrated to Australia
at a similar time and mixed together socially.
We were very much involved when fire ripped through the Cleveland St premises in the 1970s. I
remember picking up the phone and hearing the message "Heimdal is Burning!"
Eventually we all moved from home and I worked in Denmark in Nyborg for a year. We have always
continued to speak Danish at home and I still speak it fluently even though I was four years old when
we arrived. I returned to Australia to eventually become a teacher. I became a school Principal and am
now on the Darling Downs outside Toowoomba. My Australian husband and I moved to this
area from South West Queensland to be closer to family. After all these years, the family (now
extended) still comes together for Christmas with all the traditions and trimmings. I love Australia and
am proud to call it my home but my heritage is still very important to me and something that I have
passed on to my sons.
I hope that future events can be arranged with the Brisbane Heimdal members. There is so much to
see and do on the Downs - you would have a ball!
Best wishes Ulla-Birgitte Sheraton (nee Hansen)
Dannebrog. 900mmX1500mm
Also Norway & Sweden
Many others.
$25 post paid.
Royal Copenhagen Christmas Plates. Now in stock with more to come. $150 posted
2009 Christmas in Amagertorv. 2010 Christmas in Greenland $140 in shop. Mail orders welcome
www.rhondasrefits.com www.outbackbooks.com.au Jeff Close & Bente Moller
Rhonda’s Refits, Cnr Bridge & Hume Sts, Toowoomba Qld 4350. Tel/Fax 07 46 3 789 33
SUNDAY LUNCH 11 April 2010
Having a ‘smorgasbord’ or ‘Store Kolde
Bord’ as the Danes say on a lazy
Sunday afternoon turned out to be a
great success, with many new faces
enjoying a lunch with many traditional
favourites: white pickled herring, red
pickled herring, curry pickled herring,
there was even ‘sildesalat’. And a
snaps or two helped along with Tuborg
and Carlsberg revived memories of
many past lunches.
Morten, Sam, Simon (where were you,
Ingeborg?) with Bent, Christian and
Karen
Herring was followed by smoked
salmon, fish wedges with remoulade,
roast beef, medisterpølse from
Flemming, roast pork with ‘flæskesvær’
and home-made red cabbage. And did
we mention leverpostej, rullepølse,
salami, blood pudding (blodpølse) with
apples, egg with caviar and prawns,
frikadeller; there was barely any
appetite left for Esrom (stinky cheese).
Ivan and Marlies Hansen surrounded by family
members
In true Danish tradition, there was
ample room for lots of coffee and cake
COFFEE
Henrik Caspersen, among many other
activities, supplies coffee to the club’s
events. Many of you have commented on
the great taste and Henrik proposes to
introduce a brand just for us, but he
needs a name: Viking Blend, Freya Roast,
Heimdal after Dark, Odin Espresso, Sort
Dansk. Let your imagination run wild and
let us have your suggestions – there may
be a nice bag of coffee for the winner.
Lief Klok, Kelly and friends
Photos: Kim Tvede
Grundlovsdag
Kong Frederik den Syvende
underskrev Danmarks Grundlov den
5. juni 1849 og oprindeligt blev dagen
fejret af alle politiske partier i
fællesskab som en festdag for
demokratiet.
Scandinavian Folk Music Festival 28 March 2010
by Soren Hoimark
Photo: Alan Pryzbylak
Sunday 28 March we hosted our very own Scandinavian Folk Music Festival featuring
2 Scandinavian bands as well as our local KUPALEJA.
‘Faerd’ and ‘Kvonn’ were both touring Australia and we were very pleased to welcome
both bands to Heimdal and Brisbane for the same afternoon/evening event.
The event was well supported by both Danish Club members, FOAN (Folkies Old And
New) members as well as a good number of visitors – some even flying down from
Cairns to catch the performance.
