Day 2255

Diary Of A Busker Day 2255 Friday November 3rd 2023 The Buttercross Winchester

 

Due to incessant rain, I haven’t been out since doing 2 1/2 hours in Southampton on Monday but I need to brush up for the market at Salisbury on Sunday; One of the organisers – Sally Edwards, took my card a few weeks ago and she wants me to do 2 to 4 o’clock and will pay the train fare. They must be desperate. Anyway, it’s about time I played here as it’s been a couple of weeks…

I’ve got my head down, concentrating, when I hear “Is that a new guitar?” I look up and, blow me, if it isn’t The Man With Two Wives*. Well, I hadn’t seen him in so long I thought he’d died. Mind, he doesn’t look in a good way; he’s got a walking stick in his right hand and one of his wives is supporting him on his other side. 

Anyway, to answer his question, I tell him it’s not a new guitar; I’ve had it four years.

“Oh, well that’s why I haven’t seen it. I’ve been in bed for four years (with two wives? he must be knackered)…I had a hip infection, very bad.” 

“Oh dear…oh well, you’re getting out and about now, which is good.”

 

A man and his wife (just the one) come up and take advantage of the CD offer “One’s an hour – that’s £10, the other’s 48 minutes, that’s £8, or I do two for £15 – special offer just for today in Winchester.”

Once again the chat turns to the guitar “I have a Gretsch quite like yours.” And to prove it, he shows me a photo and it’s not nearly as nice a mine but I keep my mouth shut – “Oh yes, very nice.” “Yes, my wife bought it for me for my 60th, this year.”

“Oh, you’re just a bit younger than me, then.” (he looks ten years younger, in fact).

“Really? Well, I also have an SG…” 

 

It was getting cold; the temperature’s around 12 degrees now, and near the end of the two hours, I couldn’t play the triplets in the Tales Of The Unexpected Theme so time to pack up. Time to start wearing gloves on the way in and out.

 

 

 

 

*Made several appearances in the first few years of the diary. An Englishman, he worked in the middle east, where a man was permitted to have around seven wives. He found two to be sufficient and returned to live here with them.