Day 2751
Sunday October 25th 2026
Winchester
First time out for eight days and The Square is free thought there aren’t many people at the outside tables because it’s well windy, as it has been for the last few days. Windy = cold so it’s definitely not going to be a marathon session. In fact, after being told off (for want of a better expression) by the woman on the top floor of Hambledon, I’m keeping the sessions here no longer than an hour and a half…certainly long enough in the cold.
I have a stroke of good luck not long after starting up, when an old lady with a three wheel walker hands me a tenner. After my profuse thanks, we have a little chat –
‘I haven’t seen you about for a very long time. Good to see you again’ she says.
‘Thank you…well, I went to Canada for ten days just recently.’
‘Oh really, how lovely. Was it cold?’
‘No, not really. It gets really cold in the winter…and really REALLY hot in the summer. I went to visit my family – my mother’s ninety-one.’
‘Is she? I’m eighty-eight.’
‘Well, you’re looking good for it! I say, schmoozing it!
‘Where does your mother live?’
‘In Orillia, which is about 60 miles north of Toronto…she’s OK.’
‘That’s good. I’ve had a stroke so I count myself lucky..though my memory’s getting very bad.’
‘Oh well, mine is terrible. I mean, the only way I remember these songs is ’cause I’ve played them thousands of times!’
‘Well, you take care. It’s very windy.’
‘I know, that’s why my foot’s on the case, or it’ll blow away!’ (A day like today, everything’s got to be practically nailed down or it’ll blow away)…well, you take care.’
‘Yes well, I’m going down there (path towards the cathedral) and I mustn’t go down the centre because it’s too difficult with my frame.’
‘Oh, the square stones, yeah I see what you mean.’
‘Yes, I have to go on the sides where it’s smooth. Oh well, nice to hear you again.’
‘Nice to see you again (seen her loads of times, name unknown)…you take care and see you again soon.’
And now, the “what are the chances of that?” bit. A couple a bit older than me who’ve been listening on the bench behind me, come up and the man attempts the QR code. To assist, I stop playing Layla…and once the donation’s sorted (I found out later he’d donated £20!), he says –
‘Unusual to see a 12-string, especially doing the stuff you do.’
‘Yeah, it is, I ‘spose.’
‘How’d you find it? More difficult, isn’t it?’
‘Well, I’ve been playing them for years. I’m used to them. I’ve got some 12-string electrics, as well.’
‘The Eagles had one of those…a sort of…’
‘A double neck, yeah. A Gibson. Jimmy Page had one, as well, to do Stair…’ and just as I’m saying it, a girl of about twenty comes up –
‘Oh…hello. I was just over there and couldn’t believe you played that, that was brilliant. My name is Layla!’
‘No way?!’ I say.
‘Yeah, my parents named me after the song and I was just over there and I couldn’t believe it!’
‘Wow, that’s amazing. I mean, I’ve never even MET anyone called that. Wow, what are the chances of that?’
‘Yeah, anyway thank you so much, that’s just brilliant.’
‘Cheers…Layla!’
The couple with me thought that was hilarious. But really, what ARE the chances of that? I mean, it’s not as if Layla is a common name, like Jane. And then to be playing it as there’s someone named Layla right nearby.
I managed an hour and a half (actually an hour and thirty-three, as I tagged on James Bond as an afterthought) and that was enough. My fingers were freezing and my feet were getting there. I picked up £6 from a man while packing up…oh, I almost forgot, some other man donated two US dollar bills (£1.50) earlier. That brings the total to a VERY respectable £47.50. I give the case a bloody good shake, to get rid of all the twigs and whatnot that had blown in during the set and headed off home…and I remembered my leather gloves this time.