We enjoyed excellent presentations of Scandinavian tunes, and at the end of one
session, we had ‘Faerd’, ‘Kvonn’ and KUPALEJA on stage strumming, singing, blowing,
violin-ing, accordion-ing – what a sound! The Danish Folk Dancers were so inspired
by the music that spontaneous dancing erupted, which just added to the great
atmosphere.
After a generous 2 sets of roughly 50 minutes each – with a meal break – and
jamming session, Peter Uhrbrand @ ‘Faerd’ gave the crowd a new experience – he
taught everybody how to perform the Faroe Island traditional dance ‘Femspring’ (Five
Steps) which in the Faroe Islands starts out with one house kicking off the dancing
and then moving on to the next house and once the whole village has been hooked up
to the chain, you end up with a monster chain of people dancing the Femspring.
That was the end of a great experience and we all hope to see ‘Faerd’ and ‘Kvonn’
back in Brisbane again. Many thanks to Kurt Christensen and Carlo Blak for hatching the idea,
helping with the arrangements, sound equipment and housing the bands.
Efterlysning
Ejvind Mikkelsen eller Eric Ejvind
Mikkelsen Fox – er der nogen, der
kender Eric?
TIL LYKKE til klubbens fødselarer i
maj
15/4 og et forsinket Til Lykke til Vivian Lindup
Skriv eller ring til redaktøren, hvis du kender
nogen, der fejrer fødselsdag eller jubilæum eller
sølvbryllup, guldbryllup, fødsel, dåb – vi vil
gerne vide det hele.
Products from Flemming the butcher
As you may already know, Tea is at the
Club most Cafe Nights selling books and
have arranged with Flemming to take
over the sales of his leverpostej,
medister etc.
If you would like to order ahead, you can
call Tea on 3379 1667 or send an e-mail
to: [email protected] at the latest
the Friday midday the week before to
give them a chance to plan their work for
the next week.
Let’s grow the Club
Help make the Danish Club bigger and
better. Try and find one new member
for the club this year – it will make an
incredible difference and help grow the
club. To stay alive and survive, we have
to attract new members.
Guest editor
Hanne Schiøtz will be our guest editor for
the next issue of the newsletter. If you
would like to help her with an article or
news snippets, send your news to her at
[email protected]. Thanks to Hanne
for taking on the newsletter.
Pension fra Danmark og skat
Modtager du en pensionsydelse fra Danmark, som der trækkes skat i? Kan man
få skatten refunderet – og hvordan? Vil
godt høre om jeres erfaringer. Lad os
tales ved på et tidspunkt eller email på
[email protected]
Craft Group
Next meeting will be on Wednesday 21st
April from 10 am to 2 pm
Please bring a plate to share for lunch.
Location: Berit’s house (Kallangur)
Phone 3285 3104 for more information
Committee members
Have your say in how the club is run –
join the committee. The AGM will be
held in August: let us know if you would
like to come on board.
Coco & Igor
Look out for Mads Mikkelsen as Igor in
the new movie about Coco Chanel and
Igor Stravinsky.
Newsletter on our website
If you receive your newsletter in the mail
and have access to the internet, check it
out on our website. It looks so much
better in colour!
Volunteers
It’s fun, it’s hard work some times, but
how about helping out in the kitchen?
Making Danish smørrebrød is almost an
art form!
Thanks to Hanne Boss Jensen, who
has been helping us in the kitchen and
sharing her expertise.
DRONNING MARGRETHE FYLDTE 70 16. APRIL 2010
Den royale kærlighed stod lysende klar, da prins
Henrik, som den første taler ved gallamiddagen,
trådte op på skamlen på Fredensborg Slot:
»Du har bidraget til dit eget liv og i høj grad til mit,
Frederiks, Joachims, vores børnebørns og hele vores
øvrige familie. Ja, du har bidraget mere end det. Du
har for mange levet et liv, der har givet inspiration til
kærlig omsorg, livsenergi, livsglæde og kunstnerisk
talent«, sagde prins Henrik.
