Life & Times of a Busker

October means Halloween, it's that wonderful time of year again when the spiderwebs I've been too lazy to clean become functional decorations, however on the down side, WI ladies have realised that we are older than the recommended ages indicated on the 'Sexy Witch' costume sold in Sainsbury's ( other supermarkets may sell them too – got to be PC ) and most of us have pills that are bigger than the fun size snicker bars that are handed out at the door nowadays!

Now time might be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician, and when your hairdresser points out a few grey hairs, we have to explain to them that they are stress highlights and we've earned them! After all we have everything we had twenty years ago, just a bit lower!

And so it came to pass that once again Audlem WI sisterhood chose to forgo their afternoon nap in favour of their inspirational monthly WI meeting.

We're connected as women. It's like a spiderweb. If one part of that web vibrates, if there's trouble, we all know it and rush to help. This is the power of gathering, it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful – in a word, more alive, especially with the thought of a scrumptious afternoon tea ahead to bolster any flagging vibrancy!

Once again the WI committee had done a sterling job of organising chairs, tables, raffles and flower extravaganzas – beautifully arranged by Pat Smith this month – in preparation for an exhilarating afternoon listening to our speaker – Eric Newton – who was to talk about the 'Life and Times of a Busker'.

Eric is a man who has led what can only be described as 'A Colourful Life!'

Coming from a family of six children, with an alcoholic for a father and living in a two up two down, children topping and tailing in one bedroom, parents in another and a Grandfather who slept goodness knows where, life was indeed challenging.

His father died an alcoholic, his mother ended up with a nervous breakdown, as did two other siblings, including Eric, who has also suffered from anxiety and a brother who committed suicide. You can see why mental health was an issue close to Eric's heart and the 76-year-old has raised more than £60,000 for mental health charities by running more than 38 marathons, taking his trusty clarinet along with him. He said: "I played 'When the Saints go Marching In' 648 times during the New Zealand marathon. 'It has short phrases, so I could breathe in between!'

Eric has had his own battles with alcohol and smoking, however realising he was slowly killing himself, he forswore both addictions in 1975 after his wife of 1 year ran off with an actor – you couldn't make this up could you?

His passion for jazz started in Burslem, when he was 15 and went to hear 'The Ceramic City Stompers' play, and his grandfather, who appears to be the stabling influence in his life, bought him a clarinet for £16 which he taught himself to play.

Eric has done numerous jobs during his lifetime, but also has been trained by the The Northern School of Music, so he does have letters after his name!

When STD came in, a friend of Eric's showed him how you could phone any number in the world and so long as you only stayed on the line for one minute it cost you nothing. On a particularly depressing day, Eric decided to phone someone in Australia, a man named Dick Whittington answered and asked him for his address. This led to an extraordinary friendship and Eric has never spent a winter in the UK since he now travels to Australia and stays with this family every year and busks to make a living. A phone call that changed his life – good job it didn't get disconnected!

Now, no longer content to simply play in front of shoppers, this popular musician has launched yet another new career as a speaker. Shoppers needn't worry though – he's not hanging up his clarinet just yet. He'll be in Leek and a few other high streets for many years to come.

In fact, Eric 'Busker' Newton has lived such a colourful life, a play about his experiences called Eric the Epic was put on at the New Vic Theatre, in Stoke, with Mr Newton taking his own starring role.

He said: 'That was quite an experience to play myself in front of all those people.
My talks are about my rise to the dizzy heights of the pavement outside Woolworths'.

Fortunately he has no plans to stop playing, as the retirement age for buskers is 'a funeral!'

Whilst we all took a break for afternoon tea, Eric serenaded us all with his clarinet, he certainly is a talented and inspirational character.

This month's tea produced several delicious cakes, one of which was filled with a variety of berries – which led me to question the appropriate member, Kath Disley, 'when you were foraging in the hedgerows, did you eat any weird mushrooms that may have inspired this bake?' It was scrumptious – truly scrumptious!

Another 'Extra Curricular' activity that Audlem WI gets up to on a regular basis – after all we have to keep physically fit and brain functional – is Scrabble.

Everyone must know by now that the aim of Scrabble is to gain the moral high ground, the loser being the first player to slam the board shut and upset all the letters over the floor. Often this is my husband, who, having a brain the size of a planet, cannot comprehend why I don't hold onto my tiles until I have a seven letter word like he does! He feels a sense of injustice as I skip merrily along with my simple words, covering all the triple word scores on the way.

Often in our group play, someone will grow irritated before the first tile has been placed on the Scrabble board. This generally occurs when one of our opponents has insisted upon bringing a dictionary to the table, making it clear that she will be consulting it throughout the game. This is the annoying kind of Scrabble player who plays a lot of obscure two-letter words that shouldn't count but for whatever reason are considered legitimate.

Usually a drop of brandy in the afternoon tea, or perhaps a slice of Kath Disley's bake manages to clear the air somewhat.

Eric was kind enough to judge our competition, this month's was 'A Musical Memento.'

First prize went to Anne Poole, who brought a music box which her boyfriend – now husband – had given her when she was eighteen. Who said first love doesn't last? After all, all you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!

Second was Helen Dunlop who works on the principal that growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional.

Third was Anne Godfrey.

The raffle was then drawn and the winners were Christina Lawson, Irene Cunliffe, Sheila Webster, Lyn Wainwright and Jackie Creber.

Birthday flowers were handed out to Anne Watson, who not only won the gold star prize being handed out by Eric, one of his CD's, but celebrates a 'special' birthday this month when she will be playing it to one and all, regardless of whether we want to hear it or not!

Also on the birthday list were Christine Salisbury, Ann Knapper, Anne Poole, Nola Fisher, Patsy Gash and Pat Jones who were presented with beautiful bouquets.

Finally Lin, our President, who had managed the microphone beautifully this month, much to my chagrin, wished us all a safe trip home – we are known to wander somewhat, as we are close to the chippy and local wine establishments, and we can use 'moments of absence' as an excuse!

I'll leave you with another top WI tip;

Never go jogging – it makes the ice in your glass jump and never eat healthy food, we need all the preservatives we can get.

See you all in November.

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