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Technical Talk
Norway and Wales.
A much tighter link than you might think!
Letter from SWRT
19 September 2005
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Petter Solberg and Phil Mills are not the only Norwegian-Welsh partnership in town. Perched on the Cardiff docks is the Norwegian Church, one of Cardiff's most scenic, and more unusual, landmarks. In a happy coincidence, this year Norway is celebrating its 100th year as an independent nation in the same year that Cardiff marks its centenary as a city. The Subaru duo dropped by before Wales Rally GB's ceremonial start with their Subaru Impreza WRC2005. If you didn't know there was a Norwegian Church in Cardiff, here are some handy facts for you:
The church was originally built and consecrated in December 1869 in the Bute West Dock. It was founded by the Norwegian Seamen's Mission as a home-from-home for Norwegian sailors making the tough journey to bring coal across to Wales for export.
The church fell into disrepair in the mid-1970s when the export of coal from Cardiff Docks declined, and the building was slated for demolition to make way for the access road to the Atlantic Wharf. A collaboration between the Norwegian Preservation Trust, the Norwegian Support Committee and the church's own trust raised £250,000 to dismantle and re-erect the church on its present site on Harbour Drive in 1987.
The church was rechristened as the Norwegian Church Arts and Crafts Centre and now sits at the far end of the Cardiff docks. 180,000 tourists and locals come to the church each year - that's almost three times the number of people who watched the Superspecial in Greece!
Roald Dahl was baptized in the church in 1916 after his father emigrated from Norway to settle in Cardiff. Dahl's book 'Boy' makes reference to his time spent at the church, and Dahl always held the place in high esteem. In fact, he was the first President of the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust until his death in 1990.
Petter Solberg is no stranger to Cardiff and enjoyed his trip to the church. "It's strange to see something so traditionally Norwegian in the middle of Cardiff. It is a beautiful place on the bay, very peaceful. I'm glad to know that Phil and I are not quite so unusual now in our Welsh-Norwegian link. We've worked very well together so far, and it's good that another Welsh-Norwegian partnership is successful too."
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2006
2005
