Diary Of A Busker Day 51 Tuesday March 1st Winchester High Street (1. opposite Clinton Cards, Time: 1:00-2:35, 3:30-4:50pm, 2. opposite WH Smiths, Time: 5:25-6:05pm)
A long day, yet yielding scant profit – a mere £20. And like yesteray, a cold and windy day. Money was slow in coming and never increased in pace. A woman said that I brightened her day with MY music. Alas, it’s not mine. The arrangements aren’t even mine, apart from the bits on some records that I can’t figure out. I have to improvise on these bits such as the “tote that barge, lift that bale…” section of Chet Atkins’ Ol’ Man River. Even so, these precious compliments keep my spirits up. They DO mean alot! I played for over an hour but it got too cold so I rigged down and went to the nearby toilet and warmed – or rather boiled my hands under the tap – can’t they ever get it right?! I count my change and have less than £7 for over an hours’ playing. I go back to the same place and freeze some more.
A friendly Irish student, Josh, chats to me. He’s doing a project about life in the street and would like to take some pictures of me. Of course he can. I’m sure there was a girl doing the very same thing last week. He gives me some change and snaps away. He gets a good one of an old lady giving me some money. I tell him about the article, rarely mentioned by my “customers” these days…
Right, I’ve had enough again. I pack up and am off to the toilet again. I eat my small apple and head off to the warmest place around – the HMV shop. I see a man struggling to read cd cover notes with a large rectangular magnifying glass. I aproach him – “Would you like me to help you find something?” He seems a bit annoyed with my offer of assistance but then says he’s looking for Bruckner, as in Anton. We flag down an HMV shelf stacker/counter-man. No, the HMV shop have no Bruckner. He’s also looking for some Manhattan Transfer… Nope, they haven’t got them either. Oh well, what they do have is warm air, which will do me. I’m in there ages, getting warmed up. …I’m warmed up and bored. Hmm…let’s have a look…no, they haven’t got any Chet Atkins, also. What they DO have, however, is one solitary cd of The Last Flight Of Billy Balloon. I remember going in for a meeting with the manager and persuading/begging him to stock this, about two years ago, and I’m sure this is the longest time they’ve had any cd on the shelves! They are always re-stocking them and I can only think my album has escaped some sort of deletion of old stock clearout. There’s even a card with my name on it which I must ask them not to chuck out.
I decide to do another session, this time opposite WH Smiths… After getting about £4, I’m getting really REALLY cold again. A man comes up – “Do you remember me? I gave you my last pound, I was sitting on the bench over there”, he points to the seat just next to Smiths. Then I realise that this is the same guy who came over and said I made him smile. I’m sure of it. This was the last excerpt from the article, the diary entry that alot of people mentioned to me as the one they remember. I’m pretty sure, but not 100%, and I don’t want to mention my diary business to this guy. I don’t want to ask him if it was him who I wrote about!
Later, a woman would like me to play at the “drinks bit” at a wedding in July, just around the corner in the cathedral grounds. She asks me how much I charge. I say £50. That’s too much, so we agree on £40. Well, I don’t agree with it but it’s settled.
…It’s getting even colder now. I’m getting out of here.
Earnings: £20.01p