I've got no problem with busking in Cornmarket, and have given to buskers there many times. But this guy is too loud, keeps going for too long, and has been rude to people who politely ask him to move away for a time.

If you're a shopper you get the sound for 5-10 mins - that's fun. If you work here, you get it for several hours - it's hell.

I don't want a ban on busking, but want it quieter, with some breaks.

What ever happened to the promise that all the street entertainers would be in the square (Gloucester Green)? or was it decided that it is a residential area. They already chased out the flautist because he used reverb/echo and other amplification.

Perhaps get rid of the illegal traders first before picking on this guy. The Cornmarket is a pretty grim street but he livens it up a bit.
Perhaps he expand his repertoire so it isn't so repetitive.

I was in Oxford on Thursday and I found him too loud. i was also in on Saturday watching some children playing drums for charity. He wouldn't stop playing those pipes for the half an hour the children were playing. It was as if he was trying to play louder than them. The sooner he goes the better.....

Maybe the long haired twit should get a proper job !!!

Quieter, PLEASE. I know the Council wants to pretend this is Covent Garden, or Barcelona, or something, but please can we have fewer buskers and traders and less crowding.

My little boy loves the buskers in Oxford and often has a little dance before throwing a few coins in their pots, maybe people should lighten up a bit and practice a bit more tolerance and appreciate that some people get pleasure from this form of street entertainment. Those who call for a ban should be ashamed of themselves for being so pathetic.

Well said Subster, he has certainly cheered me up - long may he stay!

See you all at 11am this Saturday in Cornmarket to watch the police arrest the fake pashmina pedlars as a rousing rendition of "Scotland the Brave" plays in the background?

Working in Oxford and having to listen to this guys noise is nothing but noise polution. He should be banned from playing in the centre. I have been in the Vodafone shop and you can hardly have a conversation with the shop assistants. Absolute disgrace.

My colleagues and I work in George Street and are subjected to that noise. We cant concentrate or do our work properly when those bagpipes are blowing. In the summer when its hot we have to have the windows closed, so please hurry up Council and ban him or else we will end up going mad!

I certainly don't think he should be banned, but there needs to be a reduction in the noise levels.

Workers in Cornmarket also need a break from the sound. The current busking pitches are far too close together - buskers can shuttle between pitches just a few yards apart at the moment, which means the music is incessant.

"tollerant" eh? "pathetic" eh? thats awesome! it's fine that whilst some people enjoy their leisurly stoll in to town with their kids who love a good busker...or for the Students who swan in to town every now and agai..its fantastic, TRY WORKING WITH HIS IDIOTIC RACKET EVERY BLINKING DAY!!!! TWICE A DAY!!!!! trust me, he loses his shine! try think of others having to work with that crap every day, try and be a little less selfish and a little more considerate....BAN HIM!

I can imagine it's far less annoying than working with industrial machinery all day. I'm sick to the back teeth of this "i don't like it so ban it" mentality then you preach about consideration? Why don't you consider those who get enjoyment from it? If it's that bad get another job well away from it, i'm sure buskers existed long before you started your current employment. Maybe we could replace buskers with street wardens telling people off for talking too loudly?
Besides in this multi cultural society are you telling me there is no place for music that came from our Highland cousins?

Nick wrote:
Maybe the long haired twit should get a proper job !!!

What has his hair got to do with anything Dick, sorry Nick?

I can think of one Scot making life miserable for millions in this Country who should go first...

As much as I like his playing (from a shopper's point of view), if I had to listen to that all day whilst working, it would drive me nuts!!

Maybe he should take up the flute? Or just play for 10 mins every hour?

Why is there someone playing bagpipes in Oxford anyway? It's okay in Edinburgh as it suits the environment, but when did Oxford become a Scottish city?

