The door of Hay Lodge hospital may be strictly closed to visitors, but that didn’t stop musicians from Nomad Beat entertaining the patients.

The Peebles-based community music school is always warmly welcomed into the hospital, but the threat of coronavirus appeared to halt their regular performances. Well, almost.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and on Sunday afternoon musicians beat their way through red tape and came out singing!

Shonagh Milne, activities co-ordinator at Hay Lodge Hospital, has been waving her magic wand and bringing smiles to the faces of patients for many months.

From parties to alpaca visits, Shonagh is renowned in the community for the cheer she brings to Hay Lodge. But she hit a slight stumbling block recently - a visiting ban has been introduced at the community hospital.

But with a little help from her friends at Nomad Beat, the modern day Florence Nightingale was back in business.

Shonagh explained: “We often have bands coming into the hospital, Nomad Beat being one of them. I received a message from Rona Tatler asking if a small group from Celtic Beat could come and play outside Hay Lodge for the residents who are missing visits from families right now.

“They normally come in as a group of about 10 to 15 which is a bit of a squeeze in the Day Room! With COVID-19 we are very limited on what we can do right now. When I received the message from Rona asking if they could play in the car park I was overwhelmed by her lovely offer.

“We opened the windows in the hospital and all patients that were able, came along to the Day Room to hear them play. It was very emotional and brought so much joy during this difficult time.”

Family members of patients also gathered to listen to the performance and give their loved ones a wave. “As you can imagine, it was very emotional for them too. I can’t thank Nomad Beat enough for their kindness,” added Shonagh.