Well, it's been a funny old year.

By hook or by crook, we have managed to keep the wheels on the LoTSU bus going round and round.  

Within the COVID guidelines, a number of us have been able to meet each week, and as you will have seen, we have managed to introduce some new songs and update our lovely songbook.

Despite the shortage of charity gigs, we have been able to get some cash in the charity tins, and we're pleased to advise that in 2021 we managed to raise £800 for Hospice at Home Volunteers.  A generous  £200 of that came from our outdoor performance at Tim Finnigan's wake in Markyate.  We also raised £185 at at an outdoor birthday bash at The Anchor.

Who knows how things will pan out in 2022, but we'll keep our plectrums crossed for better times ahead, and we very much look forward to strumming together next year.

With warmest wishes,

Happier New Year!

LotSU HQ xxx

Family photo

 We don't often get to do a mass photo these days so we made the most of a 

photo-opportunity today.

September 2021

Hello folks.  Just an update on where we are at present.
Currently the noon- 3pm venues that we regularly frequent are:

1st Wednesday of the month : The Red Lion,  Studham.
2nd Wednesday:  The Anchor, Tilsworth.
3rd Wednesday:  The Rose & Crown, Wingrave.
4th Wednesday:  The Old Farm Inn, Totternhoe.
5th Wednesdays (sometimes happens) we'll publish the venues as and when.

Some of our venues have been kind enough to give us access for most of the 2020/21 lockdown periods (provided we kept within the rules regarding restrictions).   Sadly, some of the other pubs that we were beginning to play at ceased to operate, finding those restrictions too much to cope with.
All our current, venues up until now, have been 'under cover' but outside.  With the onset of Autumn we may need to change to other venues where playing inside the buildings is possible but we'll advertise those changes well in advance.

We have had opportunity over the Summer to do some gigs, which was nice, and so we are beginning to put some moneys aside for our current charity 'Hospice at Home Volunteers'.  Those gigs have all resulted in favourable comments - so well done the giggers.

As we enter the 'Autumn season', LotSU HQ wish everyone good health and let's hope for better days to come.

Bookings

 Bookings are beginning to come in for later this year as we move towards Covid exit.

 

Jam sessions back on

 Restrictions have been eased so we can gather (up to 30 of us) outside for jam sessions.

Some of our venues aren't geared up to suit this so they will be 'weather dependent' though.

However this one has plenty of covered space so come rain or shine we will be at:

Anniversary

 We normally celebrate our anniversary at our first jam session in May.  As with last year the covid regulations require us not to gather in large numbers.  Hopefully soon we'll be released from these restrictions - because we ALL miss the opportunity to jam together and make a massive noise - musically and laughterfully.

Be assured that we will come out of hibernation just as soon as we are permitted.  Meantime raise a glass of whatever to the return of
LotSU and much more fun.

 

Lockdown 2

 Here we are are the start of that second lockdown which we thought we would avert with lockdown 1.  March, when we were last able to have an open jam session, seems so long ago and December (how's that for optimistic) before we can even gather in small groups seems so distant. In recent weeks some of us have been able to gather in groups of six outside our struggling pubs to whom which we are profoundly grateful. Never were gazebos so valued by uke players and sadly some of those majestic tents didn't survive the coming of autumn.  We were beginning to wonder how long our ever increasingly layered bodies would cope with the diminishing temperatures - but it seems that has been decided for us now.

Sadly, some of our newer venues have already suffered death by a thousand cuts. So far The Red Lion and the Rose and Crown have managed to weather the storm - but it will be difficult even for them over the coming month.  Our newest venue The Old Farm Inn has been a wonderful refuge recently and on two (occasionally even three) days a week the legal six have been able to try out new material suitably fortified by ale. And, like the other two pubs they will find this month hard.  We wish them all the very best in this struggle.

These last seven months it has been hard to keep in touch with everybody but as far as we can tell we have had no immediate casualties although few of us can say we haven't been touched by loss of a friend or family member.  We remain concerned for some of our older players and not seeing them for so long (and for the foreseeable future) is hard.  It has been good in recent weeks to see Ken, Yvonne and some of the others and hopefully some time in the future we can all rejoice ukefully having survived this kerfuffle.

It has been sad that we have been unable to gig and hence our support for Hospice at Home Volunteers has been minimal this year.  

But, we are only going into 'hibernation', we are determined to pick up from where we left off at some time in the future.

We have said that we won't operate the annual LotSU Christmas dinner as , even if we are released from the shackles of lockdown, we expect that getting together unrestricted this side of Christmas puts a strain on even the most optimistic brains among us. 

It was sad to miss out on the annual revelry of the LotSU anniversary this year but along with all our other anniversary gatherings and holidays it got swallowed by that optimistic first lockdown.

Anyway folks all the very best for this second period of lockdown and we sincerely hope to see you all again, suitable practiced, and wonderfully voiced in some not to distant future.
Keith (on behalf of LotSU HQ)