Music Group Sessions in Lancashire

Music Groups in Lancashire - Right on Your Doorstep

You might live in Tottington or Edenfield, work in Blackburn, have family in Preston, or be reading this in Darwen, Helmshore, Haslingden or Rawtenstall wondering whether anything like this actually happens nearby. It does - and it's closer than most of Lancashire realises. Our four weekly sessions run in Ramsbottom, Greenmount and Bury, communities that sit just over the county border and have been Lancashire in spirit for as long as anyone can remember. Mill towns, market days, brass band stands - the tradition of making music together never really left around here.

Since 2021, Uke Group North has been running sessions where people who have never touched an instrument come along, borrow a ukulele, learn a couple of chords and end up strumming and singing with a room full of new friends. There are no auditions, no sheet music and no age limits - our members range from school-age children to people in their 80s. It's the friendliest thing you could do with a Tuesday evening or a Monday morning.

The instrument? The ukulele. If that sounds a bit silly, stay with us - it's precisely why complete beginners end up playing real songs in their very first session, and it's why so many people who never thought of themselves as "musical" now wouldn't miss a week.

Four sessions run every week, and wherever you are in East Lancashire or the Ribble Valley, one of them will suit your week:

Our Four Weekly Sessions

Tuesday Evenings at The Den, Ramsbottom

Our longest-running group, and the warmest room we use - a cosy, living-room style space with sofas, a projector for the songbook, and free hot and cold drinks included. If you're coming over from Rawtenstall or Edenfield it's a ten-minute hop down the A676.

When: Every Tuesday, 5:30pm-7:00pm
Where: The Den, Stubbins Vale Road, Ramsbottom, BL0 0NT
Cost: £8 per person
Getting there: Easy drive from Rawtenstall, Edenfield or Haslingden; on-street parking nearby

Tuesday Mornings at Ramsbottom Library

A daytime session in a handsome stone building at the heart of a proper Lancashire market town. Sing for ninety minutes, then make an afternoon of it in the town's cafes and shops.

When: Every Tuesday, 10:30am-12pm
Where: Ramsbottom Library, Carr Street, Ramsbottom, BL0 9AE
Cost: £8 per person
Getting there: Around 15 minutes from Bury by bus or car; rail connections from Heywood and beyond

Monday Mornings at Greenmount Old School

A village-hall session in the best sense - the old school on Brandlesholme Road, with its own car park and a crowd that mostly arrives for the company as much as the music.

When: Every Monday, 10:15am-11:15am
Where: Greenmount Old School, Brandlesholme Road, Bury, BL8 4DS
Cost: £8 per person
Getting there: Own car park on site, roughly 10 minutes from Bury town centre

Thursday Evenings at Wyldes, Bury

Our after-work session in Bury town centre - handy if you're commuting back through Bury from Darwen, Bolton or Blackburn.

When: Every Thursday, 6:15pm-7:45pm
Where: Wyldes, 4 Bolton St, Bury, BL9 0LQ
Cost: £8 per person
Getting there: In the town centre, a short walk from the Metrolink stop, with free parking after 6pm

What Goes On at a Session

Nobody in the room expects you to know anything on your first night - here's the shape of an ordinary session:

A warm welcome at the door. We show you where to sit, hand you a ukulele if you've asked for one, and point you towards other first-timers.
Tuning, together. Two minutes, all done for you if you like.
Two easy chords. The ukulele has four strings, which keeps the start shallow. That's genuinely all it takes to play your first song.
The songbook comes out. Familiar tunes from folk standards to recent pop, everybody strumming and singing as loudly or quietly as they please.
Home by the finish time, having spent an evening actually making music instead of just hearing about someone else's.

There's a bit of technique and theory sprinkled in for anyone curious, and experienced players get fuller arrangements to get their teeth into. Singing is collective rather than solo, and nobody is ever asked to perform alone.

Why the Ukulele Wins People Over

We understand the scepticism - plenty of members arrived feeling it. But the ukulele earns its place as our group instrument for practical reasons:

Four strings mean simple chords, and simple chords mean you're playing songs in week one rather than month six.
Nylon strings are kind to fingers, so there's no painful guitar-style breaking-in period.
It's small and portable - sling it in the car for the trip over from Helmshore or Preston.
Even a beginner's strum sounds cheerful, so there's no demoralising "horrible noise" phase.
It's built for accompanying voices, and singing together is where the magic of a group really lives.

The pattern we see over and over: someone comes along "just to try it", gets hooked on the group first and the instrument second, and a few months later owns a ukulele of their own. If you get bitten by the bug, there's no ceiling - but there's no pressure either.

What to Bring

Nothing at all is fine. Ukuleles are free to borrow - just mention it when you book so we set one aside.
Your own ukulele if you have one, any size or condition. We'll help you get it tuned.
The songbook, if you like things on paper - grab the UGN Songbook (PDF) for a tablet or print it out. We keep paper copies at every session too.
A sense of humour about your own singing. Honestly the only requirement.

One-to-One Lessons with Ben

If you'd rather build confidence privately before joining a group - or want to progress faster than a weekly session allows - Ben offers one-to-one ukulele lessons. He's the founder and group facilitator here, with more than 20 years of music behind him on piano, guitar and bass, and eight of those years devoted to the ukulele. Nervous beginners get on especially well with his laid-back style.

Ben travels to students within roughly 30 miles of Ramsbottom, which reaches across much of Lancashire - Blackburn, Darwen, Preston and the surrounding towns are all within range - and he teaches over Zoom for anywhere further afield.

Lesson prices: - 30 minutes: £20 - 60 minutes: £30

Book Your Place

Sessions are deliberately kept small so nobody sits at the back feeling lost, so it's worth booking ahead. Reserve your spot through our contact page or email WxxaJK3d7Vo7oHHQPKUiCigRRCVVsQFpSmo - tell us which session you fancy and whether you'll need to borrow an instrument.

All abilities welcome - complete beginners are especially encouraged!

Want the instrument itself front and centre? Have a look at our ukulele lessons in Lancashire page for one-to-one tuition, technique and progression.

Frequently Asked Questions

I live in Rawtenstall or Haslingden - which session is closest? The two Ramsbottom groups are practically on your doorstep: Tuesday evenings at The Den is a short drive down Stubbins Vale Road, and Tuesday mornings at the library is barely further. Edenfield and Helmshore folk are equally well placed.

Is Ramsbottom really Lancashire? Historically, absolutely - and sentimentally, its people would say the same. Our sessions sit right along the county border, in communities shaped by the Lancashire mill towns and market days around them. Wherever you travel from in the county, you'll get a proper Lancashire welcome.

Can I come over from Preston or Blackburn for a session? Yes, and some members do. The Thursday evening group in Bury town centre tends to work best for longer journeys, as it runs late enough to arrive after work. Allow around 45 minutes to an hour from Preston or Blackburn by car, with free parking in Bury after 6pm.

I've never played anything in my life. Is that a problem? Not remotely - it's the norm. Most of our members arrived without a single note of experience, and first-timers play a real song together in session one using two easy chords.

Will I be forced to sing on my own? Never. Singing here is collective - a room full of voices, not a solo spot. Many people hum along at first and find themselves joining in properly within a few weeks, entirely at their own pace.

Is there an age limit, young or old? No. Members run from children to people in their 80s, and that mix is one of the things that makes the group what it is.

What if I can only make it occasionally? Come as often as life allows. There's no membership, no attendance record and no long-term commitment - you simply pay £8 for each session you attend, whenever that is.

Do the group perform in public? Occasionally, at small local events - always voluntary, always low-key. Some members relish it, others never take part, and both are equally part of the group.