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Philip Fairweather's BlogFebruary 27 20th December 2007...BELFAST, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, UKRating: OUTSTANDING
If all had gone to plan I'd have been in Derry today and Belfast tomorrow, but the sudden realisation that tonight was really my last chance to get a comfortable train and ferry connection back to Devon before Christmas, especially as I could get a lift from my brother in Worcester tomorrow, made Belfast the only real option for today...Sorry Derry, I'll be back again soon though!...
My ticket having been obtained at the first opportunity, I set to work on my last day in Ireland for both this trip and indeed this year...With the rebuilding of the Cornmarket still putting my usual Belfast spot out of action, I once again found myself playing in Fountain Street, which was just as good and it was such a shame I had to leave so soon and catch the train down o Dublin shortly after lunch...
Resisting the temptation to do another show there, I grabbed a meal and had a quick wander round the shops before heading on to the ferry...
Being the last friday night before Christmas, it was absolutely packed, and that's saying something for a boat that claims to be the biggest passenger ferry in the world!...However I found a comfortable sofa to settle down and get some sleep on in a quiet part of the boat and the next thing I knew we were just pulling into Holyhead at around midnight... February 26 20th December 2007...ARMAGH, Ulster, Northern Ireland, UKRating: OUTSTANDING
So, from one of Ireland's newest cities to one of its oldest...They're practically next door to each other, but couldn't be more different! While Newry's position right on the border on the main Dublin-Belfast road and railway line has caused it to thrive, Armagh feels isolated and neglected...a run down high street with the huge ever-present security cameras reminding you that you are in the heart of a very troubled area that is still trying to find its feet again after decades of violence and mistrust...However, towering above this tiny city on two opposing hills are its two magnificent cathedrals, both dedicated to the same saint and bearing witness to the city's proud legacy as the cradle of Irish Christianity...The tourist information brochures of course focus on this aspect in their impassioned attempts to get people to visit the city, but it's not surprising that there are few photographs of the city centre itself!
Run-down and uninspiring though the High Street may look, lingering there for while tells a different story...People are friendly and happy to engage you in conversation...There is a warm civic pride hiding behind the dour facade and my efforts to entertain this hidden city were much appreciated...I imagine most street entertainers wouldn't touch Armagh with a barge pole, but more fool them...The only problem I had to deal with was the usual dreadful canned Christmas music wafting over the speakers, but this didn't seem to affect the outcome too much...A highly successful performance all-in-all...
However, work completed, my visit to Armagh wasn't over yet...Word had reached me that Theo Saunders, my music teacher and choirmaster from Exeter Cathedral School, whom I hadn't seen in 22 years, was now Organist at the Church of Ireland Cathedral and I was anxious to track him down and renew our accquaintance...It didn't take me long to find him, as he was seated at the organ practising for the Carol Service, when I walked into the Cathedral...He'd hardly changed in all that time and we had a long and very interesting conversation over tea in the Song School, whilst he went about sorting through the folders in muh the same manner as he did 2 decades ago...
We could have talked much longer, but sadly the last bus to Belfast left at 6.30pm and it was quite strange to return to such a bustling modern city at the end of a day when I felt I'd gone back in time in a city where time seems to stand still... February 25 20th December 2007...NEWRY, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, UKRating: N/A
Setting off on the 7am bus to Belfast, I got off at the border town of Newry, now one of the UK's newest cities, hoping that I could start the day's work there, having had some considerable success there in the past...However today, I arrived to find some big Christmas charity event about to start and, not wishing to disrupt it in the small amount of space available, I decided to save my performance for the next location and use the time until the next bus to finally change up the mass of Euros I'd accumulated over the last few days into Pounds, get them into the bank and find somewhere to enjoy a hearty breakfast...All these tasks were accomplished very easily in the time available and I was soon on the bus to the next location... 19th December 2007...GALWAY, Connacht, IrelandRating: OUTSTANDING
Rising bright and early after a pleasant stay in the quaint little hostel opposite the Bus Station on Eyre Square, I headed into town for what I hoped would be another excellent day in Galway...I wasn't disappointed!
Setting up at a prominent junction in the centre of the pedestrianised area, I made a very good showing and had a highly enjoyable morning with surprisingly little sign of any other performers...Also, Galway being a very musical busker-friendly city, there was none of the canned Christmas music blaring out from all quarters that had plagued me the last few days!
