Skip to main content
Sensations English Logo
LEVEL C1

Shadowing the newsreader

Listen to the newsreader read out each line and then practise saying it. Record your own voice line by line and submit your voiceover.

Hide View

The felling of a gigantic 20 metre tall tree in the forests close to Oslo was observed by a crowd full of respect.

Purposefully selected months in advance, it is an expression of appreciation from the people of Oslo to their counterparts in London, as mayor Anne Lindboe clarifies.

On the invasion of German troops onto Norwegian soil in 1940, King Haakon of Norway sought refuge in the English capital.

The tradition of presenting a spruce tree to London to show gratitude was always assumed to have been initiated at the monarch's request.

However, what's more recently emerged, is the possibility of an intriguing connection to James Bond.

Paperwork discovered in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, indicate that a Norwegian commando named Mons Urangsvåg was on a mission to convey two spruce trees to King Haakon, then living in exile in Britain.

Writer Ian Fleming, renowned for his postwar spy novels with famous protagonist James Bond, caught wind of Urangsvag's assignment.

He decided to treat the special forces soldier to a slap-up meal in the prestigious Savoy Hotel, not far from Trafalgar Square.

At some point during the evening, they conjured up a plan to tie one of the trees to a balustrade in the square.

Whatever the source of the tradition, gifting the spruce tree is above all a mark of peace and goodwill between the two capitals and the custom is now in its 76th year.

Both the felling ceremony and later the illumination ritual in the heart of London are attended by the two mayors, of Oslo and the City of Westminster.

REGISTER NOW

Get videos, articles, games and study tools!

Learn at six levels from A1 to C1
Or sign up with your Email
By clicking “Sign Up” above you are accepting our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign in

Sign up with email

Enter the following information to create your account.
All sign up options

Log in Or create an account

or

Forgot password?

reset password or login

Crop Image

Crop preview
Add to homescreen