The Busker.

There were several very good buskers in Cambridge City centre today, but my choice is young Robert Burton, aged 15. I watched and listened for quite a while as he was excellently playing a lot of my old favourites from my ballroom dancing days. As I walked along Petty Cury, I could hear the lovely sound of 'The Girl From Ipanema' being played on the saxophone. It was one of the first records I bought, sung by Astrud Gilberto. I was surprised to see the musician was just a young lad. Next he played 'Embraceable You' and 'They Can't Take That Away From Me.' Memories came flooding back. The elegant Dorothy Ballroom with its red velvet decor, mirrored walls and chandeliers, is now a bookshop, but by going up to the little cafe one can sit and dream. The Victoria dance hall which was above the cinema is now Marks and Spencers, The Lion hotel with it's ballroom was demolished and later, the Lion Yard took it's place. The old Y.M.C.A that was the home of trad jazz is now a car park, the old Miller's music shop and dance studio in Sidney St, is now also part of the M&S group. Previously it was the modern jazz club, actually my favourite and run by the well known Cambridge musician Ken Stevens, also no longer with us..... and so it goes.....Oh, and the Overstream House dance studios is now Wintercomfort Night Shelter. Time marches on much too fast for my liking !