Heading back to Dublin in the evening, I took stock of events so far...The first leg of my Christmas Tour had been a resounding success...Tomorrow I would be heading back into the North and taking a trip down memory lane in one of the most unlikely of places...But for the meantime I settled down for the night in my usual Dublin hostel satisfied that once again, the Republic of Ireland had come up trumps... 18th December 2007...GALWAY, Connacht, IrelandRating: OUTSTANDING
The bus jorney from Cork to Waterford took a lot longer than I expected, but I still arrived in time to catch the late night shopping...Galway is probably Ireland's most popular town for busking and this can sometimes mean that it's difficult to find a spot...However, there was no such problem this evening and I found a very nice place just outside a music shop which was just closing up for the night, where I made one quick and highly effective show for the crowd of shoppers that was still in evidence...However, as it drew to a close, I realised that the attention of the crowd had been diverted to a nearby bookshop, where the owner was battling a rather cunning rat, which was scuttling around the entrance looking for any opportunity to get inside and skillfully avoiding every attempt to swat it...I didn't see the final outcome for the crowds, but I think it got away without causing any damage in the shop...However, the whole thing looked like a scene from "Ballykissangel" or some other such blarney and rounded off the day with some amusement before retiring for the night... February 24 18th December 2007...CORK, Munster, IrelandRating: EXCELLENT
Despite a lot of noise from the canned Christmas Carol loudspeakers all over town and heavy traffic, this morning in Cork wasn't at all bad, even though it wasn't up to the heights of the previous two days...It could have been even better, but the arrival of the Salvation Army Band a few metres down the road from me just before lunchtime persuaded me it was better to call it a day and head on to Galway for an evening show... The city was surprisingly devoid of the huge amount of buskers I'd encountered on my previous visit in the summer, but fans of the drunken Celine Dion impersonator who made such an impression on me last time will be pleased to know that I found him hiding away in a backstreet near the bus station in full Santa regalia, strumming on a guitar with only 3 strings and still proudly assuring us that his "heart will go on"...and on... February 22 17th December 2007...WATERFORD, Munster, IrelandRating: OUTSTANDING
Not wishing to hang around, I was up bright and early for the first bus to Waterford...again, not a place that immediately comes to mind as a Street Entertainment capital, but these are always the places that do well for me and it was great to back there...There's always a very friendly buzz to this city and today was no exception, despite the fact that after a hour or so, some dreadful canned seasonal music started blaring out of loudspeakers all over the pedestrianised centre...Thankfully most people seemed to be just as annoyed with it as I was and continued to show their support!
By about lunchtime, I was finished and ready to go on my way again...Disappointingly, Waterford still hasn't got a decent Backpackers' Hostel, so I had to catch a bus on to Cork, as my next destination...It was at the bus station that I met the first unfriendly person I've ever met in Waterford, who wouldn't allow me to pay in coins for my ticket, even though there was a sign clearly stating they wanted change and I had only 5 minutes before the bus left...The snooty young woman behind the desk clearly thought it beneath her to count 32 50c coins and kicked up a huge fuss...Thankfully the driver was more helpful and indeed grateful and couldn't understand what her problem was...The bus left on time & a few hours later, I was in Cork, checked into the friendly surroundings of Sheila's Hostel with its fantastic hilltop view over the city and taking advantage of their excellent free internet service before heading into town for a meal... February 21 16th December 2007...DUBLIN, Leinster, IrelandRating: EXCELLENT
Retrning to the centre of Dublin after my afternoon in Dun Laoghaire, I decided to do a short set in Grafton Street early in the evening just to see what it was like...
After the peaceful relaxed time I'd had in Dun Laoghaire, this was pretty stressful...Even though most of the shops were closing by this time, the crush of people was overwhelming! I've never seen so many people trying to move along such a narrow street...Well, it isn't that narrow, but it felt that way today!
Somehow I managed to find a place to perform, though who could actually see me or hear me I don't know...Anyway the result was still pretty good, but I prefer the quieter atmosphere of Dun Laoghaire any day!
After about an hour, I decided enough was enough and headed back to my hostel for the night...The first day of my Irish Tour could be judged a qualified success! 16th December 2007...DUN LAOGHAIRE, County Dublin, Leinster, IrelandRating: OUTSTANDING
My sudden return to the UK was surprisingly shortlived, because I was up at the crack of dawn and soon on the bus to Dublin...the Irish Capital and its surroundings are always a good bet for a Sunday performance, but oddly enough it's never so good on weekdays!
