Diary Of A Busker Day 242 Friday June 1st 2012 Winchester High Street Opposite Vodafone, Time: 1:45-3:15pm
A woman with three teeth comes up during Tammy. She remembers the tune but has forgotten the name so I remind her, and also the year (1957), for no extra charge. ‘I was living in Reading…they used to call me Tammy, I don’t know why.’ I have to stop myself from saying, ‘Was it because that’s your name?’ or ‘Maybe that’s because they knew you liked the song,’ which is more likely. She notices my new sign on my bucket; CDs – £5. ‘Have you got that one – Tammy, on the CDs?’ ‘No.’ ‘Oh,’ she says and walks off. Maybe I’ll bear it in mind for Volume 2.
Frank comes by with his accordion, cart and dog. I ask if he wants to play here – he can if he likes as I’m about to take a break and might even go home. He thinks not, as he’s been getting into trouble again. He says he was here a couple of hours ago and one of the Vodafone guys came out and asked him to turn down – very difficult to do with an accordion. Frank got annoyed and gave the guy a Nazi salute. The guy phoned the police and an officer turned up to warn Frank – ‘I knew ‘im, but he said, “I have to have a word with you about that.” The bloke complained, said I was being racist ’cause ‘e was black but I never even noticed that, anyway the copper said, y’know, “Frank, I ‘ave to have a word.”‘ I tell Frank he’s lucky, that if he’d done that in Germany they’d have put him in jail!
Earnings: £13.70 + 1 CD
