Diary Of A Busker Day 8 Monday December 13th Winchester High Street (opposite WH Smiths) Time: 12:20 – 1:20pm.
A very cold day – I thought I’d get there earlier than Friday – to get it over and done with! The sun was obviously not going to make an appearance during MY appearance, and a drop of even 2 degrees made it almost impossible to play – after 15 minutes, I couldn’t feel my left hand fingers. Even so, had a couple of men in their 60s come up and say they liked what I was playing. This happens, more often than not, after a rendition of The Theme From The Third Man, or The Harry Lime Theme. One – George, started talking, which meant I had to stop playing. He correctly identified my Third Man arrangement as being a 1960 Chet Atkins one. I’m impressed. He went away but I saw him hovering nearby, possibly waiting to hear it again. He wouldn’t have to wait long, I play it every ten minutes!
Had to stop again, as it’s just too cold, then George appears again, this time he’s promised to get me some gigs (concerts, shows, performances – paid ones, hopefully). George “dabbles in a bit of music” and says he can probably get me some work in London and Aldershot(?!)
Later, as I was packing up, up comes Frank the accordian man with his dog Kazoo. I’d been chatting to him a few days before, when a lady came up and put a can of dog food in his accordion case. I mention this to him. “She annoys me, although I smile at her. She’s always putting a dog food can in there, and my dog doesn’t like that stuff she puts in. It’s a pain, ’cause sometimes I get a load of people giving me these cans, and they start getting heavy and I’ve got to cart them around with me. I end up taking them back to the shop.” I told Frank I’d got £7 today. “Yeah? That’s not bad for a Monday. You want to be here on Christmas Eve. Last year I picked up £100.”
Earnings: £7.26.