Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

Ahead of Aardman in Concert at Leicester`s De Montfort Hall Leicester the venue commissioned SKB or Syston Knitting Banksy to render various well known Aardman Stop Motion Animation heroes as bollard toppers in her own unique and creative style. The toppers will welcome the audience to the show which is a fun celebration of the animation studios work shown on a screen and accompanied by a live orchestra. Among the knitted heroes we see Chaz & Morph famous for their mischievous exploits alongside the late great Tony Heart on Heartbeat and later SMart etc, there is also Fluffles Gromits "Girlfriend" from a mater of Loaf and Death, next along we find the sheep from Mossy Bottom Shaun The Sheep (here seen in his A Close Shave jumper, next up the evil "Chicken" Feathers Mc Grawl and probably the most famous Plasticine duo (fon`t tell morph & chaz) Wallace & Gromit who round up a cracking collection of stop motion heroes loved by thousands worldwide.  

  I visited LCB Leicester Creative Bsiness Depot in the cities Cultural Quarter to see an installation called Pigeon Tower by Peyvand Sadeghian. The work is inspired by centuries old "kabootar-khaneh" or Pigeon Towers found in Iran built to house thousands of messenger birds. Drawing on workshops with Leicester communities the work holds fragmented audio shaped by the transience of movement. The various sounds heard comprise of messages, remembered songs, memories etc of those who attended the workshops and these become the ever evolving soundscape of the work. Alongside the tower hangs a painting by Afsoon Hajihasani called Idea of Home, in it an eye sits inside the fragmented architecture of a pigeon tower. The work is part of the Journeys Festival international 2026.

  Look Up !, Look Out !, The Monsters are back for Halloween invading Leicester`s buildings and bringing monstrous fun from Tentacle Terry to Slick Jagger and all manners of larger than life characters they are invading from 22nd - 31st October 2026. My film features the crazy crew on and around various Leicester landmarks from the Clock Tower to the Highcross Shopping Centre and even the newly refurbished and reopened Jewry Wall Museum, how many will you spot when you Visit Leicester this spooky season ?. The return of Leicesters Monsters is and event by BID Leicester, Leicester Catgedrsl and Leicester City Council with support from many Leicester business.

     Flow an audio and light installation at ​⁠​⁠ as part of the Journeys Festival International , it explores migration and its integral role in human existence. Depicting the net migration of people coming to the UK between 2021 and 2025, it takes data from the ONS datasets , visualising the flow of people in and out of the country. Watch for a royal cameo from King Richard III !.

  Mughal Miniatures: The Awakening is a vibrant dance and music production by the Sonia Sabri Company . During the show, four performers start inside a large, ornate frame, bringing traditional Indian and Persian Mughal miniature paintings to life. We join a feisty Mughal Queen , her servant, a court musician, and a court dancer, tired of being confined to the restrictive social roles and frames (literally). They break out into the contemporary world, expressing empowerment and discovery through dance and music. This performance was filmed at the Art Reach Journeys Festival 2026 in Leicester's Haymarket Shopping Centre .

Great Central Railway held their Autumn Steam Gala, Featuring four days of intensive timetabled engine movement along the line I took a trip to Rothley station to see the various arrivals and departures over the course of the Friday afternoon and early evening. From goods trains to double header express trains and even a cheeky diesel loco there was something for everyone. We begin at Leicester North but it's not long before we find ourselves arriving at the picturesque Rothley Station kept immaculately by a dedicated group of volunteers and station staff some of whom we see throughout the film. So take a step back in time (no TARDIS required) and witness the lost era of steam at one of Leicester and Leicestershire`s great attractions the ‪GCR‬ another great reason to ‪Visit Leicester.

  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...

  The 1st Newbold Verdon Scout troop hold their annual gala bringing the village together for a day of fun and games. We begin with the Ibstock Scout band leading a parade through the village ending at the Primary school on Dragon Lane . We see the band entering the showground next to a steam roller before they are dismissed and the scout leader opens the gala. Next we see the there and back railway giving rides followed by fun with inflatables and Sumo suits . Nearby (but not too close !) there`s axe throwing and we see the steam roller from earlier letting off steam. Next up the Dogs (and owners) of the village take part in a Fun Dog Show with prizes for various categories being presented by Local MP Dr Luke Evans (CON). A Classic car show line up includes various cars including a soft top Morris Minor and Scooter with a herd of alpacas watching the events unfold around them. Back to the showground and the horticultural tent sees competition for longest carrot and mos...

  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 ...

The Victory Show returned to Foxlands Farm in Cosby for the annual wartime event that brings history to life. We start with a runway battle (new for 2026) before heading onto the showground where various vehicles are on display. Back on the runway, the beautiful chrome Happenstance shines in the Leicestershire sun, meanwhile an American tank display is captured in canvas by artist TJ Durham in his unique style. The instantly recognisable Spitfire is seen on another display before we switch to the soldiers and large tanks leaving the battlefield having variously won and lost the demonstration (dependent on the side they were playing!). In the woods, a lady fishes for her dinner in a small stream before two soldiers stationed in a trench track a plane flying by. We end with a song from the Market Harborough Ukulele Band as the credits roll. Look out for a companion film taking a closer look at the aircraft of the event coming soon on this channel. 

  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 was given the chance to take a look inside a red brick water tower in Countesthorpe, Leicestershire . The tower, built in 1884 by the Leicester Poor Law Union , was part of the Countesthorpe Cottage Homes complex , which was an attempt by the Poor Law Union to place impoverished and orphaned children into model "cottage homes" rather than large central workhouses and foster a family-style environment. The tower housed the main water supply tank for the complex, and the adjoining building, the site’s central boiler house and coal store, provided heating and hot water to the cottages. The tower’s design was created by prominent local architect Isaac Barradale , using red brick with stone corbels and brick machicolations around the upper gallery and a steep pyramid-shaped roof. The building is currently Grade II listed (as of 1981). The building was converted into a private residence after the cottage homes closed in 1972. My visit was part of a fundraising event ...

  I took a visit to Norton Juxta Blooms directly opposite @TwycrossZoo in Leicestershire to see their spectacular Sunflower field, we made the visit at Sunset so as the sun slid below the horizon the field started to glow deep yellow and oranges. We also had an unexpected flypast by some Para motors which took off from an adjacent field flying low over the Sunflowers adding to the special atmosphere. In this film i explore the field finding a bright blue tractor contrasting against the Yellow flowers and exploring the maze of paths throughout, as the sun sinks lower the Sunflowers seem to be soaking up the last few rays and bow their heads till sunrise tomorrow. please see the Norton Juxta Blooms website for opening times and a special thanks to the team there for allowing us to film after hours.  

  The Dinosaurs have come back to life and are walking the streets of Leicester !. No it's not the plot of the latest instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise it's Dino Fest bought to Leicester by ‪@bidleicester‬ and starring Dinosaurs from ‪@rentadinosaur1303‬ the prehistoric fun sees the old town transformed into a Dinosaur playground with people of all ages gathering in front of ‪@LeicesterCathedral‬ to witness the show. The enthusiastic Dino Wranglers show the audience the beasts of an earlier time, with a little help from some of the younger members the Dinosaurs are bought under control and the fun, educational show concludes. Next we go for a wander around the old town area of Leicester with Ruby the Red Dinosaur , this area of the city is home to many independent shops etc like Patina , Which Ruby takes a look inside maybe to see if she can grab on of their exclusive T-Shirt prints !. Ruby continues to explore with a visit to St Martins Square well known for its...