Diary Of A Busker Day 2612 Tuesday October 14th 2025 Winchester.
That was hard work. Two hours and ten minutes at The Buttercross with the 12-string and all for a mere £15.51. It was 45 minutes before the first donation; bad enough but after that, I thought it would pick up a bit. Well, it did but not “up” enough! Oh, I forgot to mention the 71 euro cents for the next trip abroad. I suppose that’s something.
Back to the 12-string. It took awhile getting used to it again as it was almost a week since I was last out with it. Anything with full barre chords, like Cavatina, was a nightmare but perhaps I’ll get used to it. Some things, like Life On Mars? and a few others, sound really good on the 12-string, in fact better than the 6-string. But what’s really worrying me is this pain in my left elbow which is fine while I’m playing but the second I take my hand off the fretboard and lower the arm, it hurts like fuck and it’s been like that for more than two weeks now.
It was also quite cold; it was 15 degrees but with the slight wind it felt a lot colder. At the end, a middle-aged man who’d been standing with his wife(?) nearby, came up. I thought he was going to buy a CD. Silly me, all he wanted to say was he was learning Wish You Were Here but was finding it difficult. I said the that all it takes is a bit of practise.
On the way up to Jewry Street, I had a chat with Don Lavelle, working on a new painting. I didn’t even know he was there, actually. Don says the painting’s going to South Korea when it’s done. ‘That’s amazing Don. Your stuff goes all over the world!’
‘Yeah, great, in’t it? It’s been a bit quiet today down there. I haven’t seen anyone, apart from you.’ (there was a bloke playing a fingerstyle arrangement of The Every Brothers’ Let It Be Me when I came in to get some supplies in the morning. Quite good he was, and singing the odd one)…how did you do?’
‘Not very well, Don…and it was getting cold.’
‘Yeah, I’ve got me long johns on, and some new gear (he tugs at the sleeve of his corduroy jacket)…this is warm. But no, I didn’t hear anyone. I mean, if I like the sound of someone playing down there, I’ll go down and have my lunch on the bench, you know?’
‘Yeah, or if it’s me, you’ll stay up here, eh Don?!’