Grand Northern Ukulele Festival 2015 - Got A Ukulele Diary

Another year another ukulele festival...... Hang on, that sounds dismissive, that's not what I meant. For anyone who has ever been to a GNUF event before, this is not just another ukulele festival, it's a return to what I think is the best ukulele festival there is.  So, eight months later, in a new earlier calendar slot, my third Grand Northern Ukulele Festival Diary.

Still in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, this year GNUF once again looked to develop itself further. 2014 was a huge event on the worlds ukulele calendar, headlined as it was by the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain, but if there is one thing I have learned in the last few years about these organisers it's this. They DON'T rest on their laurels. They wanted to build further on 2014 to create another world class event, and I think they did just that. Heck, I won't even go with the usual pattern of building things up for the reader in order to give you the final, cheesy knockout punch that tells you what I thought. I'll say it right away. This was the best yet. By far.

This will be a long blog post, go grab yourself a coffee and read at your leisure!

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Grand Northern Ukulele Festival - Diary 2014

The dust settles and WHAT a weekend to look back on. Time for me to share my memories of this fantastic event - the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival 2014 held in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, UK.

FRIDAY

A slow start for me heading up to Huddersfield on what should have been a 90 minute journey. My thanks go out to the Department Of Transport for kindly laying on road works on every single stretch of road on my route, meaning my trip was more like 200 minutes. I arrived, road weary but immediately uplifted in the hotel bar seeing many old friends, main stage acts and thoughts of a night in the town.

The (un) official opening evening for the festival was arranged for the Head Of Steam pub in Huddersfield - a smashing real ale venue that had been the choice of a range of pre festival events for the GNUF team during the summer. On arrival I was greeted to a completely full front room that was already in full swing with a uke jam in progress.

Friday Jam in the Head Of Steam

Some beers later and the evening entertainment started with some beautiful playing from Lionel K Hubert in solo mode, and thereafter, the stage was taken over by other GNUF acts giving it what for.

Lionel K Hubert

With a late night ahead, retirement beckoned to the hotel bar, and 'late' does not really do it justice. Needless to say I had about two hours sleep before needing to get down to Huddersfield Town Hall the next day (same day?) for the start of the main event. Safe in the protection of my blog I blame Tim and Jake Smithies of Dead Mans Uke for leading me astray.... (my own free will doesn't come into it..)

SATURDAY

So, early start and a trek down to the Town Hall with a bunch of loan ukuleles that have featured on this blog that I needed to hand back. Wristbands picked up, hellos to the organising team.  Its when you look into the programme that you realise just how much was actually going on this weekend. My apologies in advance, but I cannot include everyone in this diary. I really wanted to get a broad view of the variety at GNUF this year so please don't take it to heart if you are a workshopper or performer and I couldn't fit you in!

GNUF were keen this year to introduce more acts and another venue to the festival so had introduced the Festival Fringe, taking place at a rather wonderful record store in Huddersfield. The Fringe was also FREE to locals and really did create a kind of inclusive vibe to the event across the town. I managed to get there in time for Dead Mans Uke who absolutely blasted the place with a superb set. You may have seen pictures of them on this site, but you have to go see them - its only when their music starts and Jakes bass kicks in that you will really 'get it'. The venue was rammed and their reception was hot. Other artists on the Fringe Stage included Peter Moss, Lionel Hubert, Phil Doleman, Ukulelezaza and Michael Adcock, but with my young daughter in tow it was time for her lunch and for me to return to the HQ before the main stage opened.

Dead Mans Uke

This also gave me time to pop my head into a few workshops (and there was some serious variety here too - not just how to play lessons, but really interactive stuff like learning to play and sing with Tricity Vogue and The Mersey Belles, or making your own recording with the Mother Ukers). I also had a bit of time now to explore the Market place - a must for any uke festival. Such beautiful instruments on display - I could have spent a fortune.  Sadly for me I am keeping the collection static for the time being, but I did come away with some loan ukes that will be featuring on the reviews section in the near future!

Del Rey Jug Band Blues Party workshop

Team SUS at the marketplace

Opening the main stage were 'Some Like It Ossett' comprising Tony Casey from the GNUF team plus Jacqui Wicks, Joe Grant- Mills and Ralph Dartford. They went down extremely well and have a smashing sound. Then an act that will be featuring on Got A Ukulele very soon in the form of the Mersey Belles with their absolutely top drawer close harmony singing. In fact, as you will read on below, they offered their singing skills to festival visitors with their singing workshop too.

