Swinging London memories: the story of a SCC intern from 1967

10 September 2024

Although the SCC has been through some remarkable changes since establishing in 1906, its rich heritage of providing a platform for young talent to grow professionally and personally has been a consistent element for decades. Let’s rewind to the year of 1967, where 26 year old Christian Bratt and his fellow internship companions were heading up the Swedish Chamber’s offices at Trinity Square, and spent the weekends enjoying everything that “Swinging London” had to offer young professionals at the time. 

It all started in the spring of 1966. With a recently acquired degree in Business from the Stockholm School of Economics, 26-year-old Christian Bratt lacked direction of what to do next - yet he had a keen eye on London and an appetite for challenge. In due course, he found himself knocking on the doors of “Utlandshandelskammarnas Förening” (Association of Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Stockholm), asking if there were any exciting opportunities available. And yes, there surely were. 

“I didn’t know much about the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK except for the fact that it was in London,” Christian recalls, now in his eighties, leaning back on the sofa in his flat in Stockholm. 

A charming, self-managing workplace

At this time, the SCC was a hub of self-management and initiative, overseen by a temporary assistant manager – a former intern himself. The team based its services largely on expectations received through letters from Sweden, and Christian spent a great share of his day-to-day work responding to inquiries from small and medium-sized enterprises. 

“We were often asked simple questions, like who in the UK manufactured certain products or where to turn to for specific needs – and vice versa,” says Christian.

This was before the establishment of the Swedish Trade Council in the 1970’s, where the Chamber had the role as a crucial link, providing information to and from both countries. 

“It was truly a joy to tackle practical tasks after a few demanding years at university. The setup was rather primitive, but we all worked really well together, and enjoyed the job as well as each other’s company.”

Truly, they did. Not only did the group of interns, consisting of Christian, Christer, Agneta, Torun, Bengt, and Ann, share the administrative and secretarial duties at work as they overlapped throughout the year, they also shared accommodation. In their house by Kensington High Street, Christian endured a cold winter in the attic room, hosted by a landlord appreciative of their orderliness – a quality they upheld both at work and at home.

Life in London

Looking back, Christian emphasises the group’s shared sense of balance between working hard and enjoying London’s broad palette of weekend-pleasures. From the company counselling, business fairs, and meetings in the name of the Chamber - to the weekend pub crawls, late night dancing to The Beatles’ newly released ‘Penny Lane’, and enjoying a Spaghetti Rosmarino on Kensington Church Street for an astonishing three-shilling sixpence. 

“London at this time was an exhilarating place. Just like that, you could find yourself bumping into the Rolling Stones,” he says with a chuckle, recounting an encounter with Mick Jagger in a local record store.

Building lifelong bonds

They all got on so well, that fast forward to 2024 and the group of alumni from 1966-1967 still regularly stays in touch. In fact, the very same week as Christian kindly invited us over to his flat to tell us his SCC story, the “Chamber-group” – as they call themselves – all gathered for lunch in central Stockholm. 

“We were all so driven by our shared goal to do good work and enjoy the experience. By our shared interests, we all learned about the world, and gained perspectives not just on the UK but also on Sweden.” 

Reflecting on the larger mission of representing your country abroad, Christian’s philosophy is unmistakeably clear: respect each other’s differences, show appreciation, combat negativity, and always focus on the positive. For Christian, the internship at the SCC in 1967 was more than just a professional experience; it was a journey of personal growth and, not least, lifelong friendships. 

Celebrating the SCC’s long history with fostering young talent, stories like these remind us of the impact of such opportunities. They highlight the importance of positive collaboration, cultural exchange, and the simple joy of working together towards a common goal.