The song remains the same...
Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:40 pm
The constant repetition of festive songs is the bane of Christmas shoppers everywhere.
But spare a thought for the unfortunate traders and bargain hunters in the picturesque North Yorkshire market town of Richmond.
For two years they have been forced to listen to a 'truly appalling' Romanian busker play 'When The Saints Go Marching In' for up to eight hours a day, six days a week.
Now Alexandru Penica has returned to haunt them like a bad dream.
Although he has increased his repertoire of one song by one, the bad news is the notorious busker now plays a never-ending version of Jingle Bells.
To make matters worse, his ability with the accordion is said to be 'shocking.'
The reaction from people in Richmond, and the neighbouring market town of Leyburn where Mr Penica has also played, has been so strong that the council may change the rules to stop incompetent buskers being allowed to 'entertain' shoppers.
They hope to introduce a licensing system whereby artists will have to go through an audition and play at least three songs to a reasonable standard to gain the necessary permit.
Shopper Stephen Foster, 32, said:'It’s unbelievable, you cannot escape it. I think he should audition for X Factor next year, he’s so bad he’d make Wagner sound good.
'It’s nice that he’s finally playing something different and it’s festive but it’s driving us round the bend. We can’t wait for Christmas to be over so we don’t have to hear Jingle Bells again.'
Mr Penica, who is in his 40s, belongs to a group of Eastern Europeans, which includes two men, a women and a teenager. They tell people they come from Newcastle and take it in turns to busk in various spots across the region.
Gary Smith, a shop assistant in Leyburn, said they play outside different shops until they are moved on by irate staff.
'It's the noise that's the problem. We've told them to move on, but they just move further down the street,' he said.
Another trader in Richmond commented:'The police say it’s not against the law for them to be playing but our argument is that they’re not playing because they can’t. You’d think they get so much practise they’d be world class musicians.
'A friend who works nearby said one of them came in and asked to change the coins he had earned into notes. He’d got £60 and I don't suppose that will be declared to the taxman.'
When questioned yesterday busker Mr Penica said he came from Bucharest, but was not able to comment because he couldn't speak English.
He has reportedly claimed to have been an accomplished guitar player for over a decade, but could offer no explanation as to why he played the accordion so badly.
District councillor Tony Duff said he hoped the permit system could be introduced to regulate the buskers.
'I pass them on occasions making what I regard as a horrible racket. They're causing an irritation to Leyburn and Richmond,' he added.
'There certainly seems to be what you might call a gang master who drops them off and no doubt relieves them of some of their cash. It's going to take a little time, but we're working on it as quickly as we can.'
The introduction of a byelaw banning buskers was said to be too costly to introduce.
