Days 16–20: The People You Remember

It's been a while.

The last proper blog I wrote was Day 15, when I arrived in Exeter after riding from Paignton. We're now several days further into the journey, and there's a reason for the silence. Actually, there are several.

The last week has contained some of the highest moments of this journey so far and some of the lowest. There was a point in the middle of it all where Yorkie and I genuinely questioned whether we wanted to continue.

Looking back now, I'm incredibly glad we did.

This is the story of Exeter, Exmouth and the people who reminded me why this journey matters.

When I arrived in Exeter, I wasn't in a particularly good place mentally. The incident in Totnes was still sitting heavily with me. It wasn't really about one market or one conversation. It was another reminder of how quickly people can reach conclusions about somebody they haven't even taken the time to greet.

While I was watching another busker, a violinist, I was approached by a woman who was clearly struggling with addiction, mental health issues or possibly both.

Without warning, she assaulted me.

I'd be lying if I said it didn't shock me, but what happened the following day surprised me even more.

A police officer from Devon & Cornwall Police tracked me down after a bystander reported what had happened. The police had reviewed the CCTV and the officer came looking for me simply to make sure I was okay and to give me the opportunity to make a formal complaint.

She was one of the kindest police officers I've ever met. She treated me with genuine care, listened, explained everything clearly and could not have handled the situation better. She is an absolute credit to Devon & Cornwall Police.

Could I have made a report?

Yes.

Do some people think I should have?

Absolutely.

But standing there and looking at the situation for what it really was, I couldn't bring myself to add more weight to the life of somebody who was already obviously struggling. That doesn't excuse what happened to me, nor does compassion mean accepting unacceptable behaviour. It simply meant that, in that moment, I couldn't stop seeing the human being behind it.

Being honest, between Totnes and Exeter, I was low. The accumulation of everything had started getting to me, and I think I needed something good to happen without even realising how badly I needed it.

Then I rode to Exmouth.

For once, the ride itself was wonderfully uneventful. No breakdowns, no confrontations and no new problem waiting around the corner. It was simply the road, the piano and the dogs.

Not long after I set up, a little girl came over and asked whether I could play Let It Go.

It isn't a piece I play, and truthfully, it wasn't even a piece I knew. But when a little girl asks you for Frozen and stands there waiting hopefully, apparently you work it out.

So I did.

She danced while I played, completely lost in the music, and her face lit up. She had absolutely no idea what had been going through my head over the previous few days or how low I had been feeling. To her, I was simply the man with the piano who had managed to play the song she wanted to dance to.

What she and her family couldn't possibly have known was how much they gave back to me in those few minutes.

I've spent a lot of this journey talking about what music can give other people.

Exmouth reminded me that sometimes those moments give something back to the person sitting behind the piano too.

She may have forgotten about me by the time she went to bed that night.

I don't think I'll ever forget her.

I left Exmouth carrying that moment with me.

I felt lighter than I had in days. Not fixed, not magically over everything that had happened, but reminded that one good interaction really can change the direction of an entire day.

From there, I rode on to Sidmouth and discovered I'd arrived at the start of the Folk Festival.

A whole town full of music should have felt like exactly the right place for me to land.

For a few hours, I thought maybe it was.

Then the next morning happened...

— James

Day 16
Exeter to Exmouth
Miles travelled: 14.0
Average speed: 11.4 mph
Elevation gain: 283 ft
Elevation loss: 414 ft
Locations busked: 1 — Exeter

Journey Total
Total miles travelled: 206.6
Total locations busked: 9