Diary Of A Busker Day 194

Diary Of A Busker Day 194 Friday January 27th Winchester High Street (opposite Bellis, Time: 12:50-2:30pm).

       It’s another bitter (meaning cold) day and I’ve been a bit “under the weather” – whatever that means, so time goes slow… however, today I reacquaint myself with Delia – I thought I might see her as it’s Friday, who I haven’t seen since well before Christmas. I say I wrapped up the racing car mug she bought as a present to my son and I tell her a bit about my Indian trip in December. Where exactly did I go? – she asks. The bit near Burma and Tibet – lots of Chinese food. “Yes, I thought you looked a bit yellow”, she says. She gets out her old sweet tin and I go throught the usual “No! you don’t have to give me something, not every time you see me… ” She never listens. She opens the lid, there’s a 10p coin, a 2p and a 1p. “Oh, no – but I’ll go get some change, in Smiths.”  I protest again, as I always do. She goes off, comes back with a pound – such a generous, friendly old lady, with her woollen hat and old lady trolley with bike bell. Delia “from St. Cross” as she always says.

      Later on a little boy – about 3, stands in front with his mother. He comes over and stares at my guitar. “Hello there, do you like the guitar?” He points to my plastic thumbpick – “What that?” “This? – It’s my thumbpick – It goes around my thumb so I can use the other finger…” He wants it, he tries to pull it off. “Well, you can look at it, here.” “Yes, it’s the man’s pick, so he can strum the guitar.”(please, Madam – one never simply “strums”the guitar). “Yeah, here (I put his hand on the strings) – he hits them then gets bored with the pick and points to the big metal Bigsby vibrato arm, which they all do. “Oh, that’s something…it makes the sound go all wobbly, see?” – I demonstrate by playing a note and wobbling the bar rapidly. “See? – hear it? It sounds wobbly, doesn’t it?” Then, to his mother – “It’s something they did alot in the 50s, you know.” He grabs the arm and pulls it towards him. “Oh no – you PUSH it, this way…” I demonstrate by pushing it (somewhat more gently) in the CORRECT direction – towards the guitar. “You PUSH it, you see?” I demonstrate again the CORRECT way. He pulls it more violently AWAY from the guitar. “Ah, no, no!” “NO Billy! Not like that – listen to the man!” “It’s OK, it’s pretty durable (I think)”, I say to mother. He won’t let go…and tries a bit longer to destroy my beloved instrument, and meagre means of livelihood. Pull, pull – “No! No – Billy!…”

Earnings: £21.06p.

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