Diary Of A Busker Day 357 Monday April 22nd 2013 Winchester High Street 1. Opposite Vodafone. Time: 1:5O-3:16pm 2. Opposite Oxfam. Time: 3:33-4:1Opm 3. Opposite Bellis. Time: 4:18-4:5Opm
My first day back on the street after my cruise and I wonder if I was missed…Jude says there’ll have been loads of old folks standing around going ‘Where is he?’ I said ‘Yeah, they’ll be standing in front of Vodafone with signs saying WE WANT MARVIN.’…but they weren’t. Oh well, at least the weather was fine. The Man With Two Wives walked past – ‘Summer’s coming!’ he said. Yeah, I reckon it is, although his generosity was as usual nowhere in sight…then again, he’s got double the expense of most husbands. Other regulars spotted were Barry, who smiled but didn’t contribute but at least he didn’t collapse. Then there’s Maureen, bombing around in her buggy who, amazingly, DID. (contribute, not collapse). Yes indeed, she gave a whole pound! But only, after going past at high speed, she had a quick look in my bucket and saw there wasn’t much there.
Song Of The Day is Albatross, mainly as it secured a CD sale; £8.60p profit and not to be taken lightly. The lucky buyer was a young woman who, while on the phone to her friend, stopped and asked on behalf of her friend how much the CDs were. When I said they were £1O for twenty songs, a discussion between her and the friend followed…and I was just about to say she could have it for £8 when she said that a tenner was fine but she’d have to go and get the dosh. Amazingly, she did just that; I watched her go to the cashpoint up the road. When she came back I again rammed home the point, just in case she’d forgotten, that there were TWENTY songs on it including, of course, Albatross. And just after that, another young woman said it was her favourite and gave a pound. Someone else, who DIDN’T contribute, said I should be playing it down at Marks & Spencer, something I didn’t get until I realised it was on a Marks & Spencer TV advert not long ago.
I managed an hour and a half at Vodafone although my set was slightly depleted by the omission of most of the songs I need the capo for, vis-a-vis Here Comes The Sun, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Girl and Can’t Help Falling In Love. I’d left the darn thing at home in the confusion of unpacking all my guitar stuff after the cruise. I bet the same thing will happen next week after I get back from another cruise.
The next two sessions were pretty much a waste of time as I got about £6 for the lot, but the friendly waiter came over to offer me a cup of tea (or coffee) as I was packing up, which I declined. Then Frank walked past, without accordion but with Kazoo. ‘I ain’t been out since last Sunday and I’ve got too much of a hangover,’ said the great local legend.
I almost forgot, in the second session the blind guy crashed into me. I see him every time I’m out here but unfortunately, he doesn’t see me! Anyway, about an hour later he walked by me again, up near WH Smiths. A minute later he stopped, held up a sign that said PLEASE ASSIST ME. Jeremy – who of course, likes to hang about and listen to me but NEVER donates – happened to be about, took the guy into Smiths and emerged a few seconds later. He comes across and puts a pound coin in my bucket, saying ‘That was from the guy, just then.’ So the only time Jeremy has ever given me anything is when it’s been given to him by someone else.
Earnings: £22.20 (including one CD)