Day 2696
Sunday May 22nd 2026
Winchester
The first day of the heat wave and it’s 28 degrees but thankfully there’s some shade in The Square. I still haven’t heard from luthier Jimmy about the Faith 12-string so I’m out again with the Rickenbacker, this time with a new set of Infeld flatwound strings -made in Vienna and “designed for Rickenbacker 12 string guitars”, and very nice and smooth they are, delivering consistent volume over all the strings – a relief. Apparently they last forever.
The coinage is very slow to start but picks up considerably. An older couple are persuaded to purchase both CDs. They’re on holiday from Montreux and go to the jazz festival every year in July…then a man comes over with a nice purple £20 note. Sorted.
The two hour mark has just gone and I’m thinking of packing up when a small group come in from the cathedral grounds – A young woman says ‘Can you do While My Guitar Gently Weeps?’
I say I’d done it about ten minutes ago but I can do it again. She then says ‘What about Waterloo Sunset?’ ‘I did that one as well, a few minutes ago. That weird you didn’t hear it but I can do it again.’ ‘Were Ray Davies’s cousins?’ ‘Sorry?’
‘Ray Davies…and Dave, The Kinks.’
‘Um, yeah, I know. Sorry, but you don’t look old enough to be his cousins!’
She then points to an older woman – ‘Well, she is.’ Well, she doesn’t look old enough either. She’s about 45. Oh well – ‘OK, I’ll play it again. After all, I’m well-rehearsed as I just did it!’ And so I do. One of the younger girls donates a £2 coin. In fact, while I’m playing it, I think maybe I should stop and say they can film me and send it to cousin Ray…or even Dave, but I just can’t be arsed!
I manage to do another half hour but the last 15 minutes was a scorcher, as the sun moved and the shade disappeared, so off came the French white jacket. As I was packing up, a man came over from one of the Old Vine tables to ask if I would like a drink. I said that would be nice – a cold lager? Coming right up…when he returned from the bar he was holding a full pint and another 3/4 filled – I think he said it was the end of the barrel. Anyway, which one would I like? I picked the 3/4 one – I didn’t want to be greedy! From a plastic cup. Always stylish, is The Old Vine. The grand total was £78.86, Result!