A PLANNED Sunday afternoon concert at a Cowdenbeath residential home has brought Cardenden entertainer Charles Hankin a whole new fan base, and all because of coronavirus.

The Cluny Park singer's sister, Mandy, manages one of the three units at Abbotsford Care Home, at the south end of the High Street, and she asked him if he would like to entertain the residents one Sunday afternoon.

Said Charles: "I was delighted to get the opportunity to entertain them and was looking forward to it. Then before I was able to go came the coronavirus lockdown and I was left thinking how can I reach the Abbotsford residents?

"I thought about maybe doing an open air event where the residents could listen at their windows but I realised that in March the weather could count that out. Then my daughter said to me why not send the concert out by my Facebook account with the carers at Bute House, Argyll House and Chambers Court, in the Abbotsford complex, using their smartphones to access it and transfer it to the TVs in the units.

"It worked a treat and the 30 or so senior citizens have been making a lot of requests which has been brilliant."

On Sunday there Charles' concert was picked up not only by the residents of Abbotsford, but around 1,000 other people latching on to his Facebook account broadcast.

Charles, 54, who is a driver to trade and used to sing on the pubs and clubs circuit, now specialises in charity events, but has now found himself not only doing the Sunday afternoon concerts by Facebook but in addition Wednesday evening 'broadcasts' for general consumption.

"I have managed to give 90 minute shows to the Abbotsford residents so I thought why not try to do the same time for the Wednesday night broadcasts and they have gone down pretty well too," he went on.

"One Wednesday there was 1,700 people tuned in which was amazing and I am really enjoying it all.

"It is amazing how singing in my livingroom can reach the other side of the world, for there are followers in Australia and also in the United States!"

Looking at his new way of entertaining, he summed things up: "It is really pleasing to be able to entertain at a difficult time for the senior citizens when through the coronavirus their relatives cannot visit them. It really is good fun."

Asthma sufferer Charles is currently not at work through the coronavirus lockdown, and it has given him the chance to brush up on some of the requests he has received and he is looking forward to getting back to his charity work when the lockdown ends.

He has a fairly big event coming up once the restrictions are lifted, at Crossgates British Legion, for Autism.

 

 

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