OTLEY CARNIVAL 2015

WE DID IT! AGAIN! We’re so so happy that we came FIRST in the Adult Float Category at Otley Carnival 20th June 2015. I would like to say a huge, huge thank you to everyone who helped from brainstorming ideas, tearing up thousands of pieces of red tissue paper, making a giant drum/palm tree/backdrop, carried stuff from The Woolpack to the float, plugged in microphones, made a massive effort with the costumes and strummed and sang like you life depended on it!

You are all truly ukulele legends. We had such a fun day 🙂

Photos courtesy of Andy Hoyle of Otley Camera Club

Preparations…

The calm before the storm (Thanks to Simon C for the photo!)

GROUP SHOT

The Dalek tried to take our Trophy!

News Just In!

OTLEY CARNIVAL 20th JUNE 2015

I can’t wait until Carnival day – it’s going to be so much fun… seeing everyone in their fancy dress! 🙂

I’m also excited to tell you that we have just confirmed a Carnival aftershow party at Whitakers from 4pm on Carnival day – hope you can make it!

WOO HOO for Carnival Day!

BUNKULELE 2016

I have just secured the Grasington Bunk Barn for the weekend 24th-26th June 2016. It’s right in the middle of the Grassington Festival – really hope you can join us as it was so much fun this year… there’ll be lots of opportunity to play and have fun together. Put the dates in your diary!

18th May 2015

It was brilliant to welcome back Manitoba Hal to Otley this weekend. He did a very informative and theory based workshop on how to change any song into any key. It was all about the circle of fifths and I really took some practical tips away from it. I always find that songs are not in a good key for me to sing so always spend ages trying to work out how to transpose a song for the group. After the workshop we had a strum-a-long with Roundhay Ukulele Group, which is always fun! Manitoba Hal then performed songs from his new album “Dancing In The Moonlight”. He uses loops and a double necked guitar to get lots of texture into his performance. It was truly captivating.

Manitoba Hal live at Korks

A big thank you to Korks for hosting the evening.

You can check out more about Manitoba Hal here…
http://www.manitobahal.com/

At our session this week we looked at some new songs…

No Woman No Cry – Bob Marley and The Wailers
I’m A Believer – The Monkees
Weather With You – Crowded House

We have been practising the songs with multiple parts and lovely harmony singing too. It was sounding really lovely!

In the 8pm session we focussed on the Carnival songs

Lovely Rita
Getting Better
Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
With a Little Help From My Friends

But they are sounding so great all ready I think they might stay in the set for good!!! They are really fun to play!

Remember there is no session next week for the Bank Holiday and our next gig is on 30th May at Nell Bank Ilkley for Disability Rocks. We’ll be on between 1pm -3pm. Here is the set list!

OUO MAY 2015

We’ve loads coming up in June so hopefully see you very soon!

🙂

9th February 2015

What a cracking weekend we had!

Friday evening was the Strum Like George Formby workshop led by John Bramall – it was a fun but challenging evening! I hope we can organise a follow on class as it was really good to learn new techniques. A big thank you to all who attended – we raised £115 towards our Youth Music project here at The Woolpack Studios.

The Triple Strum!

On Saturday we played for the Dry Stone Wall Associations 15th Anniversary at Weston Lane Social, which was really fun. We were welcomed by lovely people and had amazing food too! Big thanks to everyone who played – it sounded really good. All the practise has paid off!

On Stage at Weston Lane Social Club

At last night’s sessions we looked at a few new songs as well as ones we have worked on for a while including

7pm-8pm
From Me To You
Little Things Mean A Lot
Close To You

8pm-9pm
It’s My Party
Walk Like An Egyptian
Have a listen to my demo here…

COMING UP!

Our first official weekend away is this FRIDAY! Expect a few photos and stories from BUNKULELE soon 🙂 If you’re in Grassington this weekend then come and say hello from 3pm at The Forresters Arms where we will be playing.

We’ll be playing at Tealbeck on the 23rd February so there will be no 7pm – 8pm session that day. All are welcome to come and play though! Here are the songs we are doing…

TEALBECK FEB 2015

And the application is in for this year’s CARNIVAL!!!!! So excited. Keep 20th June free. I finally got round to having the shield engraved from last year!

OUR NAME IN SILVER!

See y’all soon!

Otley Carnival & Otley Walking Festival – That was one AWESOME weekend!

What an incredible weekend of Ukulele fun?!

Saturday was the Carnival… and WE WON FIRST PRIZE in the Adult Group Category!

I have to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who helped decorate the float, those of you who gave up your time and your homes and gardens to make, paint and create a little piece of Hawaii! I couldn’t have done it without you.

There are so many great pictures of everyone…

And on Sunday there was the ‘Follow The Strings’ – The Walking Festival tour of our town’s wonderful pubs. We visited The Fleece, The Horse and Farrier and The White Swan – thank you to all the staff who put up with 70 + strummers and walkers who descended upon them!

We raised £70 for the Walking Festival so WELL DONE EVERYONE! THANK YOU!

(THANK YOU TO ANDY HOYLE – OTLEY CAMERA CLUB)

(THANK YOU TO ANDY HOYLE – OTLEY CAMERA CLUB)

(THANK YOU TO ANDY HOYLE – OTLEY CAMERA CLUB)

So, back to business!!

We had a great session last night looking at the songs we will be playing for our friends at Tealbeck next week (30th)

These are the songs we will be playing
TEALBECK 30.06.14

 

Here is a video of us playing Bicycle Race! Massive THANK YOU to John Christmas for filming and editing the video!

 

I need to go and have a lie down in a dark room!

See you soon
🙂

19th May 2014

We had a really busy weekend of OUO activity!

On Saturday we drove over to Rowntree Park in York to help entertain the Environment Agency at their Summer Fair. It was a glorious afternoon and we played lots of songs for them as they soaked up the rays. It was really good fun. Thank you to everyone who came to play. It was just a shame i didn’t get a go on the bouncy castle! Here are some photographic highlights…

On Sunday, a few of us played for the Singing for the Brain Cafe at The Courthouse. We sure made a lot of noise for only 9 ukuleles (BIG thanks to YOU!) and got everyone singing along with us.

There are lots of events to get involved with over the next couple of months… make sure to keep up to date by looking at the GIGS and CALENDARS tab at the top of each blog page. Here are the next important dates though

1st June – Manitoba Hal gig at Korks (6pm)
2nd June – Hope and Social session
7th June – Hope and Social gig
21st June – Otley Carnival – get your HAWAIIAN THEMED outfits and accessories NOW!!
22nd June – Otley Walking Festival
28th June – Haworth Ukulele Festival (we’ll be playing Saturday afternoon)

PHEW!

REMEMBER THERE IS NO SESSION ON BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY so see you on the 2nd!

🙂