Day 2625
Tuesday November 11th 2025
Winchester. In front of Nando’s
It’s Remembrance day and I’ve got my three-piece black Next suit on and my black with white dots cravat and shiny black DM brogues…and a shiny poppy on the headstock of the shiny Squier.
The top spot was free but because it was very quiet and I didn’t want to spoil it(!) I opt out and head down to the other end of the high street.
A young bloke stops in front of me and starts shouting – what he’s shouting about, I really don’t know as it was unintelligible! Whatever it was, it didn’t seem directed at me because he was looking somewhere else, anywhere else. This goes on for a couple of minutes and I’m thinking I’m going to have to stop and say something, when he drops a pound coin in the case. Well, that’s fine…but he keeps on shouting and now I’m thinking I’m just going to have to stop, give him his pound back and say
‘Look, can you please go away and let me get on with my playing.’
Just then, he leaves, still shouting. Strange.
Next up, an old woman who I’ve seen around for years who occasionally donates (I think). She turns up while I’m in the middle of Life On Mars? and I’m wondering if I should stop to see what she wants – she hasn’t donated so I think she wants to say something. But when I look at her she puts her forefinger to her mouth in a “Shhh” manor, so I carry on till the end, wondering what’s about to come, which I find quite unnerving!
Anyway at the end she says,
‘I see you’ve got an electric guitar. I’ve got a nylon string one and I know you have to play them differently and I’m wondering what the difference is.’
‘Well…for a start they’ve got different necks. This one has a slightly curved fretboard whereas a nylon string one is flat.’
‘Right, and like on a nylon string one you’re not supposed to put your thumb over on to the strings – the low string.’ Here, I interrupt –
‘You know, I’ve got no idea why you’re not supposed to do that! I’ve read that and I can’t understand it. I mean, you HAVE to do that sometimes. I know it’s some sort of old tradition with Spanish guitars but I’ve never worked out why that is…it’s so stupid…you should just do it!’
‘Right…OK. Well, the reason I’m thinking about getting an electric is I don’t want to disturb my neighbours.’
‘Well, yes…if you have an electric then you can turn it down (I turn the volume down to nothing)…and that’s it, you don’t hear anything!’
And with that, she seems happy, says goodbye and is off.
During Julia Florida, the most difficult one in the set, a mother stops with her little daughter who’s fascinated with the guitar…after a minute she lunges forward and smacks her hand on the strings (that’s the daughter, not the mother!) and I instinctively wince – I can’t help it! The mother says ‘Oh, I’m so sorry!’ I say ‘It’s OK, really!’ I know the kid couldn’t help it and I’ve had this before and try and prepare myself, but it’s no good and I couldn’t help reacting like that!
…and finally, there’s a young man sitting with his girlfriend on one of the big blocks/benches to my left. They seem to be enjoying the music…he comes across –
‘Really love your music, mate. Do you know Stumblin’ In by Suzi Quattro and Chris Norman?’
‘Sorry now. I mean, I know the song but not how to play it, sorry.’
‘OK…how about Blackbird?’
Well, he’s in luck and I’m able to play that one, albeit with a few mistakes, especially after he starts filming me but I don an extended version and he’s thrilled.
He then tells me he’s a poet and is looking for some music for his stuff – can he take a card?
I say of course he can – ‘You can take that old one if you like, with the chicken on it…or one of the new ones.’
‘Great, can I take both? I like chickens!’
‘Of course you can. In fact, the chicken one is quite appropriate…I mean, look where we are!’
Nando’s is a chicken restaurant!
He gives me HIS card – he’s Callum Lee AKA The Dark Poet.
The takings (£33.85) were acceptable for a two hour session and the temperature is still around 15 degrees – it’s set to be much colder next week.
And that was this years’ Remembrance Day. I even resurrected Blowin’ In The Wind as it’s basically about war…and in remembrance of old Bob Dylan, who we saw on October the 31st during the Parisian holiday.
And of course, I did Everybody Wants To Rule The World near the beginning and end, which I think is quite apt.