A couple of weeks ago I heard from a lovely lady who lived near to me whose niece was getting married in Leicester. The niece was philanthropic:the invitations had helped an Indian charity. The aunt asked if I could busk at the wedding breakfast to raise money for LOROS – a local hospice. Of course, I accepted! It was a wonderful experience as I had never been to an Indian wedding. The families were so hospitable and I got well fed with lots of vegetarian goodies. I was just playing Western music but there is a potential opportunity for me in the future if I can play some of the Bollywood favourites. Kind donations from the guests meant that over £160 was raised.
The next day I was on the road to Bristol, the location of my next busk. I was raising money for Help Bristol’s Homeless – a charity that builds temporary accommodation to help homeless people to find their feet again. One of my favourite moments was from my busking buddies. They like to join in by singing or rattling the collection buckets in time. ‘Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina’ is a particular vocal favourite, with ‘Do You Hear The People Sing’ perfectly suited to a bucket rattle. They are dangerously enthusiastic.
We also recently decided it would be good to have a uniform – so we’ve got some Dairy Milk purple hoodies and tops. You definitely can’t miss us now!
The next stops are northern: Crewe and Durham, before returning to Leicestershire for the final two busks.
The fundraising flautist 