Diary Of A Busker Day 502 Friday February 7th 2014 Winchester (1. Opposite Vodafone, Time: 1:10-1:40pm, 2. Opposite Pavillion, Time: 1:47-2:48pm).
I’ve had to take another break, due to the situation with my left thumb (there’s a film there) – two weeks, in fact. Not as long as the one in December but it still feels like a long time. Actually, even if the thumb was OK, I wouldn’t have been in too many days, as the rain’s been pretty relentless, and not just here – there’s loads of flooding in Somerset. Anyway, the thumb’s alright now – a cold day, though…
As I’m walking by The Butter Cross, I see all Threepenny Bit’s gear: instruments and stuff, all set up but they’re nowhere to be seen. I expect they’re in that Nero’s coffee place. So that rules out setting up here, or anywhere in a half-mile radius. There’s no one down at Vodafone – no one playing, that is. There’s a hell of a lot of people about, though – because it’s stopped raining, I reckon. They’ve all come out to spend their dough…but not on me: it’s only on the fifth song when someone, a woman, donates. Can you believe that? Five songs go by, and all those people. Actually, I CAN believe it. It’s the old thing: too much noise and distraction. I might as well be invisible. Always quite depressing – especially so, after being away. I think I can safely say I HAVE NOT BEEN MISSED BY THE POPULACE (of this one-horse town).
Just after the great event, meaning the donation, that old lady who said she’d bring in some fingerless gloves comes by, and yes, she’s got them with her! Light blue with a faint design which I start to inspect – ‘Don’t look at them, put them on!’, she says – or shouts, rather. Then she says ‘How’s your arthritis?’ – arthritis – I ask you! It’s a shame she’s turned up just as I’m getting in a bad mood, or I would have shown a more lively appreciation of her gift. I hope she hasn’t made them just for me. I don’t think so – they look really old.
Anyway, I put them on – as I’m sure she wants to see me wearing them – and try a few notes out…and they’re not too bad. I can still dampen the low strings through the fabric. Of course, there’s nothing on the fingers, apart from a bit around the base of the thumb. I might give them a go. The old lady goes off – no other contribution – after seeing they fit, and after, I thank her – not very enthusiastically, I have to admit. In fact, somewhat begrudgingly, because I’m a miserable, antisocial sonofabitch.
After that, there are two more donations and then I’ve had enough – and I don’t mean donations. I stuck it out for half an hour, and all for £1.80p – that’s all. I didn’t bother with a break: straight up to The Square and straight into Blowin’ In The Wind again. And straight away, I get a donation: a pound coin from an old man who went off toward the cathedral. And that’s enough to make that Song Of The Day!
I get another donation from another old guy – well, mid-sixties I reckon – who hangs around till I’ve finished Can’t Help Falling In Love. He wants to know the name of the chord I put at the end – one of those old-fashioned 6/9ths – so I do it again: the chord, not the song, so he can have a good look at it. In addition, he also gets the 6/9th Chord Lecture – ‘Old chord. Chet Atkins. Good chord to end a song on. The Beatles used it a couple of times in the early days. In fact they got it off Chet Atkins…Harrison, that is…’ – all that boring stuff. He was a nice man, though. He wanted to know all about my guitar and sound, so I gave him another lecture on all that. He said he had a similar guitar – same shape, different make.
Another old guy donated – they love me, some of the old guys! – and he said ‘There, that should pay for your parking’ – I hope not, I walk here. I managed to stick it for an hour, and it was a damn sight better than the other place. Hardly anyone around, either: often the way – just goes to show. So, an hour and a half with hardly a break. I think that’s OK for my first time back. It was cold, though, and windy, and I better watch it: I don’t want to bugger up the thumb again, anytime soon.
Earnings: £11.65p
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