The Mersey Belles

Next up, an act who I was really pleased had come to GNUF. I last saw Krabbers at N'Ukefest 2014 and his beautiful (and funny) songs were really appreciated by the audience and sounded just great.

Closing the first half of the concert were a band I have been dying to see for years - Mother Ukers. I think a lot of the audience may not have known what to expect here, but the reception they were given was tremendous. And why was that? Well they just exude energy, fun and talent. Pop covers like you have not heard before!  Loved it.

Mother Ukers

Mother Ukers Barnaby has his light bulb moment

A short break and then an act I have also been wanting to see for a long time. I first hooked up with Tricity Vogue some years ago on this site, but had never seen her perform live. This year she was at GNUF with her 'All Girl Swing Band' and WOW. Just WOW. They absolutely lit up the room with their sound, talent and energy. Originals, retro styled pop numbers and the wonderful tap dancing of Josephine Shaker (at one point dressed as a penguin!) blew the audience away. A REAL highlight of my festival weekend with no doubt.

Tricity Vogue All Girl Swing Band

You know how a good festival should have one of those artists who just captures the room? Well say hello to Zoë Bestel who had the audience open mouthed with the quality of her performance and sublime vocals. Seriously people, watch this space with Zoë as she will be going on to much much bigger things in a very short space of time, I am sure of it. No word of a lie, there were people in the audience in tears.

Zoë Bestel

Next up, a man who is probably the most experienced performer at the festival in Mr Andy Eastwood.  Dare I use the word 'extravaganza'? Andy is a multi instrumentalist (in fact I am not sure there is much he CAN'T play) who put on a high energy performance which left the audience speechless. There are those who just pin the act as a 'Formby thing' but that misses out SO much. Yes he plays a banjolele, but you need to hear his work on wooden uke, violin and more. Mesmerising musicianship.

Andy Eastwood

Finally, the Saturday headliner, Del Rey. I have known who Del Rey is, but I will be honest and state that I had not seen much of her work on video. I am so glad she was there though. Appearing on stage with Adam Franklin this was a set of such talent, mainly on resonator instruments, but also guitars, or both. If you like your fingerpicked jazz and blues with style and humour this was the set for you. I totally adored it.

Del Rey with Adam Franklin

And finally - an all star jam  saw the performers re join the stage for a hugely fun play out to the end of the night.

And with that, the night came to a close. More jam sessions were on their way in the pub, but I (please see above, 2 hours sleep remember...) needed to retreat to the hotel bar for a nightcap with a couple of the festival organisers and then bed...

SUNDAY

There was me thinking Sunday was a quieter day. Could not have been more wrong!

GNUF team member Robert Collins with a couple of mascots

Back to the Town Hall for the opening session on the main stage with a 'Mashup' of performances between the musical acts which was huge fun. Then on to a performance from a trio of guys I am proud to call good friends - Chonkinfeckle!  I could blog about how Tim got to bed at about 8.00am that day before needing to get to soundcheck for 10.30, but I won't (oops). Yet, they delivered a belting set - in fact they just get better and better the more I see them. This year they were joined on stage on tub bass by GNUF team member Paul McCann and Mia Lynch (her first time on stage) for a couple of songs and got a great reception from the crowd.

Chonkinfeckle

Next up, more good friends in the shape of The Anything Goes Orchestra. They tore the roof off the venue in their GNUF 2013 show did so again this year. They perform such a lively and tight set it really is hard not to dance (either in your seat, or in this case in the aisles and in front of the stage).  Electric performance with good humour and great songs.

The Anything Goes Orchestra

TAGO

A quick but important word here about Heidi Bang Tidy, the compere for the weekend, and who was the perfect choice. So funny, and equally happy to joke at audience members as she was with performers. She just sparkles and keeps the thing moving with lots of style and good laughs. She even came down to the aisle during the TAGO set to dance with my 4 year old daughter... (her highlight of the whole weekend!).

Heidi Bang Tidy

And with that, the Town Hall came to a temporary close as the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain had arrived. Not only did they need to sound check, but they were also running a workshop in the hall.  But that didn't mean that the festival came to a close.