Tidligere fredag gav han sin hustru en meget fornem
og speciel fødselsdagsgave. Han havde fået hjælp af
galleriejer, Jakob Asbæk, til at kreere en skulptur til
dronningen, der nu står foran regentparrets soveværelse på Fredensborg.
Dronning Margrethe fulgte sin søns tråd, da hun
som den sidste taler indtog skamlen på Fredensborg
Slot under gallamiddagen. Hun gav kronprinsen ret i,
at de tidligere har befundet sig langt fra hinanden,
men efterhånden har fundet fælles forståelse.
»Sidst jeg fejrede en rund fødselsdag, måtte vi
undvære dig: Du befandt dig i det nordligste Grønland
på Sirius 2000 Ekspeditionen. Nu er du en gladere,
en mere moden og en lykkelig mand med sin egen
familie. De ti år, der er gået, har bragt os nærmere
sammen år for år. Du er min gode støtte som
kronprins, og en jeg kan tale med om alt muligt«,
sagde dronningen med øjnene rettet mod
kronprinsen. Også hendes mand, prins Henrik fik
store ord med på vejen.
Skulpturen forestiller to mennesker i kærlig omfavnelse, der måske kunne være regentparret selv. Med
dette billede i baghovedet fortsatte prins Henrik sin
rørende tale og takkede sin hustru for sin væremåde.
»Du har været min ledsager og mit faste anker i mere
end halvdelen af mit liv, men du er den, der altid
kommer med nye overraskelser både til hverdag og til
fest. Du byder mig modspil og holder mig fast, og vi
inspirerer hinanden i stort og småt«, sagde
dronningen.
»Dit behagelige og elskelige sind, kombineret med
din livsgerning, giver dig en intuition og en medfølelse, som rører folk i din nærhed. For alle dem, som
lever omkring dig, er hver dag beriget af glæde og
følelse af fryd, lykke og beundring«, sagde prinsen,
Men hvordan har hun det egentlig med det, det hele
handler om - at fylde 70 år?
»Det er lidt af det, som jeg gerne vil give udtryk for i
aften, og som jeg ved, er en holdning som deles af
alle, der er samlet her. Vi siger alle sammen med én
stemme, at vi holder meget af dig, fordi du er
menneske i vores liv, og fordi du beriger livet i
hverdag og fest«, sluttede prinsen.
(foto: Miriam Dalsgaard)
»Dag har lagt sig til dag, år til år; mange var
udfordringerne, glæderne langt flere og langt større.
Taknemmeligheden ved alt, hvad der er blevet mig til
del og over alt, hvad jeg har oplevet er størst«,
sluttede dronningen. (kilde: Politiken/Ritzau)
Study & Stay in Australia?
Your door to the best in Australian Education & Training….
We are Danes, with a strong background in both Danish and Australian education & training.
Though we work with people from any country, we run some especially exciting programs
between Denmark and Australia, including:
• Guiding would-be migrants to courses for recognition in 60-Point occupations
• Assisting students enter the very best course, school/college/university for their needs
• Study Tours – customised to meet the particular needs of the Danish schools/colleges/universities
• Semester Study Abroad – individuals or classes come to undertake one semester of
study, and get credit back into their secondary school/undergraduate programs in Denmark
• Placing students into workplaces in Australia for Occupational Training, which is part
of their studies in Denmark
• Consulting services for Danish institutions wishing to establish links with Australian
partners.
We’d be delighted to assist you in any of these areas. Please do not hesitate to contact us:
Riborg Andersen
[email protected]
Ph: 07-5442 9588
Joern Christoffersen
[email protected]
Ph. 07-5473 9917
ScanPan Æbleskivepande
If you’re looking for a new æbleskivepande, ScanPan has one on the market
now. It’s square and has nine holes.
Currently on special via the internet at
www.petersofkensington.com.au at $99,
so don’t pay more!
Nordic Festival May 22-23, 2010
Warburton
More information www.nordicfestival.org
Scandinavian smorgasbord dinner on
Saturday May 22 – stay overnight at the
Grange Yarra Valley, the best hotel in
Warburton – bookings recommended.
