Brilliant Busking in Freo

The Fremantle Markets are open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so we went down on Friday morning to try the personal approach for busking permission. Finally, a friendly place that encourages buskers - there are no licencing requirements. Yeehah! We booked a timeslot and bolted back to get costumed and pack up our instruments. We busked from 11-12 with great success, so booked in timeslots for Saturday and Sunday before we left.

We decided to complete the Maritime Museum experience and take a tour on the Ovens Submarine, so headed over to the Quay again. Half of the CHOGM delegates had the same idea - there were important looking folk doing their important walks surrounded by men in suits with earpieces trying to look inconspicuous. Very amusing. The kids were disappointed that they didn't see the Queen! I was not terribly surprised that we didn't recognise anyone.

Ovens submarine - big on the outside but tiny inside!

The sub tour was fascinating, although I had a moment of panic when we descended into the sub, imagining the hatches closing and sinking into the water! Our guide was ex-Navy and sure did know his submarines! We managed to get through without bumping our heads (much) but it was amazing to consider the 70 men living and working inside for weeks at a time. Space is at such a premium that one lucky guy got to sleep on top of the torpedo! The Captain's cabin was even smaller than Captain Cook's on the Endeavour!

Glad to be back in the fresh air!

Jackson emulating the Torpedo Tubes

Exploring the rest of the Maritime Museum easily filled the rest of the afternoon and we had to drag the kids out just before it closed. It is design built and jam-packed with boats, yachts and fabulously interesting things. The Australia II was there in all its glory, along with that appalling Australia jacket that Bob Hawke wore when he declared "Any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum" after we won the 1983 America's Cup!

Busking was our first appointment on Saturday. We did the same timeslot and had just opened the music case when a lady came over to make a donation. We told her she was brave, having not heard a note, but she stayed for the entire set. At the end, she came over to say how much she loved our music and the kids and gave us $50!! We had a break before doing another set to give our jaws time to close. It was heaps of fun and we were drawing large crowds. Lunch at the markets is always a welcome change from sandwiches and Ella enjoyed choc coated strawberries from a stall directly opposite our busking pitch. The guy told Ella that she could just point tomorrow and he would bring her one! We went back to camp to unpack and got changed to go and visit my Uni friends Graham and Suzy and their girls. Ella was very excited to have some girl company and the 6 kids had a great time playing table tennis, jumping on the tramp, riding bikes and scooters and playing with the Wii while we had a lovely evening catching up on twenty or so years!

A Flooney - wants to join the Hermits!

We busked again on Sunday morning. It went well - apart from the sticky key on the accordion rearing its ugly head again. The kids are really hitting their stride now and are all even singing! The strawberry man from yesterday remembered his promise to Ella and she was delivered a choc-coated strawberry skewer. Another lady in a stall told the kids that listening to our music made her really happy and then donated a Flooney to them all. An American Indian guy stayed through both sets, singing along and adding some fantastic body percussion as well. He said he loved what we were doing and we thanked him for his additions. He took Ella over to his wife's stall for a free pair of earrings, apologising to the boys that he didn't have any jewellery suitable for them. As well as all this largesse, we are also making quite good money. We walked away from our 5 sets at the markets with almost $900! Just as well, as everything costs more than we had originally budgeted for. I went and thanked the manager of the markets and she issued an open invitation for our return. A manager of a nearby bar also gave us her card for a gig there, which we won't have time to do.

Ella's Flooney and Friends Band

After unpacking, we headed out to Alexander Heights, map in hand, to meet Vasko the Accordion Fix-it Man. He is a recent immigrant from Russia and is filling a niche market in accordion repair! We left Jackson's accordion with him for a full service and repair, which should take most of the week. Heading to Joondalup for dinner with my cousin, we got comprehensively lost, as the map suddenly decided not to name any streets. Fortunately Wendy was an excellent phone navigator and we made it to their place with only a few tight-lipped exchanges! We have needed that GPS a couple of times on the trip, Pete & Carey. On the whole though, we think the camera was the better option!  We had a fantastic evening with Wendy & Rob. The kids had a ball playing with their second cousin Jared. They also enjoyed being in a house, Basil Brush (the dog), non-plastic plates, toys, sharp knives and being in a house.

The boys with Jared and his nerf gun collection!

Stay tuned ...