A NINETY-eight year old man who first learnt to play the piano when he was just five-years-old has been impressing staff, visitors and residents at a care home.

Jim Cargill, who lives at The Gables Care Home in Middlesbrough, has been performing an array of music since moving into the home, last year.

The pianist was born in Hartlepool, but later grew up in Thornaby, near Stockton, where he first started learning the skill with piano lessons from his father.

Throughout his career, Mr Cargill lived in Middlesbrough where he worked as a church minister, although he never managed to perform on a professional level.

But in a chance meeting ninety-three years later, a young pianist visiting the care home as part of a group from Middlesbrough FC Foundation’s National Citizen Service, performed on Mr Cargill’s piano.

Monica Daniels, 16, played a rendition of Camila Cabello’s Havana on his piano, before she received positive feedback from the extremely-experienced pianist.

Jessica Sumner of The Gables Care Home said: “It was fantastic to see Jim interacting with the young students from the Middlesbrough FC Foundation NCS and getting to play piano with the next generation.

“I’ve recently, for the first time, managed to record him and he plays so beautifully.

“I brought one of our residents Bert Jackson, who has dementia, to listen before as he loves classical music and doesn’t really join in with much else.

“Staff always say how lovely he plays, as you can hear it through the home when he starts.

“It is beautiful.

“It is fantastic that Jim still plays and enjoys it as much as he does. Everyone else at The Gables loves it when he plays – it’s always such a treat.”