Day 2720
Sunday July 19th 2026
Winchester
Another late session in The Square – though not as late as yesterday, so it’s still quite warm when I start up. And again, the bloke who gave me £20 yesterday was in his usual spot, with his wife outside The Old Vine. I thought he wasn’t going to donate, and that would have been absolutely fine, but he came up near the end of the two hour and fifteen minute set and gave a tenner. I forgot to say that yesterday he told me his name – Nick, and he was someone we knew from years ago, from friends nearby in Brassey Road, no longer living there.
I sold the two CDs (for £15) to three middle-aged Italian women. The one who paid had a tenner in her purse but couldn’t understand that was the note I wanted – she gave the rest – the fiver – in coins. I could see the tenner lodged at the side of her purse nearest to her but she couldn’t see it so I did something I’ve never done before. I put my hand in her purse and lifted the note out. I apologised first but she didn’t understand that, either. She wasn’t angry – they were all very cheerful and we talked about Rome and then Florence, which Doll and I love.
Two technical setbacks: the amp packed in after just under two hours though I’m sure the batteries were charged up two days ago. Maybe they’ve run their course. I had some reserve ones so that was OK. Then, around halfway through, something happened which NEVER happens. I broke a string! It was the high octave A and I didn’t have a spare set. But the good thing about a 12-string guitar is if you break one you’ve got another 11 to be getting on with.
Finally, Mr. Thank You appeared several times during the set, shirtless and legless (or maybe he just seems that way). He’d come from the cathedral grounds and after twirling about near me, disappear off towards the high street, causing bemusement to the people outside Three Joes and The Old Vine. At the end, I’ve just put the guitar down and here he is.
‘Play one more! Thank you…THANK YOU!’ And once again, I feel beholding to him because of the £20 note he gave me recently. ‘OK, one more’ I say, plugging the guitar in again.
‘I’ll do your favourite’ and start Everybody Wants To Rule The World (which oddly enough, I’ve noticed Jacob’s now doing). At the end, Mr. Thank You comes up – ‘Thank you, thank you, you’re a legend!’ and holds out his hand. I take it and he kisses it. I didn’t know he was going to do it and it’s the first and last time that will happen. I mean, he can kiss my arse…no he can’t!
I then pack up to the sound of him as he disappears into the cathedral grounds – ‘Thank you, thank you…THANK YOU!’
As I’m about to leave a young woman who’s been on the bench and who’s seen me loads of times asks how long I’ve been doing this. After relating a good portion of my Hard Luck Story, I tell her about breaking a string. She says ‘Well, I always look at it like this – whenever you lose something, something else usually turns up and you gain something.’ So there you go.
Anyway, another good coinage day, this time coming to £57.75 and a five euro note.