With the run-up to Christmas, I predicted Grafton Street would be absolutely overrun with other performers and noisy events, so I decided to head down to the port of Dun Laoghaire to the south, which is quite a vibrant little centre in its own right and try my luck there...This proved to be a fortuitous decision! Even though the streets seemed to be empty, there's always a good flow of local shoppers and lost tourists waiting for the next ferry and, with the rather overcast sky, I felt I was brightening up a really dull afternoon...A friendly policeman stopped for a chat and told me that, although he had no problem with me being there, he thought I was completely mad and would be much better off in the Centre in Grafton Street...I replied that too many other performers would have had the same idea and that's why I was better off here! He laughed disbelievingly, wished me luck and passed on his way...Meanwhile this quiet little town continued to prove something of a goldmine! February 10 15th December 2007...KATOWICE, Slaskie, Poland Rating: OUTSTANDING
I had the morning completely at my disposal...It was vital that I caught a bus from Katowice Bus Station to Katowice Airport just before 2pm, but until then it was up to me to use my last morning in Poland wisely...
The logical course after my success there last week was obvious...Do another show in Katowice! I was incredibly lucky...A prime pedestrian street linking the Train Staion to the bus Street was completely devoid of street performers, having been swamped by the noise of another fake Peruvian band the previous week...For a busy street on a saturday in the run-up to Christmas this was nothing short of miraculous and I jumped straight in and got singing as soon as I got off the train... It turned out to be one of the best days financially I've ever had in Poland and I made several useful contacts in the process...I even had an offer of a gig next week, but unfortunately had to decline...There was no way I could possibly get back for it from where I was going... All my worries that later on the day I would be fairly short of cash gradually waned as I realised that my current success meant that I only needed to change up the money I made today into Pounds and Euros and could leave everything else in the bank, knowing that as soon as I got to work tomorrow I wouldn't need anything else! I arrived at the Bus Station bang on time, only to find that the airline had got me a taxi instead because I was the only taker for their bus service that day...After a 30 minute journey through the industrial wastelands of Upper Silesia I arrived at the airport, where after a bit of a lat minute scare when I couldn't find my plane, I finally realised that they'd built a second terminal since my last flight from Katowice and the plane was going from there...Soon I was checked in and sitting in the departure lounge ready for my flight to...Belfast! I slept for most of the flight, which was very smooth and relaxing and it was really odd to suddenly find myself back in the UK! An efficient bus link deposited me in the City Centre just in time to grab some food from Tescos before it closed and I was soon back in the familiar surroundings of the Linen House Hostel, where I soon retired for the night satisfied that such an action-packed day had gone so smoothly and been even better that I thought it was going to be... February 08 14th December 2007...BRZEG, Opolskie, PolandRating: AVERAGE
Heading off early in the morning with all my luggage, my first stop was the town of Brzeg, not far east of Wroclaw...I did very well here in the summer, but today it was very cold and quiet and snowing too...However, everybody that was around was very friendly and those that remembered me seemed pleased to see me back...However, by lunchtime, I was already aboard Poland's slow train network, gradually moving towards Krakow where I spent a very pleasant last evenig in Poland, whilst preparing myself for the next stage f the journey tomorrow... 13th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: EXCELLENT
Today is my final day in Wroclaw before I start my Christmas Tour tomorrow and whilst it wasn't as good as some of the days I've been having recently, it was still an excellent result and now I'm looking forward to a change of scene for the next couple of weeks, but I won't be leaving Poland just yet and I won't be heading in the direction you might expect either...at least not initially! February 07 12th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: OUTSTANDING
An excellent show on the Rynek outside Feniks finished early because today I was booked to perform at the opening of an exhibition at the modern art gallery in Wita Stwosza Street...Being a colloction of wierd and wonderful photographs taken by artist Antony Wajda during his recent stay in Britain, I wasn't sure quite how what I was doing fitted into the style of the exhibition, but everybody seemed happy with my contribution, particularly Antony himself, and it made for a highly enjoyable evening... 12th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: OUTSTANDING
An excellent show outside Feniks finished earlier than usual today, thanks to other very welcome business...I had been booked to perform at the opening of an exhibition in the modern art gallery on Wita Stowsza Street...This consisted mainly of wierd and wonderful photographs chronicling artist Antony Wajda's recent stay in Britain...I wasn't entirely sure how my contribution to the evening really fitted in with the style of the exhibition, but everybody seemed happy with what I was doing and it turned out to be a highly enjoyable event... February 06 11th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: GOOD
Not quite up to the standard of the last few days, but certainly a better result than most of the summer...Weatherwise, a standard wintry day in Wroclaw!...Still trying to snow again, but never quite settling! February 05 10th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: OUTSTANDING
Another excellent day back in Wroclaw savouring the run up to Christmas and beginning the final four-day coutdown before I begin my exciting Christmas tour back to Britain... 9th December 2007...POZNAN, Wielkopolska, PolandRating: OUTSTANDING
Back to Poznan for another sunday afternoon stint and another Christmas Market in full swing, but with the added advantage that it only took up half of the Rynek and the other half encompassed my usual performing spot...This meant that there were plenty of people about but nothing to get in my way...I didn't even have any trouble from the huge loudspeakers at the edge of the event that looked as if they could power up and start pumping out loud music at any moment, but never did! Fairly gloomy weather prevailed, but it never actually rained and I went back to Wroclaw a happy and slightly richer man a few hours later... January 29 8th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: OUTSTANDING
I returned to Wroclaw early enough in the evening to find the market still in full swing and I decided to take advantage of this and go for another show...A decision that paid off quite nicely...No fake medievalisms here! 8th December 2007...GORLITZ, Sachsen, GermanyRating: OUTSTANDING
Returning to Gorlitz today, I found their Christmas Market in full swing and once again (surprise surprise!) they'd decided to go for a medieval theme or at least a sanitised 21st Century ideal of a medieval Christmas Market...Personally I can't imagine anything worse than wandering round a busy market in the 14th Century...Think of all the terrible diseases and suffering you'd be exposed to! However there was no chance of any of that in the picturesque setting of the Gorlitz Untermarkt, where authentically dressed traders (if you discount the usual highly medieval designer glasses that are usually prevalent at such events!) offered their wares at the usual collection of bright and colourful stalls...
