Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

My short film follows a Traction engine in steam as it arrives at the Abbey Pumping Station for one of their regular events. We join the beautifully kept engine as it makes its way carefully along the nearby streets and through the front gates of the Victorian Pumping house before later taking a closer look at the workings from a unique drivers perspective. Images follow.

I visited the Abbey Pumping Station for Meccano Magic a celebration of the well known construction toy. The large hall was packed with many different colourful and intricate models created by enthusiasts from the wide variety of shapes and colours available in the Meccano range. Many of the designs had been crafted without instructions showing the creativity of their creators. On one table sat a model of the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars which its creator believed to be the only one of its kind in existence and had been created purely from photographs of the iconic spacecraft. Other models on show included steam engines, cranes, Red Arrow and Spitfire planes and even remote control cars all created using the construction toy. My film aims to capture the atmosphere of the popular event and features just a small selection of the models on show.

I visited the village of Great Bowden in Leicestershire to see the Fernie Hunt. the annual event begins with the horses and hounds leaving the kennels and travelling to the village green where they are greeted by many spectators. The festive meet allows a chance to see the horses, hounds and talk with their owners about the rich history of the event which also raises money for many local charity's and groups. The horses and hounds follow a sent trail on a planed route around the local countryside laid by a quad bike and bird of prey before retiring back to the kennels at the end of the day. Images follow.