Subster wrote:
I can imagine it's far less annoying than working with industrial machinery all day. I'm sick to the back teeth of this "i don't like it so ban it" mentality then you preach about consideration? Why don't you consider those who get enjoyment from it? If it's that bad get another job well away from it, i'm sure buskers existed long before you started your current employment. Maybe we could replace buskers with street wardens telling people off for talking too loudly? Besides in this multi cultural society are you telling me there is no place for music that came from our Highland cousins?

What cr*p! There are strict regulations concerning industrial noise levels and I think you'll find that even the most noisy industries don't put their customer services, sales teams, accounts etc on the same floor as their machinery.

Also, why should anyone be forced to 'get another job' due to this one individual?

Everyone I've seen posting so far HAS considered the busker and the people who (briefly) enjoy his output- they simply point out that after several hours and actually trying to WORK through it the enjoyment is somewhat diminished.

As for a multi-cultural society, I personally didn't vote for England's towns and cities to be clogged up with Colombian pashmina sellers, American Mormons, Muslims giving out information or any of the other 'colour and diversity' that amkes the internet so much more appealing for shopping these days.

I think you'll also find that the Scots are no more tolerant of pipers droning on outside their places of work than anyone else.

We don't live in a multi-cultural society. Multi-racial, yes. If you were born and live in Britain, you're British. End of story.

As for the piper, I like pipes, but I couldn't deal with him playing all the time as I know he does.

He needs to respect people's right to live and work, just as we should respect his. There should be a bye-law which limits busking to certain places and certain times. The council can easily check up on it.

As a Scot living in Oxford, I've got to say I sympathise with those that want him to leave.

For one thing, he doesn't seem to be very good at the bagpipes and he only seems to play about 2 songs. Listening to the same two songs on the bagpipes would drive most people over the edge! As far as I am aware he is English not Scottish (or at least that's what the Oxford Mail said and not that that should prevent him playing the bagpipes anyway!).

Every time I hear him I get embarrassed. It is fine in Edinburgh, but this is Oxford in the South of England - there's no need for it!

I understand that the tourists think it's charming with the bagpipes, but I also wouldn't want to work having to listen to it all day long. Can he not change venues - play on Cornmarket Street sometimes, go to Gloucester Green or Bonn Square or somewhere else other days? Or only play certain times and only weekends? Certainly he doesn't have to be banned, but just me a bit more considerate.

**** it then, execute the ****, in your lovely society you call home!
**** to the lot of ya!

Can a simple solution not be brought up - give him a roaming licence. Have him do a lap of the centre (with a bag attached to his shoulder for contributions). He gets to see more people, and people have only to put up with the drone whilst he passes.

I appreciate that this might all get a bit too complicated for council officers to handle, but seems like a reasonable comprimise - which should be the aim of this discusion!

Dan wrote:

Subster wrote: I can imagine it\'s far less annoying than working with industrial machinery all day. I\'m sick to the back teeth of this \"i don\'t like it so ban it\" mentality then you preach about consideration? Why don\'t you consider those who get enjoyment from it? If it\'s that bad get another job well away from it, i\'m sure buskers existed long before you started your current employment. Maybe we could replace buskers with street wardens telling people off for talking too loudly? Besides in this multi cultural society are you telling me there is no place for music that came from our Highland cousins?

What cr*p! There are strict regulations concerning industrial noise levels and I think you\'ll find that even the most noisy industries don\'t put their customer services, sales teams, accounts etc on the same floor as their machinery. Also, why should anyone be forced to \'get another job\' due to this one individual? Everyone I\'ve seen posting so far HAS considered the busker and the people who (briefly) enjoy his output- they simply point out that after several hours and actually trying to WORK through it the enjoyment is somewhat diminished. As for a multi-cultural society, I personally didn\'t vote for England\'s towns and cities to be clogged up with Colombian pashmina sellers, American Mormons, Muslims giving out information or any of the other \'colour and diversity\' that amkes the internet so much more appealing for shopping these days. I think you\'ll also find that the Scots are no more tolerant of pipers droning on outside their places of work than anyone else.

