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Hi everyone, and welcome to my web-site. For over thirty years now I have developed my interest in ukuleles and banjo-ukes and have learnt to play them to a reasonably good standard. I developed an interest in the ukulele from an early age because there was always a uke lying around the house which my Mother had played. Eventually, I think I sat on this poor uke and broke it! However, my interest really began to develop from the day I stopped to look inside a junk shop, and found this little black case containing a small banjo-uke. This, I subsequently found out, was a Dallas ‘B’ Model. I bought it for £4, and, as they say, never looked back. I was keen to learn the history of the instrument. How old was it, who made it, and where was it made, were just three questions I wanted answers to. This search slowly put me into contact with other people, and led to some important events in my life.
The first was the purchase of a Ludwig banjo-uke. Having never seen one in real life and with only a very poor picture of one to go on, I was offered one from a music shop in London in my early twenties. They wanted £140 for it including its original case, and I couldn’t decide what to do. £140 was a lot of money and I only had £140 in my savings account plus my return train ticket home! Anyway, I took a gamble and bought it. I remember sitting on the train with this black banjo-uke case in my hand thinking “What have I done?” What I’d done was to be introduced to what I have since come to consider as the finest banjo-ukes that were ever made. Once it was set up properly, the sound that the Ludwig made was simply superb, and ever since that day, my appreciation of Ludwig banjo-ukes has continued to grow.
The second important event was joining two societies; the George Formby Society (GFS) in 1979 and the Ukulele Society of Great Britain (USGB) shortly afterwards. George Formby (who died in 1961) had been one of Britain’s premier stars, and he had made his name playing the banjo-uke. He made over two hundred and twenty records and twenty two films during his career, and he developed his own brilliant style of playing the banjo-uke. I was Secretary of the GFS for five years and President for four (from 1988 until 1992). The USGB has a rather broader musical base and holds fewer meetings than the GFS, but thanks to both of these societies I have had the opportunity over the years to meet some great musicians, make many, many friends, and develop my knowledge, and indeed my love, of the ukulele and the banjo-uke.
Thirdly, in October 1991 I received a phone call from George Harrison (yes, the George Harrison) who wanted to re-generate the interest in the banjo uke and the ukulele that he had held since he was a child. He had phoned me wanting some advice as to the instruments he should perhaps be looking for. We met shortly afterwards, and remained good friends until his sad and untimely death in 2001. He loved playing the banjo uke and the ukulele and he was a brilliant player and composer. I am proud of the fact that I helped him start his collection of banjo ukes and ukuleles, and that I managed to persuade him to attend a meeting of the George Formby Society and of the Ukulele Society of Great Britain, both of which he enjoyed tremendously. He was a very kind, caring, thoughtful, and deeply spiritual man, and it was a privilege and a pleasure to have known him.
Finally, a major reason for this web-site is to enable people to benefit from the skills and expertise that I have developed from this continuing hobby of mine by allowing them the opportunity to purchase a limited range of really good quality instruments and associated items. For many years I became frustrated at not being able to get hold of good quality bridges, strings, calf-skin vellums, and cases. Much of what I bought was often of very poor quality. Therefore I have tried to make sure that all the items I offer through this web-site are of really good quality, and ones which I would be happy to use myself - as indeed I frequently do.
So, enjoy the web-site as it develops and keep on playing that uke!
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