Diary Of A Busker Day 2308 Wednesday February 7th 2024 Winchester High Street.
Dean is at the top spot so it’s down the road for me again. While I’m setting up, Robert comes by with his two cares. Robert can’t speak; he only grunts and slaps his hands as a sign of approval, as when I play The Third Man, which he loves. One of his carers says ‘We’ve just been up the road and seen the bloke up there.’
‘Oh, Dean Dyson.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Yeah, he’s a good bloke, and even older than me. I don’t know how he does it in this cold; he plays longer than me.’
‘Well yeah, your hands must get cold.’
‘They do, and they’re very sensitive, my hands, more so than Dean’s.’
‘Are they?’
‘Yeah, and that’s a medical opinion. I had to go for some tests years ago with some German doctors in London – it was for this thing called Dystonia, and they hooked my brain and hands up to this electric shock treatment and at the end they said I had the most sensitive hands they’d ever seen…but I respect Dean. I mean, he’s out here for four hours or so and I can only manage two.’
Robert starts slapping his hands because he thinks I’m about to play his favourite. I have to tell him I’ll be a few minutes setting up then I’ll play it. A carer says ‘Come on Rob, we’ll go around a bit and come back and hear Marvin, OK?’
A man looks at my book ads. ‘So, is that you. did you write that?’
‘Yeah, the first two volumes of my busking diary.’
‘Yeah? How much?’
‘They’re £13 each…and the second one you get 25 pages extra for the same price.’ I then get a book and show him what it’s all about ‘See, you get some stories, where I played, how long I played, how much I made, some photos of people…most aren’t around anymore.’ I hand him a book which he flicks through for a minute.
‘Right, £13 eh?’
‘Yeah.’
‘I could get them cheaper on Amazon. I’ll get them there.’
‘Well, you could but I won’t get any money if you do that.’
‘Ha ha, no?’
‘No, that’s why I sell them here.’
‘Right…well, hmm…yeah, well…I think I’ll go on Amazon.’
I wouldn’t have minded so much but it all took a few minutes and he never even left a donation, the tight fisted twat.
A woman comes up after the Gymnopedie.
‘That’s really unique.’
‘Unique? Thank you…is it?’
‘Yes, isn’t it?’
‘Sorry, what did you say?’
‘Beautiful, it’s really beautiful.’
‘Oh sorry, I’m a bit deaf…even with my hearing-aids.’
‘Oh, I wear them, as well.
‘Well, I can’t see them. I’ve got some because of 40 years playing in rock groups.’
‘No, I haven’t got them in now but I’ve got some because of dancing behind orchestras. The 1812 overture with the trumpets in front of me and let me tell you, they know how to play loud, they know how to blow! I mean, the violins were fine but the trumpets, well I’ve never heard anything like it.’
I don’t know what happened to Robert but they never came back, and those carers KNOW he loves The Third Man. Maybe they forgot, which is a shame.