Diary Of A Busker Day 74 Tuesday April 5th Winchester High Street (1. opposite Clarks, Time: 2:28-4:43pm, 2. corner of Marks And Spencer, Time: 5:20-6:05pm.)
Like yesterday, it’s cold and although it isn’t raining, it has been and there’s a grey sky and the atmosphere has the moisture hanging in it which makes it difficult for playing so – like yesterday, I open with an extended Yellow Bird. One of my regulars, a very respectable looking, suited, be-spectacled man, early seventies I’m guessing, stands nearby, half hiding behind the next column to the left of me, but I know he’s there – oh yes – objects moving by, I don’t pay any attention to but moving objects which suddenly stop – I see ’em all! This man always gives me a donation, unlike some of the regulars who are sometimes irregular with their payments…not as if they owe me anything, of course… but I like this man. “You’re draining me of my finances, you know!” he says as he puts all his change in my bucket. He likes my rendition of Yellow Bird – “It’s beguiling” he says, smiling. “I’ve heard that word before but I don’t know what it means but I’ll take it as a compliment” I say. “Beguiling? – it lifts the spirit, you could say.” I thank him, let him know who the arrangement’s by and think that if Chet Atkins was still alive, I would write to him and let him know how much people enjoy his arrangements out here on the high street of Winchester, Southern England. “Do you know any Spanish classical guitar?” asks my man. “I do – some of the easier ones but it’s too cold to play them today, hm…do you know Choro de Saudade, by Barrios?” He doesn’t so I start playing it but give up after a couple of bars – one wrong note and I’m finished. I apologise profusely. My man says he “…really must attend to some business over there but thank you very much.”
I get a request from someone who’s heard me before – The Third Man no less (the request, not the man). Of course I’ll play it and, amazing as it sounds, I’ve only played it once before in an hour! The man loves it but his son, at one point tries to break away and walk off – his dad holds him in front of him with both arms until I’m done. I complain about the cold. “It’s going to be twenty-one degrees tomorrow”, he says.
The money’s flowing in steadily…then I get nothing for fifteen minutes, a long time when you’re busking. I play Yellow Bird – the current favourite and suddenly they all come and queue up in front of the bucket – about ten people, more or less all at once!
…my friendly, complimentary, be-suited man turns up again a bit later as I’m finishing The Entertainer – “What key do you do that in?” “I play it in D, with the low string down.” He imitates playing a piano – “I used to be able to play it on the piano. I’m trying to remember the key…” “You played it on the piano?” I say. “Yes, before my rheumatism (he holds up his hands)…had to sell the piano.” What a shame, I think. At least with my Focal Dystonia, I still have one good hand and two good fingers in the other one.
Later on, down at Marks And Spencer the crowd is thinning out, it’s fairly uneventfull. I spend the last twenty minutes observing a young guy, possibly strung out on something. He’s trying to impress his mates – a fat girl and another guy. A middle aged woman walks by – “Hello love, I bet you’ve had a few!” he says. Here’s something else he does – someone walks by, he walks alongside them as far as he can until they: A: get on a bus, B: swear at him, or C: hit him. I watch him inflict himself on one man: “Hello mate, how are ya? Had a bad day?…” I don’t see him for a few minutes. His mates are laughing and looking to see if he’s down the road, past the King Alfred statue. They can’t see him. Then he comes back. “How far d’you get?” his mate asks. “Down the Abbey Gardens!” he says hysterically and they all fall about…in hysterics. I keep thinking I hope he doesn’t latch on to me but I think I’m safe as he’s only picking on people walking by – moving targets. At least I hope I’m safe. If not, if he comes up to me, I shall have to call out for my small, blonde WCPSO to sort him out, the hooligan.
Earnings: £35.70p