Located about 5 minutes by car from the
town centre. Other options on the
website.
Or you might like to go to the ABBA
dance party! Dress in 1970's style
optional. Tickets $39 - only 150 tickets
available! Call 03 5966 4500 to secure
your spot on the dance floor!
Come in your national costumes or some
sort of ‘Viking’ outfit or similar to the
festival... Would add some colour to the
event!
Nordic FestivalLeila Myllymaeki-Hay c/o
fine by nature
3414 Warburton Hwy
Warburton VIC 3799
Mobile: 0407 875 404
Email: [email protected]
WHS Gone Mad
New rule stops p*** up in brewery
SCORES of Carlsberg workers walked off
their jobs in protest today after the Danish brewer tightened laid-back rules on
workplace drinking and removed beer
coolers from work sites.
(Source: Herald Sun, 9 April 2010)
Danish classes
Pia Blak continues her popular Danish
classes for kids at Indooroopilly library –
you can contact her on 3818 0066 or
[email protected] for details.
The course in Danish at the Institute of
Modern Languages at University of
Queensland, St Lucia, is up and running
this semester. Check their website on
www.iml.uq.edu.au
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Danni og Marianne kommer til Brisbane i juli
for at studere ved University of Queensland
(St Lucia) og skal være her fra juli 2010 til
januar 2011. De skal bruge en møbleret
lejlighed, rækkehus eller hus i området.
Eller eventuelt bo hos en familie. Er der
nogen, der kan hjælpe, så kontakt
[email protected]
Danni Richter - 27 år
Jura studerende på Københavns Universitet studere 1. semester på min kandidat i
Brisbane, University of Queensland.
Militær baggrund: Den Kongelige Livgarde
Erhvervsbaggrund: Arrangementschef i
Brøndby IF A/S indtil 2006 og nu fungerende
afviklingschef for alle hjemmekampe i
hensyn til de største sponsorer
Marianne Lynghøj - 22 år
Statskundskabsstuderende på Københavns
Universitet - studere 1. semeter på sin
kandidat i Brisbane, University of
Queensland
Erhvervsbaggrund: Ansat i
Arbejdsdirektoratet siden 2009.
Dansk legegruppe
Hver fredag 9.30-11.30 i Heimdals lokaler, 36 Austin St, Newstead
1. søndag i måneden 10-12 (find os på Facebook)
Vi mødes hver fredag og den 1. søndag i måneden for at snakke og lege sammen på
dansk. Da vores lille faste gruppe svinger lidt i deltagere pga ferier, oftest til Danmark
og arbejde mv, vil vi meget gerne se flere medlemmer. Vi tror trods alt det gavner
børnene at mødes og lege samt høre, at vi alle taler dansk.
Vi starter normalt med noget fri leg og ca kl 11 sidder vi alle omkring et bord og spiser
vores medbragte mad – og slutter gerne dagen med nogle danske børnesange.
Med venlig hilsen
Tea, Morten, Charlotte, Tina
Charlotte
0405 730 252
E-mail: [email protected]
Tea
0419 659 837
E-mail: [email protected]
Morten
0410 215 300
E-mail: [email protected]
Tina
0403 838 663
E-mail: [email protected]
It’s Entertainment Book time again- speak to Britt to get your
copy
Order your NEW 2010 | 2011 Brisbane and South East Queensland Entertainment ™ Book
now!
Still selling for only $65, the 2010 | 2011 Books are filled with even more exciting offers than ever before,
with a total value of well over $15,000.
Enjoy hundreds of offers from the finest restaurants, cafés, attractions, cinemas and accommodation,
while supporting community fund-raising.
Many community organisations, schools, charities and corporate groups are already taking orders. Last
year, your Book was purchased from Danish Association Heimdal Inc. We suggest you contact them as
soon as possible to get a new Book.
Here's a sneak peek at the new 2010 | 2011 Brisbane Book!
