Diary Of A Busker Day 4 Friday October 29th Southampton City Centre Pitch E Time:12:10 – 3:10pm
My last day at this pitch this week and possibly for ever, as the earnings were so bad.
The day got off to a lousy start, as the minute I started playing – the usual ‘opener’, The Third Man – some guy came out of the Yorkshire Building Society office I was in front of and said “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to move on, as a couple of our customers were complaining that they could hear the busker louder than me, at the consultation desk, which is just inside the door.” I said I had a permit to busk here and asked if he wanted to see it. “Yes please”. So I showed it to him, but said I’d turn down a bit.
Apparently, it wasn’t him – he’d been told by his manager to tell me to move on. The thing is, the whole time I was there I swear I never saw anyone being consulted at this ‘consultation’ desk near the front window. I turned down – imperceptibly – and he never bothered me again!
Earnings: £8.77p
Expenses: £5.50p – train fare.