Just outside the Huddersfield Gallery and library, Space to Create had set up a marquee at the Piazza where more performances took place including shows from Ben Rouse (blistering) and Vonck and Vlam (spellbinding) amongst other workshops and open mic slots.

Vonck and Vlam

Ben Rouse

As for this blogger, my day was not over as I had been asked to join the judging panel for the Mersey Belles busk off performance. Earlier in the festival the Belles had each worked separately with two workshop groups to learn and perform 'Tonight You Belong To Me'. Each group had been taught the vocal part of one of the Belles, and then came together to perform the whole song. I think they thought of me as a Simon Cowell type (grumpy blogger that I am), but in reality their performances were superb and it was huge fun to be a part of.

Mersey Belles Busk Off performance

5pm brought the act that all had been waiting for - the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain. Sadly for me, a combination of being dead on my feet and day job commitments the next morning meant I had to bid my farewell to Huddersfield. Needless to say though, social media this morning has been FULL of compliments for their amazing set to close the festival. They even ended up performing in the hotel bar with other festival goers and performers. How cool?

So GNUF 2014 closes. In my book this one topped last year, and in fact has topped any uke festival I have been to.  It's all about the 'feel' that the organising team put onto the event and a very clever choice of acts and mix of workshops and ideas. This is far more than just a hall you turn up to and watch some ukulele performances. There were things at every turn, and acts to delight all sorts of tastes. And of course there were NO egos here. The main acts really threw themselves into affairs and mingled and mixed with the crowds. I for one was so pleased to catch up with old friends and make new ones, and having had a bit of an iffy ukulele time recently the very warm words from many mean an awful lot to me.  Well done to all of the organisers of this event and long may it continue!

The Main Hall

In fact, as for it continuing - the date has been set for 2015 already with a return to Huddersfield on 22-24 May! Early bird tickets are now available on the link below! And what a line up it looks to be - Manitoba Hal, Aaron Keim, Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee, Phil Doleman, Zoë Bestel, Chonkinfeckle, Dead Mans Uke and many more.

Grab your tickets now!!  http://www.northernuke.com/2015-festival/



Until next year!

GNUF 2015 flyer

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Grand Northern Ukulele Festival Diary - GNUF Day 2

GNUF DAY 2! Well, as you read yesterday, Day 1 at the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival was a blast, even if it did find me posting my diary report through the fog of a hangover... But with that blog posted and some breakfast wolfed down, it was back to Pontefract Town Hall for Day 2 - could it be even better?

There is something quite amusing about starting your second day at a festival which followed a very 'good' night - you realise most people are walking around in the same sort of daze that you are! (I say most people - some were sensible!!). That also explains why I made the complete mistake of not charging the camera battery and as such my pics from Day 2 are taken with a cameraphone. Unforgiveable as a blogger, but I blame Tim Cooke, Les Hilton, Mike Warren and Paul Redfern who 'forced' me to be propping the bar up until late the night before (just kidding fellas!)

So in we go and some more hello's to new faces and a chat about the day before with old. I suspect this blog post will serve to be a little more reflective than Day 1, mainly because I have more time to write it! But on that point, the common theme people seemed to agree on about GNUF - it was about as friendly and inclusive as a festival or get together could be. Everywhere you turned, people were smiling, chatting and making new introductions. Had a real nice 'feel' to it.

I popped back in to the Grand Bazaar stall area which had changed around a little. The guys at Southern Ukulele Store needed to head back the day before, but Omega Music had expanded their stall (or so it seemed) and were having a great day, including selling a Godin Multiuke that you know I like so much. Omega's range of ukes is really starting to grow well and was good to see them as dealers for Bruko and carrying quite a range of their ukes.

Matt on the Omega Music Stand

Meanwhile on the MainStage, Krabbers was leading the 'Unplug The Wood' session to the audience. This is a great idea and stems from what he does with a club at home. On stage were a trio of performers, amplified, and next to them a large projected songbook. They led the singing and playing and the audience joined in - kind of the perfect club jam but on a huge scale. It went down really well and I thought the choice of songs was inspiring as it was miles away from the usual ukulele songbook which seems to be repeated through so many clubs.

Unplug The Wood

Next up, and possibly with the award for the greatest band name ever were the Leeds duo that are 'Ukulele Bitchslap', delivering a witty set of ironic / sarcastic covers which had the audience smiling. Nicely done.