Some new additions to the Book include:
Three Bistro • Restaurant Rapide • Bar Barossa • MYO Make Your Own • Shingle Inn • Michel's Patisserie • Mary
Ryan's Books, Music & Coffee • Jordaan Restaurant Bar • Milagro Modern Australia and many more!
And you'll find your old favourites from the last Book, including:
Rococo Noosa • Restaurant II • Marco Polo • Cinco Bistro • Baguette • Lure @ the Coro • Era Bistro • Hungry
Jacks • Hog's Breath Café • Fasta Pasta • Cato's • Brisbane Lions • Brisbane Broncos • Palace Cinemas and
many more!
Thank you for supporting community fund-raising. We're sure you'll get a lot of value from your new Entertainment™ Book.
Kind regards,
The Team at Entertainment Publications
Scandinavian Book Club Update
Next meeting:
Friday 23 April 2010 at 7.30 pm
at Danish Club – mezzanine level (library)
Austin Street Newstead.
Phone Amanda 3266 4538
Discussion Topic: Biographical books by or on
Scandinavian authors.
Excerpt from The Guardian’s review of
Andrew Brown’s autobiographical book about
life in Sweden called “Fishing in Utopia”
Sweden, along with its Scandinavian neighbours,
has for some years been a top performer in those
vaguely perplexing polls that calibrate the general
experience of a population. The Economist Intelligence
Unit placed Sweden fifth out of 111 in its quality of life
index and first in its index of democracy. On average,
Swedes live longer than most other people in the
world (fifth out of 191 countries in the CIA World Fact
Book). The nation also recently came third in the Yale
University/Columbia University environmental
performance index, third in the 'e-readiness' rankings
- whatever they are - and a respectable 13th in the
global peace index.
All these statistical triumphs seem to send
Swedish writers into a frenzy of angst. Their
fiction is frequently propelled by a sense that
something is rotten in the state of Sweden,
that beneath all the social-democratic loveliness lies a buried scandal. It is significant that
one of Sweden's most robust genres is crime
writing. To read works by Kjell Eriksson, Inger
Frimansson and Henning Mankell you'd
imagine that each apparently tranquil Swedish
village is awash with neo-Nazis and
unrepentant serial killers.
Indeed this motif - the filthy corruption within
the Scandinavian idyll - has been so rehearsed
as to have become something of a cultural
cliche. You start to wonder whether the
quickest way to get yourself thrown out of a
bohemian gathering in Stockholm would be to
suggest that, far from being the most contradictory place in the world, full of closet
paedophiles and perverts, Sweden is in fact
rather normal. This is the social gaffe that
journalist Andrew Brown makes - repeatedly in his unfashionably moderate account of
Sweden. Brown knows the country well,
having lived there both as a child and as a
young man. He returned to Britain after his
marriage (to a Swede) failed, but recently
made a solo journey through Sweden. Sweden
is, he explains, imperfect, but it can be quite
nice. 'Reading about the country from the
outside,' he writes, 'you would suppose the
whole place was on the verge of a jihadi
uprising, that the satellite towns are slums full
of disaffected Muslims.'
Though 'clearly exciting to believe, even for
some Swedes', this is not the case. The
assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme in
1986 was less likely to have been a terrorist
plot - as is often claimed -than the incoherent
action of an 'ordinary random criminal'. Instead,
Brown's Sweden is a place of inconsistencies,
perplexing omissions, inevitable human frailty
and ... fish. Brown's enthusiastic angling
produces some of the most lyrical passages in
the book, as he braves mosquitoes and
ramshackle country hotels in search of a catch.
He writes eloquently about the Swedish
countryside, the shining lakes, the long summer
days when 'everything floats in a quality of light
like mercury' and the water 'glitters like pollen'.
To Brown, 'fishing is a form of inquiry. The
patient, watchful wonder of the fisherman
seems to me the root of all science'. Despite
this remark, Brown's fishing is refreshingly
unmetaphorical. Delving in the depths, in this
book, simply produces a Ballan wrasse.
