Letters to the Editor From G.P. Walker

The Bath Chronicle

Windsor House Batheaston

Windsor Bridge

Bath

BA2 3AU 29^th July 1999

Dear Sir,

Had my car not broken down today I would have been in York. Instead I chose to take a stroll around Bath and listen to the other buskers, most with amps and several playing at a level far higher then I perform at. And do so unhindered it seems, as they have since the summer started.

The ban imposed on my amplifier last year was, to quote Environmental Health Officer David Carter, after my unsuccessful appeal in December, was "To send a signal to buskers about the use of amplifiers." Residents, businesses and tourists can hear for themselves the success of his signal. While I get a steady stream of support from the latter completely disgusted with the treatment I have received.

In my wanderings around the center I noticed a group about to set up in the middle of the Abbey Churchyard, oblivious to the violinist playing his spot by the Abbey Wall. Though "off duty" I politely approached them, explained the busker code to them and they happily arranged to play in the next free hour. I then spotted City Center Ranger Don , whose job it is to keep an eye on the various acts.

I have met him many times and he is a very pleasant gentleman. The last time I spoke to him was when HTV filmed my protest in March, miming to a amplified tape dressed as a jester. In that conversation he told me that the first he had heard of my ban was when he returned from holiday and was horrified. That he knew first hand how well my act was received over the summer and I had been the least of his problems. His advice was to let the dust settle and use my amplifier with even more discretion and he was fairly sure a blind eye would be shown. Especially as that technically the Notice served was invalid anyway, two should have been issued as I was playing with someone at the time.

I enjoy comedy, my other job is that of a Children's Entertainer. The farce continues.

As soon as I played amplified I was receiving rapturous applause, far louder then my act, then a flood of complements and donations. It was nice to be back.

After a few days one of the Pump Room security approached me after I had finished. All have been polite and courteous to me and been good source of advice. He told me it was nice to see me back but to be careful with my amplification as one of his colleagues had almost phoned the police because he knew my amp was banned. He'd turned a blind eye to it though because of the response I had been getting, and the volume I was playing at certainly wasn't as loud as some of the other acts. But to maybe turn it down just another notch to be totally on the safe side and he didn't think I would get any problems.

So in spotting City Center Ranger Don today I approached him to see if everything had indeed settled down? He told me that while he had received no complaints that the re-appearance of my amp had stirred up a few mutterings. He added it was generally felt though I was making an effort to perform more quietly and the reaction of public listening was an obvious indication my performance was being enjoyed. He suggested that possibly I should arrange to have a chat with Environmental Officer David Carter to clear the air.

However, we were then joined by an angry man. He stormed up, interrupted our conversation and asked if I was Graham Walker of Northend, Batheaston? Somewhat bemused that he knew my name and address I confirmed I was he.

First he accused me of trying to move on some other buskers so I could play. I pointed out I had merely told them of the Busker Code and had no intention of playing, I didn't even have any equipment with me!

He angrily then turned to Don and told him that I was once again out and blasting everyone out with my amplifier, that he had seen me do so six times so far with it and had phoned the Environmental Officer on several occasions. That he had received a reply that they were trying to do something about the situation but couldn't do anything right then, as I was violent.

Violent? Excuse me, I am a children's entertainer and a ballads singer. Violence is something I detest. I will protest fervently but peacefully against injustice, but violent?

He conceded that when he phoned back again later, because nothing had been done, that the Environmental Health Officer admitted that on checking the situation he had mixed me up with someone else. What he certainly didn't do was notify me of the complaint, or act upon it. Quite possibly, I hope, because the complaint was unjustified and people were quite happily enjoying my songs.

The gentleman then revealed he was Mr. G. Dimery-Seek, and had replied to my letter printed in the Bath Chronicle. "That he and a few others would gladly see me strung from a lamp-post and certainly didn't believe that any businesses had signed my petition."

Unfortunately, both letters were printed in June while I was away in York, busking to an appreciative audience with my amplifier. With no problems from any City officials or Police, instead they joined in the applause. As they have on occasion too in Bath when I have played.

