In 2013, while on a motorcycling trip in Derbyshire, I stumbled upon a ukulele group in a pub. I was immediately struck by the warm and welcoming atmosphere, and by the sheer joy that everyone was having.

I came home inspired, and was encouraged by friends to start my own ukulele group in Lewes. Despite not owning a ukulele at the time, I gathered up six friends and their children and held our first session at the Quaker Meeting House.

Word quickly spread, and within a short time, we were regularly attracting 15-20 people to our sessions at the Dorset pub. Unfortunately, in 2016, the Dorset landlord kicked us out, worried that we were disturbing his B&B guests!

After a brief stint at The Elly, we found our permanent home at the Con Club, where we continue to meet weekly to this day.

Over the past 10 years, Lewkulele has grown from a small group of friends to a thriving community of over 100 strummers. We regularly attract 30+ people to our weekly sessions, and have even produced three songbooks and a CD!

This year, we celebrated our 10th anniversary with a Lewkulele Picnic in the Grange, which drew over 250 strummers from all over the county.

Lewkulele is more than just a ukulele group. It's a community of people who love music and who support each other. We have a "House Band" of experienced musicians who make us all sound better than we are, and we regularly perform gigs in and around Lewes, often for charity.

If you're looking for a fun and welcoming place to learn and play the ukulele, then Lewkulele is the place for you!

Come and join us for a strum, and see what all the fuss is about!

  • LEWKULELE meets EVERY MONDAY evening at Lewes Con Club.
  • LEWKULELE is open to ALL, regardless of ability or previous experience.
  • LEWKULELE ensures that anyone can PARTICIPATE IMMEDIATELY.
  • LEWKULELE will make you SMILE, even when you’re down in the dumps!
  • LEWKULELE will give you the tools to annoy your family and friends (and it could even make THEM smile!).
  • LEWKULELE will send you home HAPPY, even on a bad day!
  • LEWKULELE is FREE, but to cover the rent of the room, we ask for £3 per strummer on the day.

 

THE 2023 LUKULELE PICNIC!Ukes in the Grange 2023

Click here to view the Picnic Songbook

After the phenomenal success of last year's Lewkulele Picnic, we were back for another round of strumming, singing, and summer sunshine! Remember that magical afternoon last year we shared with friends of the ukulele from all around the county? It was a great celebration that brought together over 150 of us, and we strummed away our worries, sang our hearts out, and basked in the warmth of late summer.

Your overwhelming enthusiasm and the countless suggestions we received made us decide to try to turn the picnic into an annual event. While we still can't make promises for the distant future, we brought us all together for another Lewkulele Picnic on Sunday, September 3rd, 2023 at 2pm in Southover Grange Gardens, as we came together once again to create memories, celebrate music, and enjoy each other's company.

A heartfelt thank you to every single strummer, friend, and supporter of Lewkulele - your presence and passion make this community what it is. Please know that your contributions are deeply appreciated. Your energy, your music, and your friendship are the lifeblood of Lewkulele.

And never forget - reconnecting with old friends and making new ones is an absolute must. We're determined to hold onto these connections and perhaps not wait a full year before we strum together at another grand celebration like this!

 

THE 2022 LEWKULELE PICNIC!

ukes in the park 2022Last year’s Lewkulele Picnic was a simple one-off celebration following sixteen months of lockdown when groups like ours were unable to meet. With friends of ukulele from around the county, at least 150 of us spent a great afternoon singing, strumming and enjoying the late summer sunshine. Many of you suggested that it should become an annual event and so, while we’re not making any promises for the future, here we are again (on Sunday September 4th 2022).

strummer of the month

And remember two years ago On SUNDAY AUGUST 29th 2021 we had our first party in Grange Gardens. What a success! (see a couple of the pics below).Thank you all for turning out to share in the fun and fellowship. It was lovely to see old friends and to make new ones. I hope we'll retain those links and get together again, maybe even before another twelve months! There are too many people to thank for their individual contributions, and, if I try to, I'm bound to make some embarrassing omissions. I'll just say THANK YOU to all of our wonderful strummers and friends for being there and for supporting Lewkulele.