AN eight-three year-old drummer from Bury will perform for Friday's BBC’s Children in Need in a special drumathon.

Duncan Lees, hadn’t played the drums for 55 years, until finding inspiration from Capt Sir Tom Moore last year during lockdown.

It was soon after that he bought a cheap drum kit and helped raise money last September in a five hour drumathon for the Jubilee Club, Age UK.

He was then approached by the BBC to perform in the ‘Big Bang’ part of the 24 hour drumathon this Friday.

Duncan said: “I am hoping it will go well. I am quite excited and terrified at the age of 83.

“I might just hide behind the other 29 people and stay in the back.”

One of the driving forces behind this is his arthritis in his left leg and both hips, as well as having Type 2 diabetes.

He saw this as his next challenge to keep up exercise.

The Big Bang segment will air at 6:50pm on BBC One as part of the appeal coverage.

He added: “I am a changed man. It’s given me a new lease of life.

“I was honestly down in the dumps.

“My advice for old people would be to get involved in something that they know about.

Duncan recalled how he used to play on his mum’s pots and pans before he was able to have his own set.

He followed this passion and played in a skiffle band in the Green Howards Regiment during his National Service in Hong Kong.

He continued this during the early 1960s in his band The Talisman, where he played all over North East England, when returning from serving in the war

He added: “I listen to music all the time, and when I’m not, I play it.

“So I got thinking during lockdown, I know I feel my fittest when playing the drums, so why not start again.”

He has also been on tour with several groups, including A Clockwork Orange, and drummed in several recording sessions.

During his performance, he will be playing Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’, alongside North West Tonight’s weather presenter Owain Wyn Evans.