Some more time now mooching around the venue and catching up with people. And yet again, everyone you spoke to was reflecting on what a great event it had been. Those stalls really are alluring, and over the weekend arranged with Matt at Saigon Guitars to take a look at his Noah Ukes on Got A Ukulele (watch this space!). It was also good to see some new traders such as Eagle Music and a homebrew beer stall! And what a genius idea it was to get a nail bar at a uke festival! They did a roaring trade, and were christened Ukunaile by Clarice Wokes!

Simon Grove taking advantage of the nail bar

Outside I spotted the compere for Day 1, Martyn 'Eek' Cooper being told by Uke Box's Marko van der Horst remarking that his oversize jumper didn't quite fit... He then quickly saw to that!

Eek and Marko get close

A word about the compères for the weekend. It's essential to get good people to this job, to keep the thing moving between acts and inject some humour into proceedings. They did that in spades, and really entertained the crowd. Special mention goes to Heidi Bang Tidy, the queen of burlesque who compèred the second day. She was funny / naughty and just great to listen to. Oh, and she was also responsible for calling out the raffle prize winners in which I bagged a rather nice thin body Ohana Tenor uke!! (People - there is a comments box below for you to deliver the jealous notes..... just kidding).

Back in the main hall, Emily Scott delivered a quite beautiful, laid back, melancholic set, accompanied by strings which was rather nice and had those 'pin drop' moments going on in the hall. Emily is based in Glasgow and is worth checking out.

Emily Scott

And before you know it, it was time for the final act to close the festival. For that you need something that is going to send people home with a bang. Boy did the organisers deliver on that front. To the stage came Sheffield based five piece The Anything Goes Orchestra. This is a band who play a range of songs with a leaning towards more old time numbers delivered with fire and style. And the audience got that by the bucketload.

TAGO - (L-R Doc Strong, Tim Smithies, Dave Thornett (drums), Mighty Mo, Jake The Shake)

Rocking!

From the first track the whole room was jumping, punters were jiving in the aisles, clapping, singing along. Their stagecraft is just superb and you can see them really enjoying themselves, ribbing each other during songs and generally having a great time. And it's quite beyond my how Jake 'The Shake" Smithies manages to play double bass so well and so tightly whilst doing everything with it apart from swinging it around his head - brilliant. And to top it all off, they finished their set to a raucous, noisy, footstamping call for an encore that the organisers just couldn't ignore despite working to a tight deadline.  What more can I say? Well, I am going to stick my neck out here: I loved Day 1, and there were some stellar performances, but the TAGO set was, for me, the act of the festival - I could have watched them all night, and I'd urge you to try to see them if you can.

All good things must come to an end, and the stage then filled with the performers from the weekend, together with organisers and volunteers to lead the whole room with a playalong. Led by Phil Doleman, the whole room joined in to the Beatles 'Little Help From My Friends'.  What a great end.

The closing song

Happy punters

Out on to the drizzly streets of Pontefract, hugs and goodbyes to friends old and new, getting jostled by people carrying workshop diddly bows and washtub basses, a smile on every single face. In my opinion, a total success.  And as something that just developed from a conversation organised by Mary Agnes Krell, she and her team should be completely proud of themselves. They pleased the audience, they worked tirelessly behind the scenes in the months beforehand to bring it together. They also worked with local charities to put something back into the community such as the Pontefract Miners Recreation Charity and Faceless Arts. So a thank you from this blogger to Mary, Tony Casey, Rob Collins, Lou Armer, Paul McCann and Kris Ball, as well as all the volunteers who helped you (yes that's another mention to you Clarice Wokes!).

Same time next year? Yes please!

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Grand Northern Ukulele Festival Diary - GNUF DAY 1

Well, here I am, holed up in a hotel room in Yorkshire, early morning, head a little fuzzy (re-phrase that - head pounding somewhat) and a ukulele blogger is looking over his photographs and memories from the first day of a brand new UK ukulele festival. And what a day it was! The Grand Northern Ukulele Festival! Most commonly known as GNUF

12 October saw the official opening of the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival in Pontefract, UK - a new event on the UK calendar and (at long last) a ukulele festival on a large scale for the north of England. So early Saturday morning myself and a couple of the band hit the motorways to head for Ponte not knowing quite what to expect, (although being the brainchild of the likes of Mary Agnes Krell, Tony Casey etc, we knew this had promise!)

