VIP visits Helsinki tent
Finland's First Grand Sheik Visits Helsinki Oasis #392
Me and My Pal Tent - Finland's newest oasis
On Saturday, 24 October, Finland's first Grand Sheik, Henry Grahn of *Below Zero* #215, honoured our tent with a visit, sharing stories of his lifelong affection for Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.
Henry first discovered the boys at the tender age of ten, when the Finnish Broadcasting Company began regular television broadcasts in January 1958. Among the programmes shown were Laurel and Hardy shorts, screened from 16mm film prints.
Young Henry was so enthusiastic about the boys that his mother had a poster of Stan and Ollie specially made for his bedroom wall.
In 1998, Henry and Uolevi Kyyrö founded the *Below Zero* tent. Uolevi had already been a member of the Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy Club back in the late 1930s!
Uolevi Kyyrö and Henry Grahn at the International Convention in Birmingham, 1998
During our meeting, we watched footage filmed by *Below Zero* Vice Sheik Uolevi Kyyrö at the 11th UK Convention in Birmingham in 1998. Uolevi sadly passed away in 2016, which made watching his film particularly touching. It felt like a gift from the other side, preserved for future generations.
Several familiar faces appeared in the footage, including John and Mandy from *Laughing Gravy*, Phil Ruston from *Way Out West* and Gareth Evans from *Helpmates*.
The video also included a long panoramic shot of the old Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston, featuring its curator Marion Grave, as well as a shot of the plaque marking Stan Laurel's birthplace.
Henry and AJ
Grand Sheik Henry Grahn told us how he managed to come third in the Stan and Ollie quiz at the Birmingham Convention by recruiting AJ Marriott to his team over a beer. In fact, AJ Marriott was the only member *Below Zero* ever recruited! Other members included the famous Laurel and Hardy collector Tauno Sinkkonen and the celebrated Finnish comedian Vesa-Matti Loiri.
Tauno and Henry
Interestingly enough, *Below Zero* never held a single meeting.
According to our tent's rules, we can grant honorary membership to anyone who meets three requirements: they must already belong to another Sons of the Desert tent, own a fez of their own and have done something to benefit our tent.
Henry Grahn became an honorary member of Helsinki Oasis #392 on 19 April 2026. Our other honorary member is Henry's good friend Roger Robinson of the *Saps at Sea* tent in Southend.
Roger and Henry
We were delighted to experience the arrival of the Sons of the Desert in Finland through Henry's stories. We watched *Berth Marks*, *Below Zero* and *Saps at Sea*, three films that each had a special connection to the history of the *Below Zero* tent.
It truly was a night to remember!
Pekka Lehtosaari