The Truth Will Out! SEPT 14th 2000 From GP. Walker
Two years ago BH Morgan poured scorn and disbelief on my petitions after I was banned from using an amplifier with just four complaints in eight months. All the businesses in the Square signed it, as did 200 other people in just two hours including residents of Stall Street. They all wanted me back with my amp. He more recently poured scorn on the Chronicles poll results regarding the gull cull.
Of course everybody but him was wrong, he was the voice of the people, and wrote many letters of complaints of "Noise Pollution" from buskers. Backing it with that fact he spoke for all the residents, in his role as Neighbourhood Watch for the Abbey Square. His constant moaning and position allowed him virtually alone to bend the ear of the Council, and them to propose a new bylaw that will effectively stop all busking in the city next year.
Then BH Morgan decides to go round the local residents with his own petition, asking them to sign to say they wanted an end to the buskers. I know this, because many of the residents came and told me! They also told me what they said to him. And guess what, at last with actual knowledge of fellow residents opinions, apparently BH Morgan, tail much between legs, has now moved from Stall Street. A very wise move and I genuinely hope his next location is as peaceful and quiet as he would wish it.
My hope is that the next residents are informed comprehensively that buskers often perform in the square, especially over the summer months, and while a novelty can soon become monotonous.
Or instead maybe the council should really refocus their ideas. The Abbey Squares are tourist attractions, with character, history and natural beauty, not a residential area. Street entertainment has been provided here for centuries, and even in the year 2000 there are many different musical exponents and talented entertainers who make a legal earning, and genuinely entertain people in the Squares.
But the audiences are largely transient tourists. For residents the acts after the novelty wears off can become a nuisance. So why not convert BH Morgan's flat into a short stay holiday flat? And charge a premium that it directly overlooks the square, enabling the guests to take in the different acts from a grandstand view over their short stay.
And as other flats become vacant do likewise. Then the occupants of these listed buildings will have not only chosen to be there, but would have paid a premium to do so. Then extend busking hours until 12pm from March to October and police the area properly. This will encourage the better acts to return to Bath. Why not even organise concerts in front of the Abbey, featuring music from orchestral and opera to Jean Michel Jarre... imagine what he would do with the Square with his lighting effects.
The Abbey Square has wonderful natural acoustics. Yet all this council can think about is how can we stop the noise? Rather then how can we ensure a wonderful noise and atmosphere, and make sure the people who don't want to be there don't have to be.
But with BH Morgan apparently gone, the Council should immediately rip up there proposed new Bylaw, which apparently is still with the Home Office awaiting ratification. It would allow anyone to stop a busker, otherwise they be arrested and fined a flat £500. Could you perform with that hanging over your head? The response of all Baths buskers to the Bylaw is that none of us want it and poses a real threat to our livelihoods. It would leave the city center a dead empty space attracting vagrants.
After consultation with most of Baths buskers, the weekend of Sep30th/Oct 1st, the last of the busking season, has been designated as a "Millenium Weekend Celebration Of Busking In Bath." Inviting acts past, present and new to come and perform over the weekend and possibly even put on a special evening concert at a venue such as the Pump Rooms. We invite everyone to come, residents, tourists and the media. I plan also to have the weekends proceedings streamed live on the Internet, so their would be in fact a potential world wide audience. And allow people to see what the Council will be effectively culling next year, unless they first come to their senses and refocus on what people actually do want. Which isn't always the views of a ranting old man.
Graham Walker
AKA Grod Groddler "The Banned Busker OF Bath"; AKA "Happy Graham"
Email: [email protected]