Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

  The Annual HinckleyBID⁩ Motor Show came to the town on 20th September, and with 2026, the show reached the milestone of its 15th anniversary. Welcoming over 700 vehicles, the show was a petrol heads’ paradise with much-loved cars, bikes, scooters, and more from across the decades lining Castle Street, Market Place, and more, including Argents Mead Park and the town’s leisure centre. We begin as the scooters arrive with the distinctive sound of their two-stroke engines evoking the days of the Mods, etc. Next, we see the wide selection of cars parked along the streets, including a line of very colourful VW Beatles with their mini duplicates ready to inspire the next generation of enthusiasts. Next, it’s through the gates into Argents Mead Park, or maybe that should be Jurassic Park as a 4x4 from the franchise is on display (dinosaurs not included!). As the band strike up Waterloo by ABBA in the bandstand, we take a look at a variety of big American cars from the 50s era and beyo...

  In the second of my films from The Victory Show in 2026 the focus shifts to the Aircraft and the Magnificent flying machines of the era. On the ever popular flight line walk we see the beautiful chrome plated "Hap-penstance" a rare Douglas DC-3/C-47 Skytrain and is famously the last surviving C-41A. Next up we walk the line of smaller aircraft in bright colours etc these where the ones who took part in the famous dogfights of the war. With various aircraft flying high over the showground there is movement on the runway as the Lockheed 12A Electra G-AFTL manoeuvres for take off. Then gliding high overhead we see the Arial ballet of the airborne pyrotechnics display team before the twin propellers of the Bristol Blenheim Mk.IFL6739 (G-BPIV) start up and it makes it's way onto the runway too. Next up a very special Spitfire variant known as the aerolite spitfire a modern take on a classic design and then almost as if to offer a compassion the original version can ...

  I went along to Hinckley town centre for the @hinckleybid August Classic Vintage Vehicle meet , which sees cars (pre-2000 models) on display by their owners around the town centre. We see the cars arriving and find their places with everything from more modern sports cars to a green classic Austin Martin polished to perfection in the evening sun. There’s also a Mini with a Union Flag roof and a Mustang with a selection of stickers on its back window. Down at the bottom of the hill, we find a vintage French limousine with a fun Pirate Duck as a hood ornament.  

I travelled to Mountsorrel in Leicestershire to see the start of the Measham Night Rally , an event which sees over 40 classic cars , drivers and navigators travelling around the countryside using the tried and tested map and compass method of old, no sat-navs here !. At the Stonehurst Farm and Motor Museum we start at the sign in and with the sound of engines revving and being prepped for the night ahead. Over to another farm building and a team of scrutineers check each vehicle for road worthiness and safety checking lights, steering and engine condition etc. Back in the farmyard there`s time to catch a bite to eat at the Farmers Den and consult the route maps before they are off into the dark of the night and surrounding countryside for the ultimate all righter, many tell me they wont be back till 5am on Sunday morning !.

Over two days in May 3rd - 4th the village of Desford travelled back to the 1940's with a festival of the 40's, with Vintage Cars (both civilian and Military) and themed areas across the village the wartime spirit was evident throughout. The event by the Desford Heritage group was timed to be the villages marking of 80 Year anniversary of #veday a celebration nationwide of Victory In Europe. Our Film begins with the Battlepipes rendition of Scotland the brave which cleverly is combined with the theme to Dads Army before a outdoor service in which Abide With Me is sung as Poppies are dropped from the tower of St Martin`s Church. The pipes can still be heard in the background as Sir Winston Churchill himself makes an appearance with his classic car parked in front of the church a moment so important it`s recorded by a press photographer from the 40's !. Back on the church green and visitors are given informative talks about communication both secret and otherwise in the er...

Just take a ride upon the busses !, could it be a long lost episode of a 70`s sitcom about bus drivers ?, No its Statbus, at night. Thanks to the Transport Museum Wythall the Statfold Country Park and Railway played host to a wide selection of restored, vintage and modern buses and coaches from across the country. We start the fun with a line up of various buses as one departs proudly declaring "It`s Best By Omnibus" along it's side, the green and cream vintage bus is soon joined by a brown bus before both head off on a shuttle service to local towns. Next up is a brightly painted bus from the Isle Of Man its unique shape and design a regular sight for islanders once upon a time. The Manx bus in red and yellow sits beside a midland red single decker making for a complementary pairing. Over at the railway and bridging the gap between bus and railway is the `Goose' a strange hybrid of locomotive and bus on rails. As the Goose waits at the station a small steam engine...