Loanhead family can’t stop singing on Saturday nights

In April we reported that Mark Allard had re-written the song Angels to show his appreciation for the NHS staff on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus, which he would perform during his ‘Mark’s Saturday Night Get Together’ during lockdown.

Despite the lockdown easing in the summer Mark has continued to perform live for around two hours from 8.30pm on a Saturday from his garage, to a growing audience on his Facebook group.

He said: “I still perform every week, or every other week. When lockdown eased a bit I went to once a fortnight but it’s now back to every week really. We did a Hallowe’en special recently, myself, my wife Anne and our son Joe. We do it as a family. We love it.

“We started it initially to keep in touch with other family during lockdown. Then it spread out to friends. And then I started a wee group on Facebook, which now has around 500 members.

“I hadn’t sung properly for about 10 years. I just got back into it during lockdown.

“I thoroughly enjoy it, we enjoy doing it together as a family on a Saturday night. As there is not much else to do.

“So I buy backing tracks and I bought a PA system and I just record the shows from that in the garage.

“I have already had offers for when this is all over, to do bars, and I plan to book the miners’ club and have a get-together with everyone in the group in the flesh.”

Mark is glad his sing-along is bringing people together, even if it is remotely online.

He said: “A lot of people watching have been isolating or shielding, having to be on their own, so its great for people to keep in touch with other people, albeit on Facebook.

“I read their comments every Sunday and get back to them, just to engage with people. It’s really nice.

“It’s lovely to hear that people are enjoying it. People get the drinks and buffets in on the Saturday night, it’s great fun. I play mostly 60s and 70s songs, a couple of more up-to -date songs too, it’s easy listening songs, that everyone enjoys.”

Go to www.facebook.com/groups/541464713228166 to join the group.