Crap you might think it is, but it appears you aren't capable of making your own mind up without a Governmnet handbook. How sad and pathetic as a Nation we've become!
Live and let live eh?
I've just been to a concert tonight, it was a bit loud, maybe you can complain about that if you've nowt better in your life to get on with. I'd like to correct you though, having seen the Royal Scots Pipes and drums do their stuff i actually quite like it. So tell me, what rights do i have? You don't like it so therefore it shouldn't exist? Facist!

Dan wrote:

Subster wrote: I can imagine it's far less annoying than working with industrial machinery all day. I'm sick to the back teeth of this "i don't like it so ban it" mentality then you preach about consideration? Why don't you consider those who get enjoyment from it? If it's that bad get another job well away from it, i'm sure buskers existed long before you started your current employment. Maybe we could replace buskers with street wardens telling people off for talking too loudly? Besides in this multi cultural society are you telling me there is no place for music that came from our Highland cousins?

What cr*p! There are strict regulations concerning industrial noise levels and I think you'll find that even the most noisy industries don't put their customer services, sales teams, accounts etc on the same floor as their machinery. Also, why should anyone be forced to 'get another job' due to this one individual? Everyone I've seen posting so far HAS considered the busker and the people who (briefly) enjoy his output- they simply point out that after several hours and actually trying to WORK through it the enjoyment is somewhat diminished. As for a multi-cultural society, I personally didn't vote for England's towns and cities to be clogged up with Colombian pashmina sellers, American Mormons, Muslims giving out information or any of the other 'colour and diversity' that amkes the internet so much more appealing for shopping these days. I think you'll also find that the Scots are no more tolerant of pipers droning on outside their places of work than anyone else.

Just out of curiosity who operates the machinery that doesn't affect anyone else? The poor people who don't know or deserve any better? get your donations in to the Tory party via David Camerons office. Who told the miners to get on their bikes? That was after killing their jobs not someone playing the bagpipes.

I never voted for a multi culti society neither but while it is an ongoing project i will continue to support the Scots and their Heritage. I'd rather hear the bagpipes than the call to prayer 5 times a day!

Subster wrote:

Dan wrote:

Subster wrote: I can imagine it\'s far less annoying than working with industrial machinery all day. I\'m sick to the back teeth of this \"i don\'t like it so ban it\" mentality then you preach about consideration? Why don\'t you consider those who get enjoyment from it? If it\'s that bad get another job well away from it, i\'m sure buskers existed long before you started your current employment. Maybe we could replace buskers with street wardens telling people off for talking too loudly? Besides in this multi cultural society are you telling me there is no place for music that came from our Highland cousins?

What cr*p! There are strict regulations concerning industrial noise levels and I think you\'ll find that even the most noisy industries don\'t put their customer services, sales teams, accounts etc on the same floor as their machinery. Also, why should anyone be forced to \'get another job\' due to this one individual? Everyone I\'ve seen posting so far HAS considered the busker and the people who (briefly) enjoy his output- they simply point out that after several hours and actually trying to WORK through it the enjoyment is somewhat diminished. As for a multi-cultural society, I personally didn\'t vote for England\'s towns and cities to be clogged up with Colombian pashmina sellers, American Mormons, Muslims giving out information or any of the other \'colour and diversity\' that amkes the internet so much more appealing for shopping these days. I think you\'ll also find that the Scots are no more tolerant of pipers droning on outside their places of work than anyone else.

Crap you might think it is, but it appears you aren't capable of making your own mind up without a Governmnet handbook. How sad and pathetic as a Nation we've become! Live and let live eh? I've just been to a concert tonight, it was a bit loud, maybe you can complain about that if you've nowt better in your life to get on with. I'd like to correct you though, having seen the Royal Scots Pipes and drums do their stuff i actually quite like it. So tell me, what rights do i have? You don't like it so therefore it shouldn't exist? Facist!

