Diary Of A Busker day 2581 Saturday July 19th 2025 Winchester.
No one at The Buttercross but The Square looks more profitable as there are loads of people outside all the eateries and pubs. It’s another warm day, or rather evening, as I start just after 5 o’clock, so I’m without a jacket but with a waistcoat (black, with new black Wrangler jeans and white shirt). One thing about this spot that I keep forgetting to mention is the amount of vehicles, mainly delivery vans, that reverse to go back down Market Street when they get to the bend in the road where The Square is. All vans/lorries have a warning noise which automatically emits and repeats every second from a speaker somewhere and I’m always impressed with the variety of sounds to warn people to get out of the way. The most common is the common or garden “beep beep” but there are others such as one that sounds like someone retching. Whatever they sound like, they’re so loud and off-putting, especially when they’re in the wrong key to what I’m playing, that I now just stop playing and wait for the van to bugger off back down Market Street.
Anyway, the coinage is rubbish. I suppose people are occupied with other things, namely eating and drinking – mainly drinking, and the noise from the talking is louder than usual. But at least one person is listening. A young man comes up and says ‘would you like a coffee or pizza? We’re enjoying your playing.’ Well, I don’t want to get a customer to buy me a pizza so I say ‘thanks, a coffee will be fine, with milk, cheers.’ However, a few minutes later I see him come out of Three Joes with a towel and disinfectant spray and clean a recently vacated table! I bet Maria told him to come out and see if I wanted anything!
A bunch of young blokes emerge from the cathedral grounds and walk past, one saying ‘I bet you can’t play…’ – I couldn’t make out the name of the song they mentioned but whatever it was, you can bet I wouldn’t WANT to play it. I should have said ‘you’re right, I can’t.’ I made did two hours and about fifteen minutes before I stopped a young bloke came over from a Three Joes table and put a tenner into the case. Hallelujah! This brought the total takings to £16.18, so without a doubt he’s my Saviour Of The Day. I should have gone for the pizza!