THE attraction of the ukulele for Janet Small of Como was that she could play it while standing.
That is important because she has had a back operation preventing her temporarily from sitting.
Since that time in 2008, she has bought seven ukuleles of different sizes and made lots of new friends through playing the instrument.
"I first went to a workshop with a girlfriend because she wanted to learn to play," she said.
"I found it's an instrument you can tuck under your arm, it's so small, and you only need to learn a chord or two and you can sing and play together with others."
Previously Ms Small played the classical guitar which had a much more difficult regime to fulfil.
Fellow ukulele aficionado John Chandler said he was proud to soon mark the 10th anniversary of St George and Sutherland Community of Ukulele Musicians (SSCUM) — Ukulele Club.
"This club was formed when the current interest in the ukulele was new," Mr Chandler said.
"Since then thousands of ukulele clubs around the world have formed."
There were hundreds of such clubs in Australia, each with hundreds of members.
SSCUM is the second oldest club in the country after the Melbourne Ukulele Kollective.
An upcoming festival was expected to attract around 600 people to watch performance groups along with dozens of other solo and combo acts.
There will be workshops and beginner sessions and participants are expected to attend from Canberra, the central and north coasts and the Blue Mountains.
There will be a major headline act from Azo Bell.
The Decade of Ukulele Festival will be on Saturday, November 1 from 11.30am-6pm at Club On East, 7 East Parade, Sutherland.
Festival, workshop details: John Chandler, 0425 332 601.
