WHEN coronavirus first hit, no one thought the pandemic and its effects would last as long as it did – least of all Lucas Harper.

The Australian teenager was plunged into a 256-day lockdown in his hometown in Melbourne – one of the longest in the world – and, like millions of others, he looked for something to get him through the uncertain days.

For Lucas, what got him through was Sir Elton John and the hopes of seeing him perform live one day.

He was just nine years old when his parents saw the megastar take to the stage in 2019 and they decided Lucas was too young to come along.

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When Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill parents Shaun and Jacqui decided the I’m Still Standing singer was just the thing to pull their family through and they quickly snapped up tickets to the star’s New Zealand concert.

Dad Shaun told the Glasgow Times: “In 2020, like everywhere else in the world, Australia was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic … A few months into the pandemic, the concert dates for Auckland, New Zealand, in 2021 were again rescheduled to January 2023.

“As the weeks rolled on, without any idea of when the lockdowns or the pandemic itself would end, the concert in Auckland became something for us to focus on.

“It didn't matter how rubbish the week was, we'd often talk about Elton in 2023 when all this is over and what it will be like. We counted down more than 1000 days.”

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The foursome, including big sister Madison, was desperate to see the 76-year-old, but tragedy struck when the freak weather incident saw the concert cancelled.

On Friday, January 27, our first full day in Auckland, a major weather event hit with widespread flooding.

Shaun added: “It was described as a one-in-200-year event and the worst in modern Auckland history. That day we were forced to walk through waist-high water after leaving our car hire behind. The next day – with only a few hours to go until our show after waiting more than 1000 days – it was cancelled due to a state of emergency being declared.

“Devastated probably doesn't really describe how we felt after having it ripped away from us. To add insult, we were stuck in Auckland for days after as the airport had flooded and was unable to operate.”

Desperate to ensure Lucas got the chance to see his idol on stage before he retired, his parents hatched a plan to find any available ticket to Elton’s show.

That plan will bring them to Glasgow for just 24 hours this weekend to witness the award-winning singer at the Ovo Hydro.

It’s taken three years and more than 10,500 miles – not to mention £6,500 – but Lucas’ dream will finally come true.

Shaun said: “After getting back to Australia, I couldn't accept that this is how it was to end after all that time and was determined to, somehow, right a wrong. I was limited with when we could travel due to schooling and what tour dates remained given it was at its end.

"I was able to purchase resale tickets to the sold-out concert on June 18 in Glasgow.

Neither he nor his sister have been to the United Kingdom before and this will be our first visit to Scotland.”