Worksop sees first ukulele festival with DukeFest 2022

A group of ukulele enthusiasts held their first ukulele jamboree in Worksop over the weekend, attracting people from across the country and as far as the USA.
Kirsty Hamilton
By Kirsty Hamilton
Published 7th Jul 2022, 16:16 BST
Updated 8th Jul 2022, 10:27 BST

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The winning ball bash players were awarded with trophies.The winning ball bash players were awarded with trophies.
The winning ball bash players were awarded with trophies.

Over 90 ukulele players came together in a day of strumming good tunes and musical games in Worksop’s first ukulele festival at Worksop Cricket and Sports Club on July 3.

The sell-out event was organised by Worksop-based Dukeries Ukeries Ukulele Group, a group which came to be in the digital age of lockdown in 2020.

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Led by Amanda Crossland and John Dook, the ‘Duke Ukes’ team worked hard over the last few months to put the event together and were ‘over the moon’ with the end result.

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The event was described as a ‘blast’, with many people meeting lockdown friends for the first time.

The day included a variety of performances, play along sessions, workshop activities and other entertainment, including a world-first Ukulele Ball Bash with fun trophies for the winners.

A raffle was held to raise money for the East Midlands branch of The Ukulele Project, a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to use the ukulele to bring people together, build communities and combat loneliness.

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The organisers are grateful to Worksop Charter Trustees for funding the hire of a stage for the day and were delighted that the Worksop Charter Mayor Neil Sanders was able to come along and witness the action.

Worksop Mayor Neil Sanders had a go at ball bash with a ukulele bat.Worksop Mayor Neil Sanders had a go at ball bash with a ukulele bat.
Worksop Mayor Neil Sanders had a go at ball bash with a ukulele bat.

A spokesperson from Dukeries Ukeries said: “The event far exceeded our expectations and feedback has been excellent.

"From the first note to the last, the view from the stage was a sea of smiles.

"It was a pleasure to host such a wonderful event with so many talented and enthusiastic people, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back again next year.”

Anyone interested in more information on the Dukeries Ukeries group can follow them through their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DukeriesUkeries.

For more information about The Ukulele Project see: https://ukuleleproject.co.uk/.

Related topics:WorksopUSA