Plymstock & District

Ukulele

An American lady Lydia Pinkham (1819-1883) invented a home-made remedy which she claimed would ‘cure entirely the worst form of Female Complaints’. Few people could afford doctors’ medical fees at the time, and she found a ready market for her product. Her vegetable compound became one of the best-known patent medicines of the 19th century. The extent of the remedy’s promotion, nature, and claims spawned a bawdy drinking song known as The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham. You don’t want to know the details of the female ailments versed.

A century later, the song resurfaced in a cleaned-up version. A recording by UK group The Scaffold in 1968 became a no.1 hit in UK charts. Should you need a cure for freckles, sticky out ears, or s-s-stammering, Lily the Pink has the medicinal compound.

The ukulele has grown dramatically in popularity in recent years. Its small size makes it easily portable and stowable. Having 4-strings, it is less complex and less expensive than 6-string guitars of comparative quality. Easier to play, the ukulele has a soft, warm sound, enhanced by combination with other instruments in a ukulele group. We practise on a wide repertoire of well-known songs. Buying a uke is fairly cheap so there is not a lot of expenditure up front. If you are interested give us a ring or email us and arrange to come with or without a uke and join in the singing or just listen and see if you would enjoy it.

We play a range of well known songs from the 50's onwards many of which you can join in with once you know four or five chords. We have gained some new members recently and we are supporting them to quickly get to a stage where they can enjoy playing many songs.

Our group welcomes everyone from complete beginners to experienced players and can provide support to those wishing to start a new venture.

Please contact Geoff for further details.