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KERRSIDE FIDDLER'S
UNEXPECTED GIFT
"Merry Wid®w
HisLsacky Tune
(Daily Mirror World Cables)
„ LONDON, Wednesday. w- For 20 years
bearded! Ted FSieBps, now 67; has been pBaysnc
frisiiddBe on q, kerbsick pitch near fhe Airways
Terminal in Buckingham Palace Rd„ London.
w4 Miliions of visitors and "regulars", hear
ing the sound of his music soaping above
the traffic din, have slowed their Hurried
. steps to listen to his sweet melodies.
a iew aays- ago ne wiv ukg
striking up the waltz from the
"JVTerty Widow" --- perh&ps he
Was dreaming of the nights
,,when he ortce played second
violin . in .a West' End theatre
, The strains Abated to the
ears of an , American who was
dashing into the terminal en
route for JUfew York. He "had
two violins with him, but his
.luggage was overweight. They
wanted £10 excess- sottr. One of
the violins, < - '
He turned back, went over
to Ted Phelps, tapped him on .
the shoulder, crifed In a
friendly voice: - "Here, fella,
Here's a present for you."
Ted < detached himself from
his dreams, stopped : his : bow
in the mlddleof ' a .well-loved
phrase, and looked down,: mys
tified. . ,
W®Fth £8©
At his feet \yas a shiny black
.violin case, put 'there oy the
stranger from the U.SA. '
, Ted looked at it, opened it,
lifted- the . instrument out, tried
it. The sound of his own play
ing. was different now — the
tone was richer, war&er and
sweeter.- ' - '
He went with his present
v to a ' famous- Bond / St. maker
. and , dealer, : who told him his ,
new violln had been made in
- Italy . In : 1784, "possibly by
Joseph . Rocca,". arid - .was
worth £80. , .
Now, Ted plays one of his
instruments on fine days, and
another on . wet days, for he
says: i certainly won't play
my new treasure out of doors
when at rains."
Only condition the American
madei; was that Ted should- not
reveal the donor's name -to
anyone. »
. Ted, as one musician to an
other, Is still plkying;the game,-
and, of course, the . waltz from
"The Merry .Widow,"; which' he
calls "my lucky tune."
$