A LOCAL musician has gone green-fingered during lockdown after embarking on a gardening project with his father.

Antony McElwee, former frontman of indie rock band The Medicine Priests, has turned his attention to growing fruit and veg over the past few months with his dad Donald, who is a keen gardener.

While venues are closed and Antony hasn't been able to perform any live music, he's been teaching online guitar lessons through his role at Youth Connections and helping recently retired Donald, who owned the Yorston Off Sales on Brachelston Street, to grow produce.

The family have been delivering it to friends and neighbours who were self-isolating during lockdown.

Antony, 29, who also has a new musical project on the horizon, said: "My dad retired at the end of last year so he's spent the entirety of lockdown sorting the garden and growing lots of different vegetables and fruits.

"He spends so much time out in the garden and usually just sticks to growing strawberries.

"This year as he's retired he's ventured into things like corn on the cob, tomatoes, runner beans, onions and leeks and since I had more time on my hands, I decided to get involved and have really enjoyed it."

With the beautiful weather in April and May resulting in the dynamic duo being able to grow more produce than they can use, Antony decided to offer it out to anyone who would use it.

He continued: "I've been posting photos of everything and with the good weather, we had an influx of strawberries.

"People started to ask if they could buy them, but I ended up going with my mum, Margaret, and delivering them and other things we'd grown to friends, family and other people.

"It's allowed us to keep in touch with people during lockdown and has really brought people together - it's been keeping the community spirit high."

Donald says he is delighted that his son has caught the gardening bug.

The 77-year-old, of Denholm Street, said: "I grew up gardening with both my father and grandfather and spent my childhood helping them grow things.

"My grandfather won the best garden in the area three years in a row in the early 50s and took home the whole sum of five shillings.

"I am delighted that Antony has taken such an interest in it, he's a really good gardener and has been so generous delivering what we've grown to people who have been in lockdown.

"I was self-isolating for 13 weeks and enjoyed every moment of it - I spent all my time in the garden.

"With the great weather we had in late spring and early summer you'd have thought it was Spain.

"I really enjoy spending time growing vegetables and have been getting more adventurous as the years go on, so it's been a lovely experience to share that with Antony over these past few months."