Banjo Jim

After a rather tedious morning doing the tourist trap thing in Kitchen Kettle Village, I was beginning to flag a little.  Not just because it was doing my head in, but also because I felt like I was going down with a serious bout of "man-flu".  Ladies won't understand what this is like.  I can only say that it is deadly serious and men should rest up at the earliest opportunity.
Just then, we heard some music.

Rounding the corner on our bikes we came across banjo music.  Not my favourite instrument in the world, but it was better than my worsening case of "man-flu".  Nothing like a bit of live music to cheer the soul.
There on a chair, dressed neatly in black trousers and white shirt was an old black guy, plinking and plonking on the banjo!  He was busking on the banjo, and had been doing so for over 30 years. (Not in one go!)

He had a milk churn for people to donate their gifts.  He did VERY well.

A few numbers into his set and we were best of friends.  He was quite happy to stop and talk to us, and even played God Save The Queen for us on the banjo.

He told us that he is 77 years old, and his banjo was 80-something years old.  Older than him, and like Trigger and the broom in Only Fools and Horses, it was the same banjo he'd had all these years.  No changes to it! - Just new frets, new strings, new drum-skin etc.  But still the same banjo!

He was a perfect delight, and brightened up our day immensely.  He told me the same jokes over and over, but he had a twinkle in his eye, and he muttered the words of the songs as he was playing.  Occasionally he would turn to me and ask me if I knew the song he was playing.

He reminded me very much of a 'black' Dennis Robson.