In 2016, 3 people used to get together for lunch once a month. At these lunches, they would play their Ukes and sing a few songs. As the year drew to a close, it was mooted that the trio could play their Ukes and sing Christmas songs and carols at that year’s Havenstreet Community Centre Christmas event. That night the seeds were sown for the formation of a Ukulele group.
On the evening of January 17th 2017, around 8 people assembled themselves in the Committee room of the Community Centre. Initially the idea was to learn some chords (drawn meticulously on the rear of some wall paper) and then learn a song, using learnt chords. Funnily enough, nobody wanted to sing (other than MD). The MD then thought that perhaps teaching “Tab” would further the group and brought “Ode to Joy” to play. This proved just as obscure. At this stage the group decided that singing was to be the way forward. Joy of joys for the MD and the group got stuck into a few songs.
From strength to strength, the group did another Christmas event at the Community Centre 2017 and then background entertainment at various Centre events following that.
Obviously the group members have changed over the years. However, we have kept a core of players and these have remained, even after all the problems with Covid pandemic. On the famous Thursdays when everyone came out to applaud the NHS, the Havenstreet Ukulele group would be socially distanced in a group members front garden, playing “Doctor Jazz”. “Zoom” played an important part in keeping the group playing and socially together..
Since coming out of the pandemic and finally back together playing at practice sessions, we have had quite a few opportunities to play gigs and have been well received. We now customise all the songs we do, making them easy to learn for new members and these all now reside within our songs section page, since we dragged ourselves into the 21st century and got ourselves a website.
No looking back now!!!