Norway House in Edinburgh in the seventies was owned by a Mr Helga Weibye, a Norwegian. There was a thriving Norwegian-Scottish Society in Edinburgh, which held many events and encouraged commerce and friendship between the two countries. The Norwegian way of life had many similarities with that in Scotland, particularly the Orkneys and Shetland. I can't see any links with Manitoba or the First Nations, which is a pity, as that would have been most interesting.

I remember the shop had lots of Scandinavian furniture in light-coloured pine, decor such as curtains in pale colours and those duvets. It makes me smile now, as I much prefer that type of colour scheme, and it was refreshing to see it instead of the heavy, flowery, over-egged seventies style. It pre-dated IKEA by many decades.

When I took parties of schoolchildren to Normandy, I noticed 'continental quilts' slung on windowsills in the mornings to be aired in the sun.