A taste of tradition has given a group of students starting their year of study in Norwich a culinary welcome to their new home.
The Norwegian high school students are the first group to come to the sixth form college at City College Norwich as part of the Heltberg International School initiative, which is supported by the Norwegian government.
They arrived in the UK last Thursday and were given an action-packed morning of induction activities at City College Norwich, which included a game of dodge ball and getting to cook and eat fish and chips, complete with mushy peas, in the college's Debut Café.
The group then spent the afternoon on a guided tour of Norwich to explore the city that will be their home for the next 10 months.
The students will be studying three AS levels alongside their sixth form counterparts at the college, and will also take courses in English, maths, history, a modern foreign language and Norwegian.
Among the visiting students is Ane Bårdsen, 17, who comes from the town of Haugesund, on Norway's west cost.
She said: 'I want to come back to university in England and I thought it was a great opportunity to come here and see the country and see if I want to come back and stay a bit longer.'
Sunniva Fatland, 16, from Sandeid, also on the west coast of Norway, said: 'I came here mostly to improve my English and to become more independent on my own without my parents. I've always wanted to travel away for a year and England is perfect for me because it is close to my home, so I can travel home if I want to.'
Commenting on her first impressions of Norwich, Sunniva said: 'Everything is quite similar, especially the houses. I like the culture. The weather is like Norway, just not as cold as in Norway. I'm very excited to be here.'
Following the half-day orientation to City College Norwich, Ane said: 'It seems like a great college. It's a lot bigger than our schools back in Norway. It's very professional and people seem very friendly, so that's nice.'
Steve Guratsky, head of the Sixth Form Centre, City College Norwich, said: 'It's a good opportunity for the Norwegian students to study abroad for a year, but it's also good for our students to learn alongside students from outside the UK.'
Do you have a story for Local Life? Email localife@archant.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here