The event was put on with Arts Council Funding in Pontefract, as a town in need of investment and, how can I put this, a ton of ukulele players descending on it out of the blue... Proceedings were mainly based in the (gorgeous) Town Hall, with the staple festival workshops elsewhere in the town. On arrival I noticed a nice addition - an open mic (or rather, an 'Open No Mic') run by the wonderful Krabbers taking place outside down from the hall to the delight of the crowd of uke fans and local shoppers.

In we go and the rush of a festival weekend hits you the moment old friends appear to say 'hi', stories of other events (and of beers the night before) start to do the rounds, recommendations come flying for me to check out some of the ukes on display on the trader stalls, whilst yet more people arrive and the cycle starts again. I'm told the festival completely sold out this year. It was certainly buzzing.

the audience settle down to the performances

Some of our party moved on to take place in workshops (which included the likes of playing the blues with Manitoba Hal, Open Tunings with Les Hilton and what appeared to be a hugely popular session in which you could make (and take home to keep) your own washtub bass with Shelley and Marko of Uke Box. For me though it was time to head in to the 'Grand Bazaar' of trader stalls and goodness. Great to see some old friends and contacts such as the guys at Southern Ukulele Store, Ken and Liz at Ohana and Rob Collins at Tinguitar, but also pleasing to see some new names who were at their first ukulele festival such as Eagle Music and Matt from Saigon Guitars. There was some great stuff on display and it is all sorely tempting - particularly the hand made instruments from the likes of Rob. The uke they were all talking about stood proudly on the SUS stand - a handmade tenor from Mike DaSilva in the US. I wont be so crass as to mention prices here but a trip to his website will give you an idea!

Rob Collins of Tinguitar

Jake Smithies with 'THAT' DaSilva ukulele

Soon enough it was time for the performances, and after a lovely introduction from Mary Agnes Krell, we kicked off with something a little more unusual for a festival - the screening of a ukulele film featuring Paul Moore of Ukuleles For Peace with interactive live playing on stage by Francesco Albertazzi - really enjoyable!

Next up for me was an act I have been meaning to see live, but sadly thus far had remained merely an online contact in the form of Lou Armer (also known online as Bossarocker). Her band, Lou And The Llamas had been recommended to me by a few people as an act that have a real style, and also write their own fantastic lyrics. No disappointments from me. As a blog writer one tries to be impartial about gig reviews, and that can be a little difficult sometimes when many performers on stage are also friends. I'd never met Lou before but don't mind admitting now their set of folky, jazzy, bluesy barbed songs was one of my Day 1 highlights. Check them out if you get the chance.

Next to the stage was festival favourite Phil Doleman who's set on stage was as lovely as he is to have a chat with around the festival. Sublime playing with music of all ages (even his oldies from the 17th Century!)

Phil Doleman with Festival organiser Mary Agnes Krell

Phil joined on stage for sound effects by Eek, Tony Casey and Mary Agnes Krell

Next up was a treat for the George Formby fans on the uke circuit with a blistering performance by Mike Warren. This was also the first time I had met Mike in the flesh, and over beers until the early hours can confirm he is a bloody nice guy as well as supremely talented.

Something quite different followed in the performance piece called 'Jake Smithies and his Amazing Gramophone' - actually, make that two gramophones. You really should check out Jake - one of those guys oozing with style and a really nice bloke to boot.

Next was something else the turned out to be a festival highlight for me. I have been in touch with Shelley Rickey of Uke Box pretty much since I started this blog but had never met her before. To see her act with Marco van der Horst on the lineup was therefore a real treat. They didn't disappoint. I think Shelleys voice is sublime, and their ability to throw in a kind of spooky yet romantic sound (via musical saw and toy piano!) gives them a unique stylish sound that wowed the audience. Brilliant stuff.

Shelley Rickey and Marco van der Horst of Uke Box

Splendid sets from Ukulelezaza and Yan Yalego followed then a performance from a duo who have established themselves as something of a 'must see' show on the circuit - Ukulele Uff and Lonesome Dave. Absolutely sensational, as they were the last time I saw them - thrilling old time jazzy numbers performed at terrific pace by a couple of very nice guys. As one of them told me outside post gig - 'we like playing fast cos we like a bit of punk you know?' - That's ok with me fella's!

