Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

On the weekend of Saturday 12th/13th June 2021 the Statfold Barn Railway held an Enthusiast Weekend featuring a locomotive that was originally exported to Java to work at the Trangkil Sugar Mill. The engine features alongside locomotives from around the world brought together and run along the length of the Statfold Barn Railway. Look for engines racing each other along the track and pulling all types of rolling stock from passenger to freight. At these special events there's always something interesting steaming along sounding its whistle and creating an atmosphere in which something is always moving. My film aims to capture the busy nature of the event, you`ll see various engines passing each other, hear the many different sounds of operation, from train and guard whistles to the clanking of the wheels and hissing of pistons as the engines speed past.

I visited Thornton Reservoir in the National Forest in Leicestershire in hope of sighting a rare Mandarin Duck which had been seen in the area. The Mandarin Duck is held in high regard in Chinese culture as they, unlike other ducks, are believed to be lifelong couples, as a result they are regularly featured in Chinese art. Mandarin ducks are also known as "Wedding Ducks" in Korean culture and Lovebirds/Happily Married Couples in Japanese culture. At the reservoir a veritable menagerie of waterfowl could be observed with Swans, Mallards and a very noisy Chinese Goose making himself known to most of Leicestershire with his loud honking, but as yet no sign of the star of the show. Walking around the reservoir and keeping our eyes peeled for the elusive duck, we were told by some passing binocular yielding walkers that they had witnessed our colorful friend standing on a log in a wooded area just off the shoreline path, turning a corner the unmistakable brightly patterned duck ...