In Britain, there aren’t many reasons to feel cheerful at the moment. According to economists, a double dip recession and therefore higher unemployment is to be expected. Communities across the UK are to look forward to with more budget cuts to bite coupled with the full force of the Localism and Welfare Reform Acts to weaken the prospects of organised dissent.

So we have commissioned two pieces one from Iceland another from a short trip to Sweden, the writers tell of their reflections while visiting the colder and darker lands of the North and how they found more warmth, light and humanity in the local culture and daily politics then they glean from our little island.

Share your own experiences of The Nordic Countries in the comments here and in the two following pieces.