For Brown, the real - rather banal - truth of
Swedish society is the tension created by the
imposition of a minority metropolitan liberalism
on a fundamentally conservative nation. 'The
great distinguishing characteristic of Swedish
society,' Brown suggests, 'was its narrowness ...
a narrow society is not necessarily inflexible:
everyone can always change their minds. But it
is very different from a genuinely plural one.'
Coupled with this is a belief that 'herds are
good: that the natural state of a human being is
as a part of a harmonious society'. For this
process of social cohesion to take place, Brown
suggests, unwritten rules are required that are
'understood and enforced by almost everyone in
the community'. This is why many Swedes have
come to mistrust the project of mass - by their
standards - immigration. 'Immigration is not the
only threat to this process, nor even the
greatest. But it is the most visible.'
The Swedes are not a nation of psychotics, for
all their protests to the contrary. They are
grappling, like most European countries, with a
changing society, in which traditional
Swedishness is being swiftly reassembled. They
are bemused and occasionally 'a little strange',
writes Brown, with the deflating zeal that
characterises his book. For every Swede
prophesying bloody carnage, there will always
be another who is touchingly outraged by the
nation's failure 'to nourish and appreciate the
badgers in its midst'. It is this ordinary, flawed
but hardly pathological Sweden that Brown
celebrates in this enjoyably understated book.
News from the Committee
The committee meets once a month,
usually at Austin Street, and at our April
meeting we discussed:
Maintenance
The urinals require a new solenoid which
will cost around $600 – have we got a
plumber out there who can help?
Fire-fighting equipment has been
updated and an additional extinguisher
installed in the library (to protect the
books).
A child-proof gate will soon be installed
in the entrance to keep children from
escaping.
The play room television needs to be
replaced, and the committee will look at
getting a new 32”LCD set. The
microwave oven is on its last legs and
Jørgen has kindly donated a recent
purchase to the club.
Events
Event coordinators were appointed for
the next couple of events to cover for the
president’s absence. Bamses fødselsdag
scheduled for 12/6 coincides
with the Queen’s Birthday long weekend
and Soren will talk with the playgroup
and Pia about moving it to 6/6. Band for
Smorgasbord 10/7 to be discussed. The
visit to Saga Vikings will go ahead in the
weekend 14-15/8 and we decided to
move the AGM to 21/8.
Money
The treasurer presented the accounts for
March for approval. Expenses were high
and the month showed a loss of approx
$550. The 3Q result up to 31 March
2010 was satisfactory though. Lone has
entered club accounts on QuickBooks
and will work with Vivian to prepare
them for audit at the end of our financial
year. QuickBooks will give us better
reporting in future.
Membership
3 new members came on board in April –
note that any new members joining now
and paying full membership fee will be
fully paid up until 30 June 2011.
News
No news from the Gambling Community
Benefit Fund about funding for the
kitchen renovation. There is still hope
though. Council advises that two loading
bays have been allocated to the club in
the street and they will be installed in 46 weeks.
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COMMITTEE 2009/2010
President:
Committee Member:
Søren Høimark
Phone 07 3359 2026
E-mail:
[email protected]
Kim Tvede
Phone:
E-mail: [email protected]
Vice President:
Committee Member:
Alan Przybylak
Mobile 0402 691 435
E-mail:
[email protected]
Treasurer :
Peter Hansen
Phone (02) 6680 3574
E-mail:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Membership Officer:
(not on the committee)
Lone Lambourne
Phone 07 3822 4476
E-mail:
[email protected]
Committee Member:
Committee Member:
Jens Gønget
Phone 07 3871 2570
Mobile: 0449 946 944
E-mail: [email protected]
Henrik Caspersen (Rick)
Phone 0418 776 277
E-mail:
[email protected]
Committee Member:
Committee Member:
Vivian Lindup
Phone 0411 084475
Jørgen Skov
Phone 07 3103 6535
E-mail: [email protected]
Lone Schmidt
Phone 07 3359 2026
E-mail:
E-mail: [email protected]