A heartbroken pianist who vowed to play non-stop in a park until his girlfriend took him back has failed to strike a chord with the public – who have branded him ‘entitled’ and ‘horrible’ online.
Luke Howard, 34, said he didn’t know what the woman, who he wouldn’t name but referred to as his ‘Rapunzel’, would do when she saw his very public performance in Bristol.
The pair recently split up after a four-month relationship and the break-up has left him devastated.
But his non-stop piano playing has been dubbed ‘stalker like’ by people online who says he needs to get over it.
Heartbroken Luke Howard set up a piano in a park and vowed to play non-stop to win his girlfriend
The founder of Bristol Women’s Literary Festival, Sian Norris, said: ‘Men, women are allowed to leave you. You are not entitled to a girlfriend’.
She also slammed ‘this expectation that she should suck up her feelings and give him what he wants’.
Jo Brodie posted: ‘Isn’t this a bit creepy? I’m always wary of people who make big public declarations about private matters.’
Georgia Rae Dunkley was withering in her assessment of the action. ‘This is truly horrible and no okay.’
Twitter user Amanda said:. ‘Sense of entitlement here is awful.
‘A sentient being with her own ability to make decisions. He should move on, stop being a brat.’
But another tweet said: ‘Have you never been heartbroken? Never asked for a second chance? Not outsider her house. Not stalking her. People do daft things.’
The twitter backlash grew and grew as Mr Howard continued playing into Saturday evening.
‘Four months* personally I would probably consider that a long fling,’ said Siobhan Tatum.
And a Twitter user called Hamdodger had some advice for the ‘object’ of Mr Howard’s stunt.
‘She should picnic with another guy, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THIS A**3.’
He said that he was playing ‘for love’ on a sign set up close to where he was playing on College Green, Bristol
He began playing his piano on College Green, in Bristol, on Saturday morning, saying it was his ‘last throw of the dice’ to win back his former girlfriend.
Mr Howard, of Bath, said: ‘If it was anything bad why we split up then I wouldn’t be doing this, but it’s the only thing I can think of doing. It just seems life just got in our way.
‘It may sound whimsical but she completely changed my life. My entire world shifted.
‘I know people in my situation will send flowers or text or write letters but that only ever seems to make things worse.
‘I wanted to do something that she might see, to let her know how much I love her, that she can see it and then take it or leave it.
‘I’m just going to play. I was totally devastated and didn’t know what to do. The more I thought the worse it became and the only thing I could think to was play.’