An old flower market provides an enchanted afternoon in central London for Pam Jones, who is royally entertained for the price of a song.
It was midsummer in the heart of Covent Garden, but it was all four seasons that were thrilling the masses at the Crusting Pipe wine bar.
The sweet sounds of Vivaldi's baroque masterpiece were being delivered with gusto by a string quintet that simultaneously mastered violins and violas and tugged at the heartstrings of an audience viewing a taste of The Four Seasons like no other.
Technically, the players were buskers, having gained entry to Covent Garden's prestigious courtyard through a structured system that involves auditions, a judging panel, time slots and rules prohibiting amplifiers for vocalists.
But the label belies the talent of the resulting performers, which points to many being music students and/or rising stars.
Their music was a magical, ethereal experience, surreal for being so accessible and viewed alongside summer ale, wine and cider for the price of a song (the audience is invited to contribute to the hat, and performers sometimes sell CD compilations as well).
Travellers can sink into altos and arias for as long as they like at their choice of perch at the tiered venue, which surely rivals formal West End theatres for wow factor.
Secure a ringside seat with a table at the courtyard's focal point, the Crusting Pipe Restaurant and Wine Bar (purveyors of fine wine and fare since 1870), or lean above or alongside the Crusting Pipe for more of a bird's-eye view.
Either way, enjoy both the beauty of the music and the history of Covent Garden as you enjoy one of the most famous busking venues in the world.
The Crusting Pipe is in the heart of the old Covent Garden Market Hall, which opened in 1830 after several more makeshift versions of the market in centuries before.
Once, only fruit, flowers, roots and herbs could be sold in a market area that was not allowed to extend beyond the Piazza.
Now, a mix of goods is sold in the market and buskers are dotted throughout the precinct.
It is exhilarating, and a wander around Covent Garden gives a veritable feast of performances ranging from musicians and dancers to magicians and acrobats.
Only classical vocalists and instrumentalists perform in the courtyard, where well-known pieces such as The Four Seasons and O Mio Babbino Caro dominate, but lesser-known pieces delight as well.
In front of the nearby famous Punch and Judy Pub, Covent Garden's Piazza hosts more street entertainers.
The pub was built in 1787 and was thought to be named after the famous Punch and Judy puppet performances that used to take place in Covent Garden's Piazza for the children of flower-sellers.
This listed building retains much of its original brick and stonework and is one of few buildings in Covent Garden that escaped damage in World War 2.
Step downstairs on to the worn stones of the Punch and Judy that have been trodden on by centuries of travellers, or wait for a seat on the upstairs balcony for the best view in the house of the Piazza entertainers.
It will transport you back to another time as you soak up the sights, sounds, flavours and feel of a spot that occupies a lyrical place in London's history.
• Pam Jones
