Archive: February 26th, 2003

Before I discovered the web (heck, before the web was even invented), I was a busker.

I played mandolin and, later, bouzouki from Ireland to Canada and all across Europe.

In all that time, I never once played in London.

Reading this account of seven Guardian journalists who did, I think I made the right choice.

You can read their field reports, find out how much each one made and, at the end, listen to a sound sample of each.

I can relate to a lot of the experiences:

"Income is provided almost entirely by toddlers mesmerised by such a silly thing. A tug at mum’s sleeve and she, wanting to bring up a nice boy, coughs up (although one child actually removes money. Should be a critic)."

When I was growing up in Ireland, this television programme used to be on.

The show’s opening had the title character singing the theme song. This theme song was in turn sung to me, the only Jeremy in my town, by all the jocks as they tormented me:

“I’m a bear called Je-re-my,

I can do most an-y-thing,

I can dance and I can sing…”

etc.

Y’know, it’s great that you can find just about anything on the internet but some things are best left forgotten.