However the noise of mainly 20th Century Christmas hits that accompanied all this over ever-present loudspeakers prevented me from doing much trade here, but luckily there was a nice quiet pitch just down the road with plenty of people passing by on their way to the main event and it proved to be a highly productive morning... 7th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: OUTSTANDING
A brisk start to the morning took me back to Wroclaw in several stages on the slow trains...It takes an hour longer than the direct train and you have to change several times but it's half the price! Why pay more for an hour less when the train is so slow anyway and likely to be delayed?
I got back to Wroclaw in good time to catch the early evening rush and investigate the beginnins of the Christmas Market in Swidnicka Street...Nothing that special really, but plenty of people about and a good end to a tiring day! January 25 6th December 2007...KATOWICE, Slaskie, PolandRating: EXCELLENT
An early start this morning to make another visit to the fair city of Krakow, but rather than play there today, I decided instead to investigate another city on the way, hence my early start...
popul
Katowice had previously only been known to me by its reputation as a rather ugly industrial city still trying to shake off years of extreme pollution and my rare visits there over the past few years had consisted solely of short waits at the rather rundown railway station in order to catch a bus to the airport and these visits had only confirmed the rather unpleasant reputation the city has...
However it is rather a big city and the centre of Poland's largest concentration of pos pulation...It also seems to have quite a wide range of cultural events advertised, so it must have something going for it & I figured it was high time I investigated its busking potential...
Besides, today is St. Nicholas' Day and, if nothing else, I could at least be hopeful of a small present from Santa himself if he was in town, which I rather expected he would be...
Moving away from the station area, it's pretty obvious that Katowice is trying to improve its image and there is actually quite an exciting buzz to the city that I didn't expect...
About 100 metres down the road is a massive tram junction that passes for a Rynek, but beyond that a network of narrow pedestrianised streets full of posh shops, with a seasonal merry-go-round starting up at a crossroads in the middle...It was a few doors away from here that I decided to try my luck and I was quite impressed by the reaction...Everybody seemed very pleased to see me, including the occupants of said posh shops and I had a very pleasant morning, despite a bit of noise from the carousel...and yes, Santa did turn up with a bag of sweets!
However, when I reached Krakow later in the evening, he was also at work doling out more sweets in the huge shopping centre next to the main railway station, this time resplendant in his traditional episcopal robes and mitre, and if this wasn't enough, I encountered him once more flat out on the back seat of a hippy bus parked outside the Alchemia bar in the centre of the Kazimierz district, looking a little the worse for vodka!...Well, that sleigh certainly moved fast & he obviously had a very eventful name day, but let's hope he stayed out of trouble for the rest of the night and will be back on form by Christmas Eve!... 5th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: EXCELLENT
Not quite as good as yesterday, but still a solid showing in the Wroclaw Rynek and somewhat better weather... December 11 4th December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, Poland Rating: OUTSTANDING That's a bit more like it...even though the climate and flow of people was much the same as yesterday...Funny how you can never quite tell how things are going to how however familiar a location or situation may be! 3rd December 2007...WROCLAW, Dolny Slask, PolandRating: GOOD Back to Wroclaw and another rather gloomy rainy day...However, I still managed a reasonably good show despite not quite reaching the heights of last week! December 10 2nd December 2007...POZNAN, Wielkopolska, PolandRating: OUTSTANDING
Sunday heralded a welcome return to Poznan and, despite the sporadic rain and gloomy skies, managed to draw quite a crowd that seemed to come from nowhere as the afternoon drew on...I think I'll be back here again next week! |
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