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We’ve just returned from a holiday at Lake Garda in Italy. Whilst I was visiting a shop in Bardolino, I came across of a display of highly decorated ukuleles. With their colourful beaded designs, I couldn’t resist buying the blue one.

Here’s another clue about my next music video.

During the weekend we were able to film my Christmas song, so I’m wearing my multi-faith Christmas jumper, some tinsel and a Santa hat. It seemed strange to be singing a Christmas song during a sunny summer’s day. However, we had to allow time for editing the video so it would be ready to upload onto YouTube by the end of November/ early December.

By the way, I’ve already noticed that some of the shops are getting out their Christmas displays, so may I be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

It’s the hottest day of the year so far here in the Midlands, look what just arrived. It’s a Santa hat and perhaps a good clue about my next song.

I’ve already recorded the song on Logic Pro and I’m aiming to film the video later this month. It might be early August, but I want to allow plenty of time to film the video and then edit it so that it’ll be ready in time to upload onto YouTube by late November or early December.

This morning I was invited to appeared on BBC Radio Stoke’s Breakfast Show to chat about my latest music video ‘Dunna Thay Want May’.

The interview was carried out over the Zoom platform as it gives a better quality audio signal than using a normal telephone. Here’s a screenshot from this morning with the presenter, Lee Blakeman, in the main picture and myself in the top left corner of the screen.

At the beginning of the interview, as an introduction, they played my previous songs which had been featured on the radio. We chatted about the latest music video which is slightly different as it was recorded in the local Potteries dialect. I also asked the listeners if they could send in their suggestions for future songs that could be done in the Potteries dialect.

Please find below a recording of the interview.

In my latest music video I’m playing tribute to the unmistakable Potteries dialect of my hometown Stoke-on-Trent. I’ve adapted the Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’ with references to the Potteries dialect and also as a homage to their iconic original music video. In ‘Dunna Thay Want May’ I’ve included subtitles in the Potteries dialect so that you can join in and sing along.

The Singalong gig at the local church social was a great success. There were about 40/50 people attending, first of all we enjoyed a supper and then it was over to me for the entertainment.

For the first time I decided to give out song sheets which contained the words of the various songs and this meant that people were able to join in with the singing. I’d also chosen songs that I thought that the audience would already know and this approach worked really well. They were really singing well, so much so that for some songs I could stop singing myself and just carry on strumming while I listened to the audience singing back to me.

The set lasted just under an hour and it was great fun to be at the front. introducing the songs and able to chat to the audience. It was a pleasant change from performing with my usual ukulele group where I’m on the back row playing the bass. It was a great night, everyone enjoyed it and on my last number “Rock Around The Clock” I’d even got some of them up dancing.

The tickets for my next gig go on sale.

The local church I attend are organising a Social Evening next month and they asked me to perform a singalong for about 30/40 minutes. A hot supper of a main course and a sweet will be served first and then it’s over to me. I’ll be doing an acoustic set using just a 4-string tenor ukulele which will be fine in the church hall. When I did the Ukulele Jam at Stafford Rangers Football Ground I used PowerPoint on my laptop and a video projector to display the music on a big screen behind me. However, for the church Social Evening I’ve prepared song sheets to give out to the audience which I hope will encourage them to sing-along.

As regards the set list, I like to perform songs that the audience know and would be more likely to join in with. So I’ll be starting with some songs from the Tin Pan Alley era followed by a medley of Cockney songs. I’ll then move on to some popular songs, some country songs and finish with some rock’n’roll. Just in case I get asked for an encore I have a number of extra songs that I could perform.

I’m really looking forward to the Social Evening as it’s for a friendly crowd of folk who already know me.

I’m featured in the latest edition of Ukulele Society of Great Britain’s magazine “The Syncopator”. As you can see from the picture above, the article is entitled “Plinky Plonky Pete Claims World Record”.

Last year when I was planning my fundraising event for the Cancer Centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital, I contacted the USGB to ask if anyone had attempted to set a record of the most songs played in a medley on the ukulele. Their editor replied to say that they hadn’t heard of anyone doing it before and asked if I’d send them a piece when I’d completed my challenge. So after I’d successfully performed my 75 song medley in October 2023 I sent them a report on how it had gone.

I thought no more about it until a few weeks ago when they asked me if I’d got any photos of the event as they wanted to feature it in the Spring 2024 edition of their magazine. If anyone is a member of the USGB then please look out for my article in the latest edition. You’ll find it on pages 12 and 13, I think it’s a double page spread together with a number of photos of the event.

By the way, I’ve contacted the Guinness Book of Records a couple of times about my event and they replied to say that they’re not interested. They have no plans to include it as a new category. However, I can still claim to set an unofficial world record for the most songs performed live in a musical medley.

I bought myself an early Christmas present of a new bass ukulele. It’s a Kala solid body fretless U-BASS in Tobacco Sunburst – a marvellous instrument.

It was towards the end of last year (October/November 2023) that I noticed that Kala had produced a sold body version of their U-BASS bass ukuleles. They look so good that I decided that I just had to get one as soon as possible. However at that time they weren’t available with dealers in the UK, so I decided to get mine direct from Kala in the US. Their delivery service was excellent and the U-BASS arrived in just a few days – it was still more or less in tune which demonstrates how much they take with their dispatch. At the moment (February 2024) these ukulele basses are only just becoming available with dealers in the UK whilst fretless versions are still yet to arrive.

It is a superb instrument, members of my ukulele group have commented on its wonderful rich deep tone when I play it through my Orange Crush Bass amp. It has become my preferred bass ukulele that I love to play and I would recommend it to other bass players without hesitation.

Tomorrow evening my ukulele group has a gig in the town and the U-BASS will be accompanying me on its first outing in public. I’m sure it’s going to be great fun.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with a number of Christmas gigs being performed. These took place in a variety of care homes and community centres around the Stafford area. The set list was comprised of a selection of Christmas songs which were varied slightly depending on the location and the response of the audience.

We also took part in the Christmas Tree Festival in St Mary’s Church in Stafford town centre. The interior of the church had been decorated with over a hundred Christmas trees and various music groups had been invited to perform during the day.

Please find below some photos taken from my position at the back of the group as I was playing my bass ukulele.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Beechcroft House, Stafford

Summerfield Court, Stone

Christmas Tree Festival, St Mary’s Church, Stafford

Haughton Village Hall, Stafford