Tiresome. You CHOSE to go to the concert presumably? Did the concert last several hours? Over several days/ weeks/ months? Did tehy repeat a handful of tunes over and over? Did it receive calls from local people unable to work while it was going on?

Still- at least people such as yourself can always fall back on accusing anyone who doesn't agree with your view that something that causes misery to many while barely affecting you should continue is a 'fascist'

Finally, as you asked, I will tell you what 'rights' you have- those given to you as an individual as decided by the majority. That's 'democracy', unlike the belief that your penchant for Scottish pipers should over-ride the feelings of anyone else.

Once again, the 'liberal' is exposed as being arrogant, undemocratic, hypocritical and most of all- intolerant- towards far more than anyone else.

Simple Simo wrote:
Can a simple solution not be brought up - give him a roaming licence. Have him do a lap of the centre (with a bag attached to his shoulder for contributions). He gets to see more people, and people have only to put up with the drone whilst he passes. I appreciate that this might all get a bit too complicated for council officers to handle, but seems like a reasonable comprimise - which should be the aim of this discusion!

Good idea! We are considering solutions to the problem in the report that we are submitting to the Council - solutions that keep everybody happy.

Of course, our petition, report and campaign are about pressing the Council to enforce their code of conduct properly, and NOT about the piper. However, since the piper is being made an issue then your contribution to this debate could be very helpful and we would be happy to consider it.

The highland pipes were invented to drive the English mad. Judging from some of the posts above, I think we can safely say, mission accomplished.

Heath is a quite exceptional Piper and entertainer - he is MOST welcome to play outside my office anytime for as long as he likes!

No one in Oxford wants to prevent people from playing or enjoying music. But the bagpipes are a battlefield instrument, designed to make a loud sound that carries a long way. That makes them inappropriate for an environment where people live and work. If there was some way that the volume and frequency and repetitiveness could be dealt with I'm sure this guy would be welcome.

Unfortunately he is not as eloquent as he was in your interview when he is approached by locals who ask if this is possible. Normally responding with abuse and threats of violence. He even refused to move when he was drowning out a concert put on by a children’s choir in Oxford visiting from our twinned town in Germany. He simply said he had a living to earn an continued to play, ruining an event that had taken months of planning and upsetting children and parents alike. Not a great advertisement to our friends in Europe.

I think that perhaps the Oxford Mail should do a bit more background research before lauding this guy as some sort of working class hero. He does have the support of passers by who hear him when they want to and go move away at their leisure. But how many would support him if they had to listen to him day in day out right outside their place of work or where they live? I think that the respondent who thinks those complaining are 'pathetic' should agree to have this chap play outside her house for a week or so and see how pleasant she thinks he and his music is then.

Ultimately we all have to live and work together but if the person creating the nuisance is not prepared to compromise he has to go. This applies to all buskers who should be properly regulated by the council on the basis of quality and how appropriate the instrument is to a public environment. If this was all done I'm sure the buskers would be welcomed and supported as a valuable asset to city life. Unfortunately the council has ducked the issue for years, even refusing to enforce their own code of conduct. Lets hope the promise to look at this in January will bear some fruit and not just be another example of their total lack of commitment to those living and working in such a great city.

Baggy wrote:
Heath is a quite exceptional Piper and entertainer - he is MOST welcome to play outside my office anytime for as long as he likes!

Hey Baggy, I'm sure Heath wouldn't want to take the time out from his lucrative spots in Oxford. But I could make a tape of him playing the 3 or 4 songs he knows and set up a 500 watt PA system outside your office and play a constant loop for a few weeks. That should re-create the experience for you and then you can make an informed comment? If you can organise the permissions from the local council with regard to any potential noise nuisance, I'd be happy to provide the rest.

Last summer I could see him in Oxford. I was tourist. I like this music and traditionally. YOUR traditional, not mind! If you won't able to stand on the street and show YOUR traditional, please be silent.
This music is much better and more nicer than in Birmingham, where I could hear from everywhere only "tam-tam music".