Diary Of A Busker Day 275 Tuesday August 28th 2012 Winchester High Street 1. Opposite Oxfam, Time: 1:48-3:49pm, 2. Opposite Bellis, Time: 4:23-5:30pm
Walter comes out of C & H Fabrics as I’m doing When I’m Sixty-Four. ‘You were playing that the last time I was ‘ere!’ I’m about to apologise but then think – why? Just because he happens to turn up when I’m doing that song; that’s not my fault! One of my old ladies asks me if I know any Christmas songs. In August? ‘Christmas songs? Now?’ She nods to something behind me, so I turn and see a huge Christmas window display. I think I’ll nominate C & H for the Most Out Of Season/Inappropriate Window Display Award. I manage two hours straight through and now I need a break…along with everyone else. It went OK, though; I sold two CDs and collected a couple of pounds above the usual hourly rate.
After the break, I end up at the opposite end to the first session. Half an hour in, Doll turns up to see if I want a lift home. I say I’ll do a few more, so she sits down on the bench opposite where there’s a woman and a child who seem to be enjoying some of the stuff I’m playing; they clap now and again, anyway. After a few minutes, a posh middle-aged man turns up and talks to the woman, though he doesn’t sit down. Then they all come over, give some change and depart up the road. After I finish, Doll tells me about them. She said the man came up and wanted to go somewhere and asked what they were doing. The woman said they were listening to me and asked him if he had some change to give to me, as they had been listening for quite a while, to which the man replied, somewhat impatiently, ‘No, I haven’t. Anyway, I haven’t been listening to him, why should I give him anything? – you’re the one who’s been listening.’ The woman said ‘Well, we MUST give him something, he’s so good!’ (cheers!) and she begins to rummage through her bag…but can find only small change – ‘I’ve just got this,’ she says, holding out the shrapnel. ‘Oh, you can’t give him that; that’s an insult!’ says the man, while she carries on searching the bottom of her bag. After a bit, she digs out some more one and two pence coins. He says ‘Oh, give him ALL that! He’ll think it’s a lot of money – just pour them all in his bucket, he won’t know what they are, he’ll be grateful. Give him all of it.’
Earnings: £40.64 + 3 CDs (and 2 euro cents and 2 Sanini(?) from Latvias(?) Republic)
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