Ukulele Uff and Lonesome Dave

Next up - thrilled to see good friends Tim and Les of Chonkinfeckle high up the billing and, as I tend to meet up with them at events where we play together, one of the first times I have been able to enjoy their set, properly, as a spectator. The guys are now joined by Peter on keyboards who added a new layer to their sound which I thought worked well, and performed a cracking set full of humour that went down great with the crowd. A real highlight was their 'it's nothing, I've just got something in my eye' moment when they brought on a couple of local kids Joe and Myra to play their track 'You Don't See Nothing Like That' - Joe singing, and Myra on uke.

Chonkinfeckle joined by Joe Grant-Mills and Myra

Tim and Les onstage

Festival co-organiser Tony Casey with Les Hilton

So, a day of beers flowing, chats, laughs, and now it was time for the headliner. And what a real treat. My first time seeing this guy, but I had heard nothing but good reports - Manitoba Hal Brolund. Wow. It's not often you get those performers who just take your breath away, but Hal is a full on 110% bluesman, and he just choosing to do it on the ukulele. He has a delivery that can swing anywhere between a scary sounding growl to the most delicate and pretty as was shown on his track 'Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me'. A wonderful set, and having had a chat with him earlier in the day - every bit as much the nice guy as I had been told he was. Hal had the audience enthralled, and yes, that is a custom double necked ukulele he is playing - jealous!

Hal, mid set

Manitoba Hal with Clarice Wokes

And then it was over (or was it). Reflections on the day, as I sit here with that fuzzy are remembering a really friendly and intimate day. Speaking to one of the organisers on the day, I explained that I was trying to find the right words to describe the 'vibe' the festival had created. I'm still thinking. Kind of came across to me as one of those best friend get togethers, yet where I didn't necessarily know everybody there, but kind of felt like I did by the end of it. The style and feel of the thing was just right, and whilst the organisers were no doubt having kittens at various points backstage, as a mere 'punter' I can inform them that from the audience the whole thing went without a hitch. A great day.

So, of course, we were not sensible, we retired..... to a hostelry..... well into the early hours with Chonkinfeckle, Lou Armer, Mike Warren and half the N'Ukes playing ukes and fuelling the next day hangovers. Huge fun, and as I said - super friendly. Roll on day two!

TAKE A LOOK AT DAY 2 HERE!

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Ukulele Festival Of Great Britain 2013 - Diary, Day 3

Well after all the excitement and stellar performances on the Saturday, our Sunday was a much mellower affair in Cheltenham.

The organisers set up a mass busk in the town (sadly we didn't attend, but I understand it went very well), and various other attendees went to the numerous workshops that were continuing on the Sunday.

For us though, a big breakfast and a lazy morning, then off to the Exmouth Arms for the open mic performances. Thankfully for us, for as long as we stayed the rain held off too!

A nice debrief / setting the world to rights with Phil Doleman and Ian Emmerson, and one by one our friends and guests started arriving. James Hill popped over (and was promptly congratulated on his incredible set) and told us that he thought the end finale of the Saturday night was the best he had ever been involved with. High praise indeed for the organising team.

N'Ukes looking bleary eyed after long weekend!

Three of The N'Ukes did a spot at the open mic which was fun (with percussion kindly provided by Paul Mac of The Bradford Ukes), and N'Uke Steve attended Phil Dolemans fingerpicking workshop which he thoroughly enjoyed. But all too soon it was time to say goodbyes and head home. Made a lot of new friends this weekend (you know who you are), and hooked up again with many old ones too.

The Open Mic gets going

I have pulled a few other random pictures off my camera below to compliment the other festival diary posts I've done over the last few days, but without a doubt my favourite photograph of the weekend is the one below taken by Paul Mac. Here's James Hill with Paul's 'reflecto ukulele' it's priceless!

And from one festival to another, Paul is on the organising committee of the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival in Pontefract on 12-13 October. We will be there and hope to see many of these faces again. Take a look at their website at http://www.northernuke.com and get yourselves booked!

So.... until then!

Reso uke!

N'Ukes jamming with Simon Grove

Ken Middleton

With friend of Got A Ukulele - Jamie Wright (was good to meet you buddy!)

Ready to watch the performances

Simon Grove applauding the (rather brilliant) finale song

CHECK OUT MY OTHER DIARY POSTS ABOUT CHELTENHAM HERE!

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