IN MAY, Eddy Gemmell attempted to set a new record for the highest busking session in the world.

The Ayrshire man scaled to the 874m peak of Goatfell and busked for five hours at the top to raise funds for his chosen charity.

Now, he is attempting to go higher by attempting another busk on the UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis which stands at a mammoth 1,344m.

Eddy said: “Recently, my father, John Gemmell, was diagnosed with prostate cancer which progressed to his spine.

"He had already been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and obviously receiving this devastating news hit him hard especially when he realised that he had almost lost all power of his legs and the medical team advised that he may never gain the power he had before again.

“Before he left the Beatson Hospital, he said to us that he was determined not to let the cancer take his legs from him and that he would start to make his toe move and progress from there. He said “you know, I feel like a man wae nae legs.” "During his rehabilitation he started to startle staff and saw that he was gaining some power in his legs and admired his determination.

“During one session when he was trying to walk I said to him, let’s write a song based on what you said ‘the man wae nae legs’.

"My father hadn’t played his harmonica for years and I encouraged him to take up playing again.

"I set about writing the lyrics and melody based on his story and came up with the song ‘The Man Wae Nae Legs’.

"We rehearsed the song and eventually did a live recording of the song in his living room with some of his carers acting as backing singers in the chorus. "The aim, to raise awareness and funds for Ayrshire Hospice via donations for purchasing the song and busking together at local venues.” To raise further awareness and funds, Eddy decided to do something a bit different and busk on a mountain.

With the support of the Royal Volunteers Service, Marks and Spencer (Irvine) and Ayrshire Hospice, he climbed Goatfell, Arran and attempted to set a record for the highest and longest busk known.

He added: “Working on the song has given my father the inspiration to take up music again which has been a great therapy for him and we are currently working on new songs and hope to record an album of these songs with Ayrshire Hospice staff and patients with the support of Ayrshire College expertise.

"The impact of this has been very positive on him and he has been an inspiration to others through the music.” Both Eddy and his dad have busked at the Marks & Spencer store in Irvine and plan to busk at other venues.

Eddy was then approached by friends to consider doing his busk at a higher mountain and chose Ben Nevis as it is the highest in the UK.

He would like to thank Marks and Spencer staff, Irvine, for their support on both ventures. Ardossan & Saltcoats Herald, Arran Banner, 3TFM, Irvine Beat FM and West FM, Royal Volunteers Service and, of course, Ayrshire Hospice.