Fun-loving ukulele players Pompey Pluckers draw a roaring crowd for 10th birthday singalong

Dozens packed into the Gaiety Bar on South Parade Pier on Sunday as the renowned Pompey Pluckers took the the stage for a special anniversay singalong.

The fun-loving contingent has raised more than £55,000 for local good causes over the past decade by playing in excess of 600 shows – including at least £9,000 for Queen Alexandra Hospital.

And they struck just the right chord with bargoers once more, as many made bucket donations for the Pluckers’ trio of chosen beneficiaries for 2019, Age UK, Make and Parcs.

It was a feel-good Sunday for veteran Pluckers fan Dorothy Seymour, from Portsmouth, who is in her 70s.

‘We’ve seen them quite a few times and we sometimes come down to the pier on a Sunday,’ she said.

‘So when we heard they were on, we knew we had to come down for a cup of tea or a pint and listen to the music.

‘You can have a singalong, it’s very informal and anybody can join in – that’s why it’s so nice.’

Such is their offbeat act the Pluckers, many wearing Hawaiian shirts, chose their songs using a digital spinning wheel shown on two big screens.

Among the most popular hits of the afternoon was Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, which was played by performers not only on the stage but across the entire hall.

This went down a treat with Bernard and Joyce James, from Milton.

‘We were invited down by a friend and this is the first time we’ve ever seen them,’ said Bernard, 87.

‘It’s a very friendly performance, all the musicians join in together and it’s just great fun.’

Helen Deacon, who serves on the Pompey Pluckers committee, said it is this infectious joy that led to her joining the Pluckers.

‘I went along to one of the first concerts 10 years ago and became a bit of a groupie for a few years with no intention to play, the 60-year-old said.

‘But then I started playing – and now I have for more than seven years.

‘I never thought I’d be doing this but it’s absolutely great and once you start ukulele, it also becomes about the singing, then playing the kazoo, then the tamborine. It goes on and on and it’s great fun.’

Pompey Pluckers chairman Peter Coote said the 10th birthday singalong was something the group had been looking forward to since day one.

‘I’m chuffed that we’ve filled the hall and everybody has been enjoying themelves,’ he said.

‘I’ll probably have a mobility scooter 10 years down the line from now, but let’s hope we make another £60,000 over that time.’