I spent hours today walking around the center of Brighton, mostly through The Lanes. I used to get lost in them when I was an exchange student at the University of Sussex almost thirty years ago. I believe I bought a pair of not-quite-forest-green suede boots there that I kept for years. Today as I was wandering I heard “Puff the Magic Dragon” being played on piano and followed the sound to Market Street, where I found Mark Davies and His Mobile Piano and took these pictures with his permission. Then he launched into “The Sting.” When I ended up at Market Street again later that day (because I still don’t know The Lanes well), he was gone.

But Mark wasn’t the only man working for his supper on the street. On North Street, on the way back to the Artist Residence, I stopped at Sainsbury’s for a sandwich and some fruit. Outside, Nick was making chalk drawings, complete with a written explanation.

He has a site called “Brighton Pavement Art,” but there isn’t much there. I left him a note about sending him this photo.