Day 2361
Sunday December 14th 2025
Winchester
My cold, which I’ve had since Wednesday, was quite bad yesterday so I didn’t come out to play. In town, the top spot’s free – amazing for a Sunday near Christmas; there aren’t even any carol singers in front of the monument or even in front of the tree. No sign of rain but it’s quite windy, which is going to “impact” on my performance, I shouldn’t wonder…and it does because after forty minutes, I’m losing feeling in the fingertips…just when Gareth turns up – he’s welcome to take over, I say to him. He says he can do that but it will take a few minutes for him to get himself organised so I might as well carry on. Right then, another song…but he motions me to carry on – he’s sitting on the bench opposite. OK, another song and he comes over to say he needs to get something from a shop…five minutes later he returns, clutching three cucumbers. These are essential to his act, I’ve long forgotten why as I never stick around when he starts up. Anyway – ‘You’re all cucumbered up then, eh Gareth?!’ ‘Yeah, still not ready yet, you carry on.’
I carry on for another song, then another, then Life On Mars? but that breaks down not far into the first verse because, along with my fingers, my brain’s now freezing, so I try something easier, Waterloo Sunset, then I’m done because it’s been an hour and fifteen minutes. I pack up, wave goodbye to Gareth and head around the corner to The Square…where Gareth’s son has just started his act. It’s like watching Gareth as a young man! In fact, I don’t watch his act – I merely walk by with the bike but I can’t escape his notice – ‘Hey, here’s my backing band!’ he shouts through his mic. He looks at me, expecting me to comment but it’s freaked me out and I can’t think of anything to say – he’s put me on the spot! Sensing I’m not eager to participate in the pre-act warm-up, he says ‘That’s Marvin…he’s really good on the guitar.’ Judging by the response,I think his audience are all out-of-towners who’ve never seen me!
What to do…well, I need to loo and I need to warm the hands up a bit so down Market Street and upstairs to do both.
Back out, I have a quick look round to see where else I can set up but there’s nowhere. All the spots are taken by market traders. Apart from up in The Pentice but that Kev bloke is there. I can’t see him but I can damn well hear him. He’s been thereabouts every day for the past week, dirty, dishevelled and slouching in a chair, one leg over the other, droning on over a Johnny Cash or Elvis, or some country backing track. I can’t deal with him and avoid the high street if I hear his warble. I’m near the flat white pod, deciding what to do when Rob Berry and his wife appear.
‘Hello Marvin, you setting up or just off?’
‘Well, I’ve done an hour and a bit. Gareth’s up at The Buttercross and his son’s up the road!’
‘Yeah, I know. He sounds just like him! And the money’s not what it used to be, just before Christmas.’
‘Well, no.’ (it actually went OK for me. I got £31 but I didn’t want to say!)…I was just looking for somewhere to set up but I think I might have to go home.’
‘Hm…yeah, well you’ve got Kev up there.’
‘Yeah, I know. He’s here all the time now. I thought he got kicked out of Winchester, drugs and all that.’
‘Yeah, he did, He was in Sherbourne and he got kicked out of there and now he’s back here. People are giving him money.’
‘Yeah and I bet he makes more than me…or you!’
‘Yeah, I can’t stand him…I go around to another street if I see him.’
‘Well, so do I. He’s intimidating and aggressive and he looks terrible and he’s sitting there, absolutely filthy and he doesn’t put any effort into it and I can’t deal with that and I can’t deal with HIM.’
‘Anyway, if I don’t see you, have a good Christmas and New Year.’
‘Well, I reckon we’ll see each other a few times before then but yeah, if not, you have a good Christmas, too.’
I almost forgot. My one concession to the festive season is a Chet Atkins inspired version of Jingle Bell Rock. My old chum Harry Harrison sent me a video of Martin Jes Buus’s rendition, borrowed from Joe Robinson. I haven’t learnt the whole thing; some of it’s very fiddly and I don’t have the patience anymore – but I’ve sorted out the main bits.