Day 2626
Wednesday November 12th 2025
Winchester High Street
1. The Buttercross
2. Opposite The Body Shop
At the top spot and still in practically tropical temperatures, which is fine by me. First visitors, at the end of the first song, are the son and heir and girlfriend Rosie, in town for a bite to eat then off to a film in Eastleigh.
Next up is Posh Sarah, here for her weekly meeting with friends across at Nero’s. I mention my Paris trip and visit to Chopin’s grave in Pere Lachaise.
‘I was there years ago and someone had sent a postcard that the postman had put next to Oscar Wilde’s grave. We couldn’t believe it, they’d just put “To Oscar Wilde, Paris” on the postcard and it had got there!’
Like I said, the weather is fine. What isn’t fine is the coinage which is almost non-existent – after an hour and 20 minutes, I’ve made – wait for it…FOUR POUNDS. Well, I’ve had enough of this – I’m packing up and besides, I desperately need the loo.
Back out (of the loo), I decide to brave another set so I park the bike around the corner in front of Nando’s, take the amp bag off it and suddenly notice a bloke already set up outside Marks & Spencer! He was fiddling round with some wires so there was no sound but then he starts up with that appalling Hello by Lionel Ritchie, singing to a very loud backing track.
Up the road at the crossroads, it’s still too loud but not too bad further up at one of the old spots so that’ll do me, and hopefully I’ll fare better than the first place.
I was wrong – after 40 minutes (which make the total up to two hours), I’ve accumulated just ONE POUND. What is wrong with today? Well, whenever this happens, I always think back to old George, the flower seller who dies of cancer long ago, and what he said to me – about some days, the people just don’t want blue/yellow/red or whatever colour flowers and that there’s no logic in it, that’s just how it is.
I also think about the charity people set up nearby – I mean, that really must be demoralising, being ignored even more than me.
During the last ten minutes, I could hear someone shouting up towards the Buttercross. I thought it was some weirdo or whatever but on walking the bike up, I discovered it was Terry, the bloke in the electric buggy who sells poppies. But when he isn’t doing that, he seems to be there in the high street every day – one of the denizens of the high street, actually. What he’s shouting is ‘Half-price pasties!’ and I can’t resist. I park the bike in The Pentice, go over to the Cornish Bakery and get two of the little buggers – a traditional and a cheese and onion for a total cost of £4.50.
I’ve worked for two hours and made enough, and a bit more, for two half-price pasties. Result!