My ukulele story with BUMS

Friday 6^th March 2026 was a red-letter day for me. I was part of a group from NUMB BUMS playing a gig at Arcare Taigum. My first gig entertaining folk. Here's me on the right with fellow NUMB BUMS Chris, Graham, Peter and Jan.

That day was the product of a two-year and a bit journey from attending a concert in the Retirement Village I live in, enjoying the music and being encouraged by my partner Joan to join them. Arthritis was making its painful presence felt in my fingers, so I thought why not, even though my major musical background is tapping iTunes.

Attending their regular Wednesday morning sessions, I was made welcome, went to my friend Amazon and within a week had an $80.00 Hricane Tenor uke. Progress was pitifully slow. My left fingertips screamed at me. Fortunately, I am by nature, quite stubborn. Also, I was very fortunate in that one of the longer-term members of NUMB BUMS, Jan McRobbie took me under her wing, lots of encouragement, demonstrating simple chord progression and hooray within a few months I could play G, F and C and my fingertips were nicely hardened.

We found the Wednesday sessions had become more of a sing song and so steered by Jan and her buddy Robyn I was taken along to my first Monday evening session with NUMB BUMS at Zillmere Hall. I was made very welcome and with a mega deal of trepidation joined in playing. To hell with singing I thought, just try to strum a bit like them, when one of my chords comes up – yay --- bang away. I happily went along for several Mondays, but despite practising at home, felt I was not doing at all well. They all were way too good for me.

Then I found Linda Gough’s Linda’s Uke’n‘Sing. So abandoning the Monday evenings, I started making the trek every Tuesday morning to Arana Hills. I did the Beginner course. As well as playing in her wonderful Morning Gig along with around 30 others. I realised many of the other ukes sounded much better than mine and took the plunge on a beautiful Lanikai tenor. Felt more comfortable now, even started to sing as well as chording and strumming. Became adept at playing the first and 3^rd chords with a minimal Z chord in complicated numbers. Jan and Robyn joined me on Tuesdays. We did Linda’s Intermediate course.

Towards the end of 2025, we decided it was time to return to Monday evenings with the NUMB BUMS gang. Jan had previously played with several members of the group at Nursing Homes and talked of the pleasure it gave to many of the residents and of the euphoria it correspondingly gave to the members of the group. So, following a couple of months of familiarising myself with the performance numbers in the Set, I volunteered to join with 4 others and now here in April I am proud to say I have managed to perform at two Nursing Home Gigs and looking forward to more.

For me, the BUMS organisation is a wonderful loose collection of mad keen Ukulele players. As for the arthritis, well my left hand is fine and I am working on my right hand.  I joined Derek Farrell’s Finger Style Course and am now in a small group at NUMB BUMS learning the Travis pick with NUMB BUMS veteran John Low.

I’m 82 years on the earth now and certainly attribute being a BUM to making me a fitter and more mentally alert person, and one who gets a smile out of playing ukulele.