'You don't normally see a piano on a bike'

Chloe Marie Aston says she is "really proud" of her piano bike

A woman who is aiming to busk in every town in the UK with her custom-built "piano bike" is set to arrive in Kent.

Chloe Marie Aston, from north Devon, told the BBC that she had already visited 200 towns and was to perform in Margate on Monday.

Ms Aston, who began her piano bike performances in 2019, said her growing popularity was "overwhelming" at times but she was also thankful for all the support.

She added: "I used to busk with a guitar when I was 14, then one day my dad came up with this crazy idea – what if I put a piano on a bike?"

Ms Aston said she was "excited" about the idea and decided to take piano lessons.

"I didn't think the guitar was meant for me because I struggled with bar chords," she added.

She said her father, Lee Aston, started building the piano bike in May 2019 and worked "every night" on it.

Ms Aston said she was "really proud" of the piano bike and her father considered the project to be his "crowning glory".

Her tour of Kent will include stops in Tunbridge Wells, Margate and Maidstone

So far on her piano bike, she has busked in locations across the south including Brighton and Horsham in Sussex and Guildford in Surrey.

Her tour of Kent will include stops in Tunbridge Wells, Margate and Maidstone.

"I love busking on the piano bike, the piano makes it more eye-catching for audiences because you don't normally see one on a bike," she said. "It makes me stand out."

Her passion for music began when she was six years old, having taken part in various music groups and theatre performances.

Ms Aston, who performs her own songs as well as cover versions, is currently studying music performance.

'I get emotional'

Her father, Mr Aston, told BBC Radio Kent: "There have been challenges.

"I once had to hold an umbrella over her head in heavy rain as she sang.

"But mostly I get emotional when people stop and listen to her."