Ukes4Fun Blog and Website

The blog posts are mostly updates about Ukes4Fun sessions and songbooks, news about other uke sessions in the area plus occasional forays into whimsy and info from the wider ukeniverse.  (The most frequent blog posts are reminders about dates and times for the Sunday sessions, as these sessions are not every week.  Unless they contain other information that does not go out of date, I delete these posts when they are out of date.)

You can find the most recent blog posts on the “home page” here: https://ukes4fun.org.uk/

There are navigation links to other pages, to important blog posts, to whole categories of posts and to external sites.  They move around when the blog “theme” changes so it is best if I just say: look around and you will find them.

There are contact details on this page: Ukes4Fun: Who-What-Where-When-Why?

Sessions, Performances and Gigs

We don’t do gigs as “Ukes4Fun” – just sessions. (Here is some info about what happens at sessions.)

There is also list of recent FAQ’s here: Ukes4Fun Sessions FAQ

However, there have been a handful of performances over the years where everyone has been invited to participate, for example at events organised by The Cumberland Arms.

Dot leads the sessions and also organises Misspent Uke gigs. When stage space allows, Misspent Uke gig as “Misspent Uke and Friends”.  Then they can draft in assorted Ukes4Fun members, maybe one or more members of The Attic Band (who often attend our sessions) and anyone else they want to ask to take part.  These gigs are usually at private events or fundraising activities organised by charities, churches, etc. where Misspent Uke has been invited to provide entertainment.  If you are interested in booking Misspent Uke for an event, have a word with Dot during the half-time break at a session or you can use the form on the Misspent Uke website contact page.

Apart from these opportunities, there are very occasional invitations or calls for volunteers to participate in gigs organised by other Ukes4Fun members.

Several Ukes4Fun members also gig with other uke clubs and classes in the area or as part of local uke bands or mixed-instrument bands.

If you are interested in finding out about other uke-action in the area, there is:

• a spreadsheet for clubs, classes and groups in the North East and Cumbria
• the Ukers North East Facebook Group (includes members from Cumbria)

Workshops and Education eNews

You do not need to attend Ukes4Fun sessions to come along to these events.
More info and sign up to get notice of workshops and events here:  http://eepurl.com/1k0wr

A bit of history

We started meeting on November 5th 2009 at The Cumberland Arms, at first as a midweek session for members of George Welch‘s Ukulele Allstars.  Meanwhile, the Allstars Sunday afternoon sessions at The Biscuit Factory Art Gallery in Byker continued, initially led by George and then by Dot Kirton, who kindly offered to lead the Ukes4Fun sessions as well. (The Sunday Sessions moved to The Millstone Pub in South Gosforth in 2013).

George, who is also an artist, created “The Ukulele First Step” booklet to help new players.  The Ukulele Allstars last gig was in 2010 and the “musical back bone” for both sessions is now provided by “Misspent Uke” – which rose phoenix-like in late 2010, minus George Welch and Christine Jeans, who now wow far and wide as a uketastic duo.

Wondering who writes this stuff?

Lizzie

Happy uking, have fun and Plink No evil, Plonk No Evil, Strum No Evil!

WiffleGif

Last updated: 1 March 2014