Event Report 2020
Midsummer celebration.
Like in previous years we celebrated Midsummer 2020 at Niddrie Castle, home of Malin and Richard Nairn. The weather was lovely and we were over than 70 attendees. We dressed the Majstång, did the traditional midsummer dance and had a bbq and picnic afterwards.2
Pea soup evening with Sophie Dow
This year’s Pea Soup and Pancakes evening was held at Söderberg’s pavilion again after last year’s success. We were lucky to be able to get Sophie Dow an author, freelance journalist and founder of mindroom to come and speak to us about her book “När livet inte följer manus”/ “When life does not follow the script” and her life with Annie. The evening was a huge success and we had a record turnout of 34 attendees.
Lucia
Lucia this year it was held on Sunday December 1st at Marchmont St Giles church. The organisation was done by the Lucia committee and lead by Anna Reid Jones. Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson arranged for IKEA to sponsor with coffee, hotdogs, rolls saffronbuns, gingerbread and there was a generous donation of homebaking as well.
Malin Hesselfors-Nairn lead the procession again and the singing was very good. Teresia Derlén the new priest at the Swedish Church in London came up from London to lead the Advent service.
There was a raffle with great prices raising £100 to the Swedish School. And a couple young people sold Christmas candy and children’s clothes to raise money to charities.
Visits by the Swedish Church in London and Sweden Day
The Swedish church in London organises several visits to Edinburgh when Swedes in Scotland are invited to join in a short church service which is followed by lunch at Joseph Pearce pub in Edinburgh. There is also fika with film or crafting for children at Hemma the following afternoon. Some Swedes come travelling quite some distances for these events.
This year the June event was replaced by the Swedish Day at Akva organised by the Swedish embassy in London. There were people travelling from all over Scotland to attend and there were over 200 attendees. The Swedish Ambassador Torbjörn Sohlström and Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh Frank Ross spoke, there was a Swedish choir performing and everyone was invited fika with ‘7 sorters kakor’ afterwards. There was a quiz for children with prizes from Fjällräven.