I’ve not been working this week, I have lots of holiday time to use up so decided to take the week off. With no plans to do anything in particular, I’ve spent most of the week pottering around Walthamstow and generally taking it easy. Yesterday, my other half emailed me and suggested meeting for a quiet drink somewhere after work. He didn’t need to ask me twice, at 5:30 I headed up to meet him at the tube station, we decided to head to the castle for a couple of drinks before going home for dinner. Will power, the little that I have, crumbled shortly after I started my first pint of Southwold Bitter, and we ended up staying much longer than we intended. We did make a feeble attempt to leave, and did indeed make it out of the pub, but we ended up popping in to the Nags Head for a quick one on the way home. Earlier that evening one of my neighbours had mentioned on twitter that it was Ukulele Wednesdays at the Castle. We started talking about it when we left the Nags Head and decided that as we had failed miserably to go home early, we would call in to the Castle again to see what Ukulele Wednesdays were all about,and I’m so glad that we did.
When we walked back in to the pub we greeted by what I can only describe as a slightly unusual scene. Around 15 people were sat near the front doors playing Jolene on their ukuleles. I was of course expecting to see ukulele players, but the Dolly Parton hit being played on so many of the instruments sounded amazing, before I’d reached the bar a wide grin had appeared on my face. The musicians went on to play and sing some other great songs, Country Roads, I Will Survive and I’ll Tell Me Ma (Belle of Belfast City) all featured. My absolute favourite was when the group played Hit Me Baby One More Time by Britney Spears. As they strummed and sang my other half turned to me and said “Only in Walthamstow”. I know there are other Ukulele Wednesday groups in other areas, but walking in to a pub and finding 15 people playing Britney songs on ukuleles, seems to be exactly the kind of bonkers that I have come to expect from E17.
Ukulele Wednesdays describe their weekly night as a free ukulele Jam that’s open to all, just bring a ukulele and your voice. I’m not sure that Walthamstow is ready for me to unleash my voice outside the confines of the house, but I’ll definitely be going back as we had a cracking night out. I reckon that it’s probably just as much fun to sit and listen, as it is to take part. Ukulele Wednesdays makes a great addition to the already full list of things to do in Walthamstow. If you would like to find out more you can check the Ukulele Wednesdays – Walthamstow facebook page.
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