We all know those superb orange scissors, Fiskars – see above. Girlahead has about a dozen pairs dotted around the house – they cut through everything and they never seem to need sharpening. Why Fiskers? The owning company Fiskars Corp, has its headquarters in Helsinki, and its shares are traded on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. The company was founded as Fiskars Bruk in 1649, in a village called Fiskars, 88 kilometres from Helsinki.
Fiskars may today only have a population of under a thousand but it punches above its weight, world-wide, on three counts.
Fiskars hosts a highly-rating gathering for young conductors and orchestra leaders. Led by the LEAD! Foundation, LEAD! Foundation Academy Masterclasses are organised and overseen by Jukka-Pekka Saraste. This year’s mentoring conductors are Esa-Pekka Salonen, Hannu Lintu and Dalia Stasevska and as if those names are not enough to whet the appetite a new Chamber Music Series, created and performed by LEAD! Soloists will complement the debut of Fiskars Festival Orchestra. There will be three orchestra concerts next week (11th,12th and 13th August).
And then there is Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale 2022, now in full swing through to 4th September 2000. Current exhibitions include, at Fiskars’ Copper Smithy, HIDDEN – Forms of the Senses, which explores multi-sensory experiences through art, craft and design.
Hey, what’s the third special about Fiskars? SCISSORS of course.
Practicalities, how to get to Fiskars from Helsinki Vanta’a airport? Taxi prices throughout all Nordic countries are notoriously high (the 75-minute drive will cost about €150 one-way). Hire a car. You will need one to get to your hotel. No classic luxury, by the way. Girlahead might well opt for LOHJA SPA & RESORT, 11k from Fiskars. At least it has a pool.
Ah, wellness – the clean healthy Finnish air is always a draw, as are its clean living and its awareness of ESG. Girlahead has spent many happy times in Finland, from snowmobiling to meet Santa Claus to compèring wine evenings in Helsinki and oh, so many saunas. On the next visit sshe wants to try 3 Kaveria icecream, devised and owned by three former businessmen Heikki Huotari, Sauli Saarnisto and Ilkka Wikhom (apparently the average adult Finn eats 14kg (sic) of icecream a year).
Let’s close today by listening to Michael Newcombe, now Four Seasons’ dedicated VP Spa and Wellness:
