Diary Of A Busker Day 2574 Friday July 4th 2025 Winchester.
Two young blokes are at The Buttercross singing My Way in an operatic style…and Don Lavelle’s continuing with his latest painting which is coming together rather well now. Not much happening in The Square and there’s a stall set up at the crossroads but I find a spot next to Five Guys, near the old Debenhams entrance. Ten minutes in and I’m interrupted during Cavatina by a man who tells me his son is ‘making a guitar like yours’ he then shows me his tattoo; the neck and headstock of a Gibson guitar. ‘That’s um…nice.’ I actually think tattoos are acceptable only if you’re Popeye, and he died years ago.
The woman on crutches who bought a book a couple of days ago comes by with a request – ‘My friend Hazel’s in hospital – I recorded a bit of you doing a song and she cried (it wasn’t that bad, was it?!)…and she wants to know if you can play it and I can record you and show it to her.’ She shows me her phone with La Vie En Rose written on a notes page. I say of course I can, I should be good at it as I did it five minutes ago! ‘Oh good, can you say hello to her, too?’ ‘Of course (I wait until she sorts her phone out then gives me the thumbs up)…hello Hazel, I hope you’re well. This is La Vie En Rose – it’s a Chet Atkins arrangement, hope you like it…’
Apart from two fivers the coinage wasn’t very good; I got just under £18 for an hour and fifty minutes. That’s not all I got though. When I took my French Saint Hilaire white jacket off to put in the front rack of the bike for the ride home, I noticed a load of bird shite on the left shoulder. I’ll have to employ the washing machine during the break and get that sorted out…and as I came into the high street on the way to Jury Street, a woman said ‘No cycling in the high street!’ Too bloody right. That told me.
Back into town a few hours later and there’s no shade in The Square but fortunately there was no one at The Buttercross AND some shade (I want an easy life these days). Quite a late finish; getting on for 7 o’clock, and around £21 for just over an hour and a half. No big crowds like earlier but a steady stream of peoploids. The end result is much the same sometimes. Job done.