Diary Of A Busker Day 384 Saturday June 8th 2013 Winchester High Street 1. Opposite Oxfam. Time: 12:50-2:20pm 2. Opposite Bellis. Time: 2:43-4:38pm
I have a really good start to the day; I make a sale after just one song – Albatross, for which I bestow on it instant Song Of The Day status. In fact the sale is secured before I even finish the song. The buyer is a tiny Indian lady who heard me from across the street and I quote ‘wondered where that beautiful music was coming from.’ Firstly, she asked if I had any TAPES! Anyway, I was so overjoyed at this event, that I gladly chatted to her for ten, yes TEN, minutes. In fact, I even switched my amp off.
Information found out; her name is Indrani, she is from ‘Ceylon ‘ – I believe they call it Sri Lanka now, she is sixty and she was waiting for her husband with whom she has been married forty years, to pick her up. She loves The Walker Brothers – and I felt a bit bad when I informed her they were not really brothers, a fact which quite surprised her. She also likes Don Williams and Glen Campbell, which reminded me – Mr. Campbell used to play with The Beach Boys – this would give me an excuse to play Wouldn’t It Be Nice, so I ask her if she likes The Beach Boys. ‘No.’ Damn. ‘What about The Beatles?’ No, she doesn’t like them either. But she was a lovely lady so I asked if I could take her photo for the album, to which, after fretting a bit over her hair, she agreed. I think she’d been on some sort of medication as she said some of it had fallen out, although it looked fine to me.
Anyway, I got the photo, which shows a rather striking feature of hers; her pupils are so large, they occupied almost all of the round, bigger bit they’re in, whatever that’s called, leaving just a thin band of light blue. I think she’s got a slight balance problem, too, as she had to find the wall a couple of times, to support herself. But a very friendly and generous person.
Up the other end, my old friend Pierre the balloon-animal maker, is about. He comes up and asks how it’s going. Apparently he’s not doing well today, which is a shame as he’s a nice man, despite being French! He says ‘I wonder what zee hell I’m doing here, you know. If I had a rope, I’d hang myself (he holds a closed fist above his head)…but I can’t even afford a rope!’ He says it all jokingly but I really do feel sorry for him – I know what it’s like out here sometimes, with hundreds of people ignoring you. It ain’t no picnic.
It makes me think sometimes. I mean, even if I have a good day and make double the usual amount, the people who donate are such a microscopic percentage of the amount that pass by, that it really is soul-destroying. In fact, I just remembered, during the first set, an Irish guy came across from the bench opposite, donated, then he said ‘They’re all MEAN here, aren’t they?’ He’d obviously noticed how few donations I was getting, which was another reason why I was so overcome when Indrani bought a CD, after I’d been there only two minutes.
At the second spot, I sold another CD (a very good day). I said to the man who bought it ‘I hope you like it.’ He said ‘I hope so, too!’
Earnings: £56.61 (Including two CDs)