Day 2630
Wednesday December 10th 2025 Winchester
First time back since November the 16th, so quite a break This was due to lousy weather with cold and rain, and being away for just over a week, visiting Sabine And Joachim in Berlin via Brussels. The lousy weather; temperatures under 10 degrees and rain, lots of it, was either side of my trip. However, it’s around 12 degrees today and the first day of sunshine ij living memory. Anyway, hope I haven’t forgotten too much! There are carol singers at the Buttercross but that’s fine as there are now tourists in abundance, here for the Christmas market, which means The Square is now decently populated during the week…the first song is La Vie En Rose – quite apt as the last time I heard that was when I saw Mirielle Mathieu sing it at the Cirque Royal in Brussels on November the 29th. She could barely walk but could still belt ’em out, that’s for sure. People were sending up loads of flowers, chocolates, and even the French and Belgium flags ‘Vive la France, vive la Belgique!’ she shouted.
But back to reality…two men come up, one puts a fiver in the case and says ‘I remember when I was sixty-four and we came out of the Brasserie Blanc and guess what you were playing?’
‘Um…When I’m Sixty-Four.’
‘Yes, and we couldn’t believe it!’
‘Well, that must have been awhile back because I haven’t played it in ages, probably years. So when was that?’
‘Nine years ago!’
‘Right…so you’re seventy three. Well you look younger than me (he did, that wasn’t just me flattering him) and I’m sixty-three! I reckon I’ll have to practise it up for myself next year!’
‘Yeah! Anyway, that note’s for all the times I’ve been by and haven’t given you anything.’
‘Cheers, much appreciated!’
Next up, an older couple stop and listen during Here Comes The Sun. At the end she says, ‘My husband plays a bit, don’t you Bob?’
‘Well, you’re welcome to take over from me here!’
‘Well…yes. I’ve got a few guitars.’
‘Really? How many? Maybe you’ve got more than me.’
‘Oh, I don’t know. How many have YOU got?’
‘Oh…around eighteen, nineteen.’
‘Oh, I haven’t got that many…but four in the living room, two in the bedroom, three in the attic…in two houses; one here and one in Poland – my wife’s Polish. We’re here to see a band play near here – they only get together at Christmas and play Christmas songs, then we’re flying back to Poland.’
I repeat my offer – ‘Well, you’re welcome to have a go.’
His wife is into this – ‘Oh go on Bob, go on!’ But Bob’s walking off at a quick pace, towards the cathedral grounds entrance – ‘Oh no, really, no!’
‘Come on Bob! Come back, please!’
‘Oh no, I don’t want to.’
‘I don’t think he wants to’ I say to her but she runs to him, grabs his arm and drags him back. Bob can’t get out of it – I hand him the shiny Fiesta Red guitar, he straps it on then tries to negotiate sitting on the telescopic stool by approaching it from behind, straddling it between his legs but the amp is there and it’s all a bit awkward.
‘Bob, you need to approach it from the front.’
There he is, he’s all set and launches into Here Comes The Sun…and he’s quite good and it gives me the chance to hear what the guitar sounds like because I never hear it like other people. I think it sounds alright, which is a relief. Anyway, after a minute Bob’s done – it was enough for him. His wife has filmed him and I’m sure it’ll bring them nice memories for years to come.
After two hours, my hands have had enough. It’s now a few degrees colder since I’ve been here and even my feet are feeling it…and I’ve got two pairs of socks on AND thick DM boots!
Time to pack up – the coinage was very acceptable; £46.33, consisting of two tenners, the fiver from my When I’m Sixty-Four friend, and a bit of coinage, including a euro to save for the next sojourn abroad.
As I was packing the bike up I noticed they put up a couple of massive flower pots and three iron H-Stop things (two wheels on each) at the cathedral grounds entrance just behind me. And the only reason I can think of is it’s to stop some nutter from driving into the grounds and ploughing down a load of people going to and from the cathedral and Xmas market. And if that really is the reason, what a sick world this is!