Blind busker’s ‘huge legacy’
A Christchurch character known as the ‘‘blind busker’’, who regularly performed in Cathedral Square, has died.
Kelven Scott, 57, died of a suspected heart attack on Tuesday night while listening to music at his home.
Scott told The Press before Christmas of his love of music, notably wind instruments, folk music and his passion for ‘‘all things South American’’.
He overcame adversity throughout his life and wished people could see beyond his disability.
"My mother was born blind and was in and out of institutes . . . I experienced a toxic childhood with physical abuse . . . music helped me.’’
He had cataracts and glaucoma from birth, which meant he could only ‘‘see vague shadow shapes’’ for most of his life. He become blind about 10 years ago.
Scott held strong views on what he called ‘‘awful institutes’’ that only saw his disability and not his ‘‘worth or potential’’.
Paul Kean of band The Bats described Scott as an ‘‘astute gentleman’’.
Kelven Scott’s love of music included a fondness for wind instruments.
‘‘He always knew what was going on. He was great to chat to and had a good sense of humour.’’
Scott worked in a factory at Atlas Appliances for more than 20 years until he was made redundant in 2006.
Because he was blind, people often emphasised what he couldn’t do and wanted him to be ‘‘safe’’ and ‘‘live a small life’’.
But Scott didn’t want a small life.
‘‘People need to stop treating people with disabilities as if they are vastly inferior human beings because we are not.’’
He started busking in Cathedral Square in 2006 and considered it his ‘‘job’’.
He had nicknames and hugs for his favourite regular listeners.
Well travelled, Scott claimed to speak eight languages and liked to greet tourists in their native language.
‘‘I’d often eat lunch in Cathedral Square and we just became friends after that, he had a nickname for me,’’ long-time friend Sharon Thompson said. ‘‘A lot of people had his back, he even had members of the Mongrel Mob step up to help him one day.’’
Thompson went grocery shopping with Scott twice a week.
‘‘He was fiercely independent and I greatly admired his tenacity and determination. People would meet him and always underestimate him, then you’d see them change once they spoke to him.’’
Tom Gregg of The Jamesons Irish Band said Scott had a ‘‘powerful singing voice’’, which he showed off at a recent visit to the The Bog Irish Bar.
‘‘His effort stunned and delighted the punters.’’
Scott’s landlord, Karina Machirus, said she would miss him greatly.
‘‘We’d eat tea and watch Shortland Street together. He had his favourite meal that last night and was in his happy place listening to his music when he went.’’
Said Thompson: ‘‘He was inspirational because he went out there and did what he wanted with his life despite everything and everyone saying no to him.
‘‘He didn’t live a small life . . . he left a huge legacy.’’
An arbitrator has been appointed to sort out a $31 million contractual dispute between Fletcher Building and the Ministry of Health over the unfinished, delayed and over budget Grey Base hospital.
Fletcher began construction at the Greymouth site on the West Coast in 2016, and the $77.8m building was supposed to open almost two years ago.
The cost has now almost $91m.
The DHB has said the delay in opening the new building is costing it $50,000 a month.
The Ministry of Health deputy director general of DHB performance, Michelle Arrowsmith, said an arbitrator had been appointed but Fletcher are still to file their full documentation.
‘‘Fletcher have given notice on arbitration proceedings. We therefore can’t comment further on the matter,’’ she said.
The project budget set in 2016 was $77.8 million but because of delays and additional construction costs, the budget allocated had increased to $90.72m.
The ministry was yet to have a completion date.
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