13 December 2024, Issue 1240
Strumming up smiles This is the scene every Monday evening at Jack Dusty’s Ale House in Bureta. About 100 ukulele enthusiasts gather for a mass singalong at the bar. Jill Leighton said it began with a tiny group
of people who wanted to learn how to play the ukulele, and she obliged. Now, not only does the group lift the roof of the Tauranga pub every Monday night, a smaller contingent also provides entertainment
for cruise ship visitors at the Historic Village. The proceeds from such gigs get donated to community charities and organisations. On page 10 The Weekend Sun talks to Leighton, the founder, who is more surprised
than anyone that what began as a handful of friends quietly plucking ukulele strings in a corner is now a high-spirited weekly social highlight for dozens of people from all over Tauranga. Read more on page 10. Photo: Bob Tulloch