Small Strings - Festival of 1000 Ukes

This evening I went to an event in Reading called 'The Festival of 1000 Ukes' - a mini Ukulele Festival, hosting a dozen or so ukulele bands, large and small.  Pictured here is Reading's own Small Strings Band.  A friend of mine plays bass for the band and I had been wanting to hear them for ages - I finally got my chance tonight.  And so much fun it was too!  

I particularly love the ukulele because I come from a bit of a ukulele-playing family myself!  I grew up with my mom playing, and my grandmother and her brother also played.  My sister has my mother's uke and I have my grandmothers, although I didn't realise that it was hers until I found a picture of her holding it a few years ago (from the 1920s).  I even have a stack of grandma's music sheets for ukulele from the same era.  One of these days I will learn to play it, but in the meantime I very much enjoyed the ukulele twanging from tonight.    

Headlining this evening's festival were Ben Rouse, who was amazing - I've been listening to some of his music online today, and also Vix & her MsChiefs who were really foot-stomping fun to watch and listen to!