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PIP MAKES A MEAL OF MOUTH ORGAN

Submitted by Editor on

Congratulations to Pip Phillips who raised £224.57 yesterday afternoon by entertaining Broughton Street businesses with a mixed repertoire on the harmonica ranging from Blues to Opera with everything else in-between. 

Pip is the marketing manager at Real Foods, so he knows a thing or two about getting messages across at one end and money out at the other. 

His scheme – ‘Harmonica or Humbug’ – was simple. A donation of £5 bought the recipient a tune and a jingle of the charity box. A donation of £10 secured the priceless gift of silence and a rapid exit from the premises.

All proceeds raised were going to the not-for-profit social enterprise Social Bite, which arranges £5 dinners for the less fortunate at Christmas and on into the New Year.

Union Gallery’s Alison Auldjo (right) was pleasantly surprised by a beautiful rendition of ‘Un bel di vedramo’ from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (that one about Italian football) and gladly made a donation before bidding the wandering musician ciao-ciao.

Pip’s lifelong trip on the harmonica began as a boy with a gift from his father. He bought his own Chromatic at the age of 13 and has not looked back since. He now travels with a variety of instruments to fit every tune and occasion (see below).

Spurtle thinks his tour of Broughton Street was an excellent idea, brilliantly realised. For goodness sake, he even colour-coordinated his clothes and satchel sign.

Who will step up next to musically extort the area's other festive shopping streets for a worthy cause? 

Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk and @theSpurtle and Facebook