![Great Yarmouth Mercury: The brewery are raising money for the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston. Photo: Denise Bradley]( "Great Yarmouth Mercury: The brewery are raising money for the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston. Photo: Denise Bradley")
The brewery are raising money for the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston. Photo: Denise Bradley (Image: Archant)
While self-isolating at home in Oulton Broad, Dean Millican, 61, composed ‘Something New’ with the aim of raising funds for the NHS.
“I think it is an upbeat song,” he said, “with advice and a message of thanks and optimism for the future.”
Mr Millican has worked at the hospital in Gorleston, his hometown, for 30 years and dedicated the song it to all his friends there.
“They are a fantastic bunch to work with,” he said.
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In late March the 61-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 after suffering with symptoms he described as mild including a dry cough, sore throat and lethargy.
“I’m sort of lucky, I have a biggish house, I often sit in my man cave writing songs, I lose all sense of time,” he said.
“Luckily my infection wasn’t too bad, I recovered and I am back at work.”
His job involves administering anaesthetics to patients with broken bones - and he reserved special praise for operating department practitioners (ODPs).
“I’m not allowed give anaesthetics without an ODP by my side, they are very important people, but their trade doesn’t get a mention,” he said.
MORE: Man cuts grass in entire village on lockdownMr Millican has always loved music and while a medical student at Leeds University in the 1970s formed a band.
“When I became a doctor that had to be put to one side, but I kept talking about playing music again,” he said.
He often thought about forming another band and after entering semi-retirement three years ago started playing music with some colleagues at the James Paget.
“Due to restrictions we haven’t been able to record with the band but have enlisted the help of Matthew Anniss, our bass player’s son and a music producer, and his partner Crystal Cowban to record this version,” Mr Millican said.
The band knows the song but they haven’t been able to play it together yet, he said.
Each of the musicians recorded his or her part separately, at home, before Mr Anniss mixed the tracks together.
To donate to NHS Charities Together visit the fundraising page here.
The band’s YouTube channel, where the song’s video can be found, is here.
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