The Anglo-Swedish Society of Gothenburg 14th December 1920

Secretary: Rev. Charles H.R. Baldwin MBE., British Chaplain and Vice-Consul Chairman: Bank Director G. Dickson The inauguration meeting was attended by Sir Colville Barclay, Minister to Sweden (1919-24)

Membership 1921: 1300 members 1925: 1400 members Annual membership fee: from 5:- Life membership: 100:- Location, location, location The Anglo-Swedish Society began with premises at Södra Hamngatan 15 and then moved to ”comfortable and roomy premises at Södra Hamngatan 43 in the centre of Gothenburg”. Göteborgs Dagblad 16 Dec 1920 & The Times 19 Sept 1923

At some point the offices changed again and during the war the Anglo-Swedish Society had its headquarters on Arkivgatan. English periodicals and a large library are at the disposal of visitors from the and as a lending library for its members in Gothenburg. The objective of the Society is “to work along social and intellectual lines to promote friendly and sympathetic relations between the peoples of Sweden and the United Kingdom” – Sir Henry Penson

By 1932 there were 12 different Swedish-British societies, and other societies followed: Gothenburg, Stockholm, Uppsala, Lund, Malmö and in provincial towns such as Gefle, Halmstad, Härnösand, Kalmar, Karlstad, Landskrona, Norrköping, Strängnäs and Uddevalla. Some towns with as few as 14,000 inhabitants had an Anglo-Swedish Society.

Penson visited Gothenburg on 14th Nov. 1922 and gave a speech entitle: ”Oxford University, its elegant buildings and the life within”. His belief was that the basic principle of English universities is not just to create men of science but gentlemen, men with outstanding character and abilities. Travel support for journalists and students for mutual exchange

”The object in view is to encourage the visits of those Swedish journalists to the United Kingdom who are prepared to study England and English institutions and to spread a better knowledge of them in Sweden.” Gothenburg Tercentennial Jubilee Exposition

• In 1923, a world fair marking the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city was held. • The Anglo-Swedish Society organised a ‘British Week’.

• The Royal Artillery band, with pipers and drummers from the Scots Guards, were present. • There was a gala concert at the Concert Hall and the Society gave a banquet in the evening. The Times, 6th Aug 1923 By Torsten Schonberg (ev. kompletterad av Iwo Brunander)[1], på beställning av Jubileumsutställningen. - Regionarkivet, Göteborg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23268271 Examples of early Anglo-Swedish Society activities:

• Talks • 1922 John Galsworthy, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932. Author of The Forsyte Saga • 1923 H.G. Wells (nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times) • 1935 Field Marshal Edmund Allenby – freed Jerusalem in WWI – commander of TE Lawrence

• English language plays • Initiated English language plays, e.g. Oxford University Dramatic Society invited to Lorensbergsteatern. Proceeds to the Travel Fund.

• Amateur dramatics • ‘The Man of Destiny’, a comedy by Bernard Shaw, performed by the Anglo-Swedish Society. Proceeds went to the Anglo-Swedish Travel Fund. Tickets from 0.75:-

• Exhibitions and visits • 1922 Ceramic Society of England (Tea-party at Björngårdsvillan in Slottsskogen) • 1933 An exhibition of photographs from The Times, at Gothenburg Museum.

• Royal visits to Gothenburg • 1923 Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf • 1932 Prince of (Prince Edward) attended an Anglo-Swedish reception • (1998 Princess Lilian – lunch at Palacehuset, Gothenburg) Royal Naval visits to Gothenburg Anglo-Swedish receptions

• Autumn 1921: 13 ships of the British Baltic fleet. 1000 men to visit Gothenburg, 60 officers are entertained by Anglo-Swedish Society members in their homes. • May 1947: HMS Cleopatra • May/Jun 1974: HMS Blake & HMS Llandaff - Ship open to visitors, 2,000 people toured the ship. • Sept 1976: HMS Norfolk - flew the Queen's Colour in Sweden and King Carl XVI Gustaf unveiled a plaque in the Gothenburg Town Hall to commemorate the British Admiral James de Saumarez (A friend to Sweden during the Napoleonic wars 1808-12) The King was made an honorary Admiral in the –the King is wearing the Admiral uniform in the phot.ó. • Nov 1979: HMS Eskimo - 50 sailors kidnapped by the ASS

• Spring 1983: HMS Hermes aircraft carrier, Centaur class. Open to the public. One visitor recalls: “my son got carbon black feet when we walked on the tarmac deck.” • April 2007: HMS Albion • Feb 2016: HMS Monmouth Tea Dances

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Society also took on the role of providing a social club for members. Every Saturday there was a tea dance.

Dans 20 augusti 1964. Foto Martin Lindqvist/Skellefteå museums fotoarkiv. 1979 Anglo-Swedish Society pleads guilty to kidnapping As a protest against the UK Govt decision to close the British Consulate in Gothenburg, the Anglo-Swedish Society kidnapped 50 British sailors from HMS Eskimo.

• ”We didn’t know what was going on. Suddenly we were surrounded by a lot of women who pushed us on to a tram” said Peter Borough, HMS Eskimo. • The victims were driven to Kungstorget and made to listen to the Murray Pipes and Drums play the bagpipes for an hour. • ”We sang Oh Boy, then we sang it again, and after that we sang it some more” said Philp Sandall, HMS Eskimo Exhibitions

British day

• In collaboration with Tjolöholm house • Bagpipes, Scottish dancing, croquet, etc. • Air display by an RAF Harrier (org. Alan White) • The ASS organised the cricket match. Examples of the Society’s activities now: • TALKS • Chalmers lecture • Västlänken – something good or just expensive and disruptive? • Quantum technology – will that really change our (grandchildren's) lives? • BREXIT talks – in association with the Utrikespolitiska föreningen Göteborg • Book Fair talks, e.g. Helen Pankhurst

• Theatre visits • Gothenburg English Studio Theatre / Gothenburg Drama Group • National Theatre Live (streamed performances from London)

• Social events • Get-together in Slottsskogen Park (with treasure hunt) • Carols night and Christmas dinner • Film premiere – They Shall Not Grow Old, in collaboration with the English School.

• Annual dinner and amateur theatre (Not Quite a Cèilidh)

• Represented at Remembrance Day and ANZAC Day Not Quite a Cèilidh “a radio play that you watch”

Svenska fanan

The Anglo-Swedish Society in Gothenburg has been invited to the Residence in Gothenburg on 6th June 2020 to receive the Swedish banner from the Governor of Gothenburg Landshövding Anders Danielsson. Centenary

The Anglo-Swedish Society of Gothenburg will celebrate its centenary on 10th Oct. 2020 Virtual fika with the British Embassy Stockholm and 67 co-workers 5th June 2020

Acknowledgements. Thanks to Alexander Malmaeus of the Anglo- Swedish Society in London for access to their newspaper archives. Thanks also to Kungliga Bibliotekek and their archive of Swedish Newspapers.