Article from "Ejdern Telegrafen" 2000,
our yearbook.

Our Sture.

In the Telegrafen there has been a lot about a lot of members but not much about our chairman Sture Holmbergh
Sture replaced baron Rutger Von Essen in 1977 and since then he has gripped the chairman's gavel with credit. Besides being an exceptionally nice person with a quiet sort of humor he is a lawyer and that is very good indeed for a society, having such a person as a chairman, able to find his way in the jungle of law. Sture is retired since five years now but is still called for now and then by his former employer, the Swedish court if appeal, when there is a crises. If there is time to spare, as Sture has several irons in the fire. He is a member of some twenty societies and also the chairman in several of them. Sture does a lot of traveling, trips arranged by these societies and is well prepared every time. And he himself arranges appreciated cultural trips every spring and autumn to castles, mansions (he has made a lot of contacts through his profession), churches and so on.
Interested in steamers. One can wonder how Sture once became interested in Ejdern. The interest in steamers goes a long way back and he got to know about Ejdern when it was rescued by Gert Ekström and became a member in 1968. He didn't do much physically, he says, but still a few odd jobs were done. Baron Von Essen invested quite a lot in the restoration of Ejdern and wanted her to ply between Stockholm and a smaller place. A few trips were arranged but Ejdern was too slow. Rutger Von Essen was always known as "The Baron" though an active communist on the board managed to have all titles banned.
Ejdern to Södertälje. After the death of the baron Sture was asked if he would consider being chairman and Sture says he was flattered and accepted, which we of course are very happy about. The Södertälje "big wigs" were called on and asked if Ejdern could come back to Södertälje, and that's the way it turned out. The holiday trips with Ejdern (for active members) Sture gladly attends and remembers an episode from one of the trips. Ejdern was moored and a gentleman stopped and asked: What's in those sacks on deck, is it potatoes? No, that's coal, someone answered and the man pictured nice big heads of cabbage and said: Well, that's nice to have for a meal too! (The thing is, coal= kol and cabbage=kål are pronounced the same way, actually this cannot really be translated). Sture was born in 1930 and lived and went to school in Stockholm, at school he also played a bit of chess, and he graduated 1948. When doing his military service in 1950 he was chosen as valet to the commanding officer of the Main Guard at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Among his tasks was to bring the officer's meals from the royal kitchen. Sture was offered an orange and had to wait outside the kitchen for the food. But he wasn't aloud, himself, to have those royal meals. The officer needed to brush up his French so he and Sture played chess during nights speaking this noble language.
The Old Town. Sture now lives in his own four store block of flats in the middle of Stockholm, in the Old Town at the Main Square (very fashionable!) and has plenty of space for all his books, files and magazines. His spacious flat can take a number of guests too and Sture is generous host. In January next year Sture is going to the north of the country, to Jukkasjärvi to spend a night in a cool bed in the Ice-hotel. This was one of the presents he had on his 70 years anniversary. The first time I met Sture was on one of those society trips in 1978. We meet quite a lot on other society gatherings too, both being members in quite a few societies. I think I know Sture pretty well by now and he is a really good and considerate friend. Sture thinks and has so expressed from time to time, that someone living in Södertälje should be chairman. A chairman ship takes time, attending board meetings and desk work Sture thinks somebody else could do just as well, but he realizes everybody have their own tasks besides working for a living. Still, it's not just work, but also a good deal of fun Sture ends the conversation, and he promises to go on being chairman as long as the society wants him and he himself has the energy - and that could very well be some more years.
Picture: Sture shows His Majesty the King of Sweden around onboard Ejdern

Text: Sara Axelsson
Translation: Birgitta Bengtsson

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