I
was at Green Park tube station the other day; not above ground but
way below changing from the Jubilee Line to the Piccadilly Line; I
always think the same thing when the announcement says ' . . alight
here for Buckingham Palace . .' that the Queen has probably never
been down to her local station.
You
do, actually, alight there for Buckingham Palace, then you go through
the park and there it is – Buck House!!
If
you cross the street you would be crossing Piccadilly into Mayfair
with the expensive and beautiful buildings of Half Moon Street, et
al, which eventually lead into Berkeley Square, where you could pause
for a while and listen for that Nightingale which is the
subject of one of the most beautiful songs ever written -
incidentally written in, more or less three chords.
But
I was down in the bowels of Green Park tube station walking to the
Piccadilly Line and not in Mayfair at all; I was in that other world
that exists beneath the capital.
It
took maybe ten minutes to walk from one line to the other which means
it must be about half a mile – all that beneath the streets?? –
and I have to say that Green Park is a fairly cosy station and the
walk isn't that unpleasant unless you are in a hurry.
But
who could be in a hurry on such a day?
As
we proceeded along the main walk a familiar sound was heard; a song;
whistling: it was a busker singing the song written by Eric Idle for
the film Life of Brian - Always Look On the Bright Side of
Life – together with whistle and amplification.
Now
there were loads of people around walking in two directions, that
day, and from one end of the tunnel to the other we were entertained
by this wonderful song.
The
further we walked the slower we seemed to walk with the rhythm of the
music and after a while most people started to whistle; I kid you
not.
It
was a wonderful moment and I dropped a pound, which joined many
others, into the busker's guitar case.
As
I did this he gave me a look in the eye – what more could he do he
was playing, singing and whistling?
Life
sure is nothing without music – all kinds of music!
Years
ago the buskers would play on the underground and people would come
from all over the world and listen to them. Then the Transport
Police would come along and run them off – these days it's
legal but they have to audition, so I hear, before being given a slot
and space – you wouldn't think so sometimes but here's a link to
the song; whistle away.
funny how little things can creep up on you. I hope your walk to the Piccadilly Line was that much nicer.
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