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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Holly Lennon

Glasgow nurse writes brilliant song about failed leeks to combat covid stress

Lockdown has driven us all to do things we could never imagine ourselves doing like singing along to a Sea Shanty or baking banana bread three times a week.

But for one Glasgow nurse, the pandemic has turned him into a part-time singing gardener.

Donny McKie has become an Instagram superstar after posting an ode to his leeks - which have turned out crap this year, btw - leaving his followers in stitches.

The trauma theatre nurse from Deaconsbank joined Mansewood Allotments nearly four years ago after finding his passion for gardening later in life.

With the ongoing pandemic and stresses of being a frontline worker, having a little patch of happiness has given him a welcome escape. And despite his failure to successfully harvest any leeks, he's not giving up on his passion anytime soon.

Speaking to Glasgow Live, Donny, 44, said: "I've had the allotment for just over three years now. I was never interested in gardening at all but the minute I turned 40 my fingers turned green. I got really into it.

"I can't tell you how good it's been to have it during the pandemic. It's my happy place. You need that space away from it all - it's like yin and yang for me. Work's still good but stressful and having that release is amazing.

"I thought of the song in a moment of madness, I've no idea what happened. I've got a pal who's a musician and he let me borrow one of his songs so I stripped his lyrics off, wrote my own and sang over the top of it.

"People seem to like it. It's just a bit of nonsense and escapism from work."

The song has brought his friends and family a much-needed laugh and Donny is now encouraging everyone to get out and try a bit of gardening if they can.

While the nurse has a garden of his own, he decided to get an allotment for more space and to get away from home.

He added: "Mansewood is expanding it so there's going to be more plots. It's definitely a proper tonic, getting out three nights a week and getting my hands dirty.

"There's a great mix of people there, sharing ideas and things. I've got a garden but it's really small so I decided to get an allotment. But even if your garden is big enough, it's good to have an allotment to get away from things.

"I just enjoy planting things to see how they turn out. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it gets a song written about it."

Watch Donny's full renditions of My Leeks are Crap

The leeks might've been a disaster but the song is a certified banger that's all we've got to say.

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