Day 2693
Friday May 15th 2026
Winchester
It was busy earlier on in the morning, with Slouching Kev, a young girl singer with a guitar and that penny whistle bloke opposite Sainsbury’s but they’ve all gone by 4 o’clock. I went in late due to the sporadic showers and set up at Nando’s with the fruit and veg bloke going shouting “Two strawberries and a raspberry on top for a fiver” ad infinitum. I wonder how many times he says that in an eight hour day. Let’s work it out, he says it once every 12 seconds, so that’s six times a minute, 360 times an hour…that’s 2,280 times a day. And I thought I was repetitious. I bet that bloke’s gone insane!
So, day two with the Rickenbacker and I’m still not used to the clunky sound on the low strings, still, there’s time to get used to it. Probably a few weeks. Coinage is very slow for the first half hour or so, then a fiver and a few coins…then a woman pulls up in a wheelchair – one leg is in a cast and she’s with a carer. ‘Can I buy a CD? I haven’t seen you in ages, I’ve been in hospital for three months.’
‘Of course you can! In fact, you’ve made my day as it’s been a bit slow. I’ve got one which is an hour and that’s ten pounds and another that’s a bit shorter – it’s 48 minutes, and that’s eight pounds, or I do two for fifteen pounds…special offer just today in Winchester!’ I hope you like it.’
‘I’ll just have the ten pound one, thank you.’
‘OK, that’s great, hope you like it.’
‘I’m sure I will, goodbye now.nice to see you again.’
‘Nice to see YOU, back out here. Bye bye.’
Three young foreign girls (how do i know? They just LOOK it) are choosing some stuff from the fruit and veg bloke and when I go into Everybody Wants To Rule The World, they look over, one fiddles with her purse then they all come over ‘Amaaazing. Everybody Wants To Rule The World, you amaaazing!’ I bet they heard that song in Marty Supreme. I bet most young people know it from that.
An hour and 25 minutes was all I could do as I’ve got to get home for 6 for dinner, then we’re going out to Eastleigh to see The Christophers at the VUE.
Total takings were £24.92 – fine. I won’t be out this weekend as we’re going to London for a birthday surprise at King’s Cross tomorrow afternoon and a Chopin Society recital on Sunday where Peter Donahoe will be playing the entire set of Preludes – what a special 64th birthday treat for little old me!