Army veteran bugler prepares for final Last Post in tribute to Covid victims

An ex-Army bugler who has played the Last Post outside his home every night except one since March in tribute to Covid victims is preparing for his final performance on New Year’s Eve.

Paul Goose, 53, will be joined by fellow buglers and Royal British Legion bikers at 8pm on Thursday for a 275th and final ceremony at his home in Cudworth, South Yorkshire, after raising almost £10,000 for the intensive care unit at Barnsley Hospital.

Mr Goose started playing at the start of the first lockdown after the death of a close friend and vowed to keep playing until people stopped dying of coronavirus.

But he said the rising number of cases means he will have to stop as there is no real end in sight.

He told the PA news agency: “I woke up one Sunday morning in March and found out one of my old Regimental Sergeant Majors had passed away. He was a good friend.

“I wanted to play the Last Post for him that night. When I came to do it and the response I got, I decided to carry on doing it.”

Mr Goose, who works in construction and is a former soldier with the Light Infantry, said: “I wanted to carry on until no more people are passing away from this.

“But, with this second wave carrying on, I could be doing it for four or five years so I decided to stop on New Year’s Eve.”

He added: “Tonight’s the big one. It’s going to be an emotional one and I’m going to miss it.”

Mr Goose said he has played every night since March 29 except one, when he went to Cleethorpes with his fiancee and forgot to take his instrument.

And he has streamed all his performances live on his Facebook page.

He was hoping that his 275 performances would give him an official world record but this request has so far been denied, despite a local petition and his MP, Stephanie Peacock, raising it in Parliament.

Mr Goose said he will be sticking to all the Covid rules when he is joined by other buglers and bikers in his street.

As well as a mass final rendition of the Last Post he will be performing No More Parades solo.

– Details of Mr Goose’s fundraising can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/PaulBarnsleyBugler