Quick pitstop for the busker cycling with a piano

A busker who is cycling across the country with an upright piano in tow has taken his foot off the pedals in Suffolk.

James Tofalli, known as the Piano Man, tickled the ivories during a brief stop off in Bury St Edmunds.

The pianist set off from Land's End in Cornwall on 11 July and has been joined on the 874-mile (1,407 km) cycle to John O'Groats by his faithful cocker spaniel, Jeff.

Tofalli told BBC Radio Suffolk his aim was to bring smiles to people's faces, raise awareness of mental health and autism, and eradicate barriers to music by campaigning for more pianos to be installed in public spaces.

"People are surprised, shocked and confused at the route I'm taking, but the majority of responses are positive, and that's the joy of what street music is," he said.

"I've busked in Bury St Edmunds a lot in the past and it is a great place to play - I've had a lot of positive experiences, but for me Bury is a big part of this journey."

Tofalli, who has battled homelessness and mental health issues, first started taking his music seriously after plucking up the courage to have a go on a public piano at London's St Pancras station 10 years ago.

At the time he said he was battling an addiction, but having a musical outlet gave him an "opportunity to phase that addiction out and bring the piano in".

He credits public pianos with helping him to "overcome addiction and find his footing with ADHD".

"I still get nervous playing, but it is a happy excitement and I've done what I've set out to do and that's bring music to people," he added.

"I can't even put it into words [how the piano changed my life] - I genuinely wouldn't be here today without playing the piano."

Tofalli first set himself the challenge of travelling the country on his purpose-built cargo bike in 2021, but his trip was curtailed when he was stopped by police.

He said he was subsequently charged with illegally "driving a piano" on the A92 in Arbroath, Scotland.

This time, therefore, he is even more determined to cross the finish line – although when that will be remains a "work in progress".

"Loads of people have done Land's End to John O'Groats, cycling or walking in many different ways," he said.

"And I believe it had been done with a keyboard, but nobody's ever done it with a full upright piano with an iron frame."

Tofalli said his mission was to raise money to "acquire, refurbish, place and maintain pianos in public spaces, town squares, stations, parks, community hubs and family homes".

He is funding the journey himself by busking in towns and cities along the way.

"The idea is to give people the opportunity I had when I was struggling with addiction," he added.

"There's no-one to say, 'You can't try it, you can't have a go', even if you go up and just press a few notes – there's no barriers, there's no boundaries."

The Piano Man's efforts went down well with people in Bury St Edmunds - not least Steven Hooper, who has seen him busk before and always gives him £20.

"He has come a long way with his mental health and everything else and he is just spectacular, to just sit here and play music to everyone is unbelievable," he said.

"I had not seen him for a while, but then I saw his face and I came over - it's lovely and just brilliant."

Additional reporting by Connor Bennett.

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