A trip to the Chronicle offices though confirmed my letter was printed virtually in it's entirety despite it's length. My thanks to the editor for this. I then read Mr.Dimery-Seeks reply.

He correctly quoted me as stating that if Bath lost it's buskers it would lose part of it's heritage. He dismisses this because his Collins' Dictionary states that "Heritage is something which exists from the past of historical importance." That as most buskers have only been there for six to seven years need he say more on the subject?

No, please don't Mr. Dim. You are so ill-informed and wrong of every count. Firstly, I was referring to busking in the square down the centuries, not individual buskers.

Next he claims my petition signed by every business in the Square is non-existent. I enclose a copy of it and on further investigation he might find it was not only the staff but the managers and owners who gladly signed it.

He claims to have heard "Danny Boy" twenty times a day, 365 days a week including Christmas Day. Not by me it hasn't. The song has never been part of my repertoire, I'm afraid I don't even know the words! I also stopped busking in October after the ban on my amp and have only recently re-started.

Next he claims to hear violins and screeching flutes. Sorry, no flutes in Bath this year and I think he might be referring to Bath's two viola players. One of whom is a much sought after soloist by orchestra's across the world but enjoys busking and bringing classical music to the street, to much appreciation and applause.

But again, nothing to do with me, I play neither instrument.

Next he complains of a penny whistle playing just three tunes over and over again from nine in the morning to ten at night with no break, and claims this is the torture he and the residents have to suffer.

Is this the penny whistler who performs regularly who graduated from the Royal College of Music? The penny whistler who has played in the square for over twenty years and sometimes exceeds his hour? Or one of those with an alcohol problem and masquerade as a buskers rather then be arrested for begging? The latter I possibly have some sympathy with Mr Dimery-Seek. However, I am none of these, yet his anger is at me.

He then quotes part of the Busker Code, that music should not be played so loudly that it can be plainly heard from 50 meters away as to cause annoyance to either residents or businesses. He then states he could clearly hear a flute from Cross Baths and suggests we go back to school to learn measurement.

Firstly, I have yet to hear a flute player in Bath this year, and secondly can I ask him to check his dictionary for the definition of "Annoyance." Because last year a flute player occasionally joined in my set un-amplified, which indicates the level I was playing at, and quite frankly, we did rather well. And people weren't applauding and donating because they were annoyed. Try looking up "Pleasure" while you are at it.

He next quotes the code that buskers should not play in one place for more then one hour, and not return for the next two hours. "That explains why one busker played continuously for six and a quarter hours recently (the same three tunes)"

Firstly, that was not me. I support and abide by the Busker Code. Secondly I cannot believe with the competition to get an hour to play in either square that this is true. If it is, why didn't the Environmental Health Officer intervene? Was it because he didn't have an amplifier?

Today in his attempted castigation of me in front of Don , when I pointed out that I abide by the code he angrily protested that I was talking rubbish, he had heard me play up till ten o'clock the previous evening and not to deny it because he had witnesses, and that I should know that all busking should cease by 9pm.

Instead of denying it I asked Don for a copy of the code, to show Mr. Dim that it it clearly states that between July and August busking is allowed up till 10:00pm, otherwise ceasing at 8pm.

Did he apologise for his incorrectness? No, he instead said that I should watch out for Court Action because there was a Prohibition Notice banning me from performing in the City Center. Incorrect again, I simply received an incorrectly served Noise Abatement Notice on my amplifier, my conduct has never been called into question. I was always free to perform still un-amplified and contemplated taking up the steel drums.

Did he apologise? No, he returned to that I was still blasting everyone out again with my amp, including on Sunday over the church service. Again, incorrect. I never play over the church services as I have a Christian faith and respect. I also always pack up when the Pump Rooms Staff advise me they have a private function or there is a concert at the Abbey, which I'm sure they will confirm.

