Ukulele Festival of Great Britain...

Ukulele Festival of Great Britain...Yes thats why we were in Cheltenham over the bank holiday. I had intended this post to go up a bit sooner but I was quickly felled by a yucky sickness bug that I am still getting over so this has been written, a little at a time over the last week or so.

Anyway, we were in Cheltenham to attend our very first Ukulele Fest, ok, I know I don't play but the man himself does so I agreed to go as long as I could take my own toys..hehe . Cheltenham was all dressed up ready for the Jubilee celebrations, bunting accross the streets, union flags in the shop windows, red white and blue just about everywhere.

We arrived late on the Friday night but still managed to grab a drink and a uke down at the designated festival pub before retiring for a good nights sleep .

By morning we were intent on finding our way to the Cheltenham Town Hall to meet the other musicians and have a wander round the stalls.

To say that there were ukes of all shapes and sizes was not really an exaggeration!! These are just a few of the ones on offer!!
During the afternoon there were performances in the theatre and workshops running in the other rooms, as Ian was taking a workshop with Manitoba Hal I made myself comfy in the cafe area where I could hear what was happening in the theatre and do a little people watching. You could tell who had just been in a workshop as they would sit and go over and over the same technique until they had got it nailed.
Did I mention that I took my own toys? of course! as usual I had a few people watching me as well as I sat in the corner with my spinning wheel. Usual question was why bring it to a uke fest..answer I don't play uke :-) certainly provided interest for many of them.

 The wheel was returned to the hotel late afternoon with a decent amount of merino/silk on the bobbin and we headed back to grab a meal and find seats for the evening concert with the other members of the Nottingham Ukulele Orchestra.

 The theatre was dressed for the occasion

 amongst the many acts appearing were the re-entrants who this time played a selection of rock classics although I sort of wish they had played Lady Gaga as well.


I had had chance to speak to one of the guys in the afternoon....yes they both remembered me from a gig on Nottingham where the sight of me spinning on a drop spindle sort of brought things to a halt!!that gig had turned into a long night out chatting to them before and after the show.

This is Manitoba Hal who lead the Blues workshop in the afternoon.

 

And these are The Hot Potato Syncopators...this video is by our very own BikerTed


The finale seemed to involve throwing a lot of paper aeroplanes around !!

to be continued!