Phat Bollard

A couple of days ago my dad rang to ask if I was in town because a pair of musicians were busking and I should see them, I couldn't get there in time but my dad got talking to them and was told that they would be back today, which they were. After my usual slow start to the day (the Friday Bombardier and pizza knocking me out once again with the added bonus of two glasses of red wine - what happened to me?) including walking Jack I headed to town where Phat Bollard were performing on Clumber Street. 

Hailing from Cornwall and in the middle of a tour of towns and cities busking, they attracted a huge crowd to an already busy shopping thoroughfare. Not only were they entertaining an appreciative crowd with a mix of comedy and protest, this folk outfit were doing no harm whatsoever. The coins in the bucket were testimony to how much of a nuisance they were not being, and they sold CDs in remarkable numbers (I bought two). 

You would imagine that a travelling busking outfit might be thanked for bringing enjoyment to the people of Nottingham and offering relief from the horrors of shopping for an hour or two but no, they were visited by an FDC (Fancy Dress Copper) who attempted to shut them down but apparently (I hadn't arrived by this time) was heckled off the road by the crowd. By the time I arrived things were back in full swing and the band were sounding brilliant. I can honestly say that I have never seen buskers quite like this before, both in terms of music and reaction. Usually a busker only has a few seconds to grab the attention of a passer by and that is what generally happens, they pass by. Eventually came the word that the real police had been called and were on their way so this prompted three more songs before it was all over. 

I don't know how other cities handle buskers (apart from a little observation about London) but Nottingham council don't do a very good job with them. They get moved along after a certain amount of time so pitching up like Phat Bollard did is generally out of the question. Although I don't know much about London's busking I have seen little 'zones' on the Underground system for musicians to play on. Whether they have a time limit or not I don't know but isn't this something that Nottingham council should be implementing if they weren't totally against people enjoying themselves, of course this would mean that they first would have to introduce a system by where they listen to public opinion. The city centre has several areas that are popular with buskers and don't intrude on the pedestrian traffic, so why don't these become designated busking zones with no time limit, just a first come first served basis? It isn't as if they are doing any harm is it? Music is one of the best things in life and if someone wants to stand outdoors in all weather and provide this gift then they should not be punished for it.

No podcast this week.

===

May housekeeping 

Please consider making either a one-off or regular donation using the PayPal button above this blog. Every penny will be used to fund creative projects that will be made available for free.

The Sunday Alternative is a free weekly podcast. I am aiming to start making this podcast in a studio with live bands in session. This will cost at least £50 per episode so please give whatever you can.

52 podcasts and 365 blogs a year must be worth something to you?

The Sunday Alternative bag is on sale now. All you need to do is click on the PayPal button and donate £6 (or more if you're feeling generous), then email me at the address below with 'BAG' in the subject line and your name and address in the email.

(All money from the bags goes into the fund to create free online entertainment)

steveEoliver@gmail.com

@SteveOliver76 

So much for Friday 13th being my lucky day, I thought after the last one that my curse guardian had agreed to keep out of my way and give me a reversal of fortune while everyone else suffered. With this in mind I decided to record the podcast knowing that nothing could possibly go wrong. This would leave me free to watch all the Comic Relief stuff and moan about how it isn't as good as it used to be in the glory days before second rate television presenters took control instead of comedians. What actually happened is the podcast didn't work properly and took ages until I woke up on my office floor at about one o'clock this morning having had one of my stress induced blackouts, something I am sure I should be more worried about than I am. If one good thing came from this episode it was that I missed a load of millionaires telling us how our hard earned money would be put to good use. It's Lenny Henry I feel sorry for, he goes to famine stricken parts of the world and sees such terrible living conditions and then gets jealous because they will at least never know the horror of staying in a Premier Inn.

At the risk of being controversial (far be it from me...), I am not a millionaire and could really do with some donations myself. I will spend it on making podcasts, short films, documentaries, comedy sketches and other such entertainments that in return will be available for free on the Internet. 

Having woken up on my office floor and made my way to bed, I woke up at noon today with my head full of candy floss and it took me a while to get going. Thankfully there was a can of a cheap version of Red Bull (I drink far too many energy drinks to pay Red Bull prices, the 35p ones are just as good) in the fridge which I had as an early breakfast with a cigarette or two in order to try and get my brain into gear. Once dressed in whatever was on the floor next to my side of the bed I took Jack to the park for an hour to let him run around and fetch his ball and the cold fresh air helped to blow away most of the fog. On my return I made myself some breakfast (three boiled eggs with soldiers - I wouldn't have had time to visit a cafe so the new breakfast podcast will have to wait, unless Leftlion start doing one) and had a shower and by about two o'clock I was starting to feel a little bit human.

Mandi didn't want to go to town this afternoon so I made a quick round trip to do a bit of bank related errand running and got back out of town as soon as possible because the streets were full of people who didn't seem to understand the basic points of walking such as looking where you are going. Clumber Street in Nottingham City Centre is said to be one of this country's busiest thoroughfares and I think it is time for the council to do something about it, luckily I have an idea. My suggestion is to paint several lines along the street dividing it up into four lanes. You would walk on the left hand side (the same as driving on the road) with the lane nearest the shops (immediate left) would be the slow 'dawdling' lane and the middle lanes reserved as fast lanes for people who want to get somewhere. If you wanted to enter a shop you would have to filter into the slow lane, no sudden left or right turns into shops. Failure to adhere to this system would result in a day in the stocks in the Market Square. To make this work I would also bring back the stocks.

Nottingham couldn't be arsed to vote in favour of a mayor, if they had then I would have run as a candidate. Your loss Nottingham, your loss.

Listen to this week's edition of The Sunday Alternative here.

===

March housekeeping 

To purchase my audio books, albums, and books, please visit my Shop & Donations page.

I am trying to raise the money to extend The Sunday Alternative, read about it here.

We also need to fund a pilot episode of a new music and cookery show, read about it here.

Every penny that I receive via the PayPal button will be used to fund future projects such as podcasts, short films, comedy sketches, documentaries, and more. They will be made available for free online and I will not personally benefit financially. All help is greatly appreciated.

steveEoliver@gmail.com

@SteveOliver76