He then admitted that I had played five until six on the Sunday, which was correct. I remember this because after I had finished a smartly dressed gentleman and his girlfriend approached me. He joked that I had just made them late, because they were on the way back to their car but just had to stop and listen, and continued with other very nice complimentaries.

In the conversation that ensued I told him that I was taking a risk playing with my amplifier and about the ban, and the farce of a trial I had received. That I hoped I could possibly get it overturned by public pressure and would he mind writing to the council with his comments? He smiled and informed he was a newly qualified barrister, and as all the details of my case were on the CD he'd just also bought from me, that while he was based in London, he would do everything in his power to help me gain some proper justice.

Maybe Mr Dim might also look up "Justice" in his dictionary, and reflect that none of his stated complaints of his letter involved me in any way. Yet it is only I who was banned, which is why I'm protesting!

He ends his letter by stating that during the recent busker protest that I had said I earned twenty pounds an hour when amplified. Here I am incorrect. Sometimes it was fifty. Because people liked it. The reason also applies to those who gladly pay "Happy Graham" sixty pounds an hour to perform as an entertainer/DJ at their children's parties over the last ten years and why I rarely busked at weekends.

While I could earn a higher salary by trading in the Business Studies Degree and Chartered Diploma in Marketing that I studied for over six years to gain, I know my performances give great pleasure to others and I enjoy and strive to be good at, performing. I think if Mr. Dim investigated properly before citing his views, he might find that other peoples opinions are more qualified then his in every direction.

And the reason I turned to busking? Because of debt of around £14,000 accrued over the years in providing quality entertainment because I had business expenses as well as normal living expenses. Something that caused me a severe nervous breakdown three years ago, but something I resolved to try and repay then go bankrupt, because I still have future designs on being a Company Director. Look up "Pride" and "Ambition" in your dictionary.

Then consider how much this "ban" has cost me in time, money and emotion, and how much of your complaints actually related to me. And remember Jorge Mabuza, Baths popular sax player, who received a similar warning, this year, who used the same model of amplifier. Stripped of earning his income he became depressed, fell ill and died at the age of 36 of pneumonia earlier this month.

Remember that in our chat of twenty minutes I listened politely, apologised for your obvious inconvenience, promised to direct my amp away from your residence. (Something he pointed out to me but asked the paper not to reveal, but shouted mine all around the square.) Remember at the end I offered my hand to you and warmly shook yours. I listen to my critics because they can be a great source of advice. I also know them to be in a huge minority, which is what I am campaigning about.

But with my car now fixed, I'm off to York and possibly a few other cities to perform. I will there be asking my audiences if they enjoyed my performance to send a postcard to Bath Environmental Health Officer David Carter via Bath Chronicle. Just to give an indication of what Bath will be missing and leave the penny whistlers to entertain you. I hope also to prepare a new legal challenge with a bit of help from a new friend that I met while busking here.

Bath is a beautiful City. I have been made to feel very welcome here by the vast majority, from the residents, businesses and tourists. I would dearly like to perform here again. But few I think would not see my reasons for going elsewhere until I get some assurances and sort out the nonsense of the ban on my amp. Is "Victimization" in the dictionary or did some fool deem it not worthy to appear?

Mr. Dim's letter finished by stating "Anybody fancy a house swap, as we were told by our local MP Don Foster when we complained?"

Firstly, I haven't met Don Foster, but I openly invite him to discuss the situation with me. Secondly, Mr. Dim obviously made such a poor choice in choosing a City Center council flat, near a square whose heritage is that buskers have played there for centuries. Can I suggest he pass over offers from York and Chester, Stratford, Convent Garden etc and place an advertisement in the Outer Hebrides Chronicle. And like-minded residents to do likewise, and leave us in peace and allow others pleasure.

Yours sincerely,

G.P. Walker (BA Bus.St.;Dip.M)

Alias Grod Groddler "The Banned Busker of Bath"

(The Artiste Formally Known as Happy Graham Childrens Entertainer!)

(Attached to this email are 2 Jpegs of my petition and signers.)

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