Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

  Once Upon a Time in Leicester ...  It is a period of nostalgia. Galactic travellers and sci-fi fans from across the East Midlands gather at the @LeicesterMuseums Art Gallery on the historic New Walk . In an upstairs gallery, a legendary collection has been unveiled. MAY THE TOYS BE WITH YOU showcases the rare artefacts of a bygone era, the plastic heroes and star ships that have fuelled the imaginations of countless generations. As fans marvel at pristine action figures and vintage cinema posters from across the epic space saga, they rediscover the magic of a galaxy far, far away , ensuring that the Force remains strong in the heart of the city of Leicester. Come with me as I explore this exhibition and rekindle memories of epic garden battles, where the suburban borders became forest moons and the sandpit became a vast desert world race track for Podracing under twin suns. As far as local links to this intergalactic Toy Story, we find the Palitoy factory in Coalvil...

I visited Leicester Station to see the #Rail200 touring train "Inspiration" an exhibition on rails the train is travelling the  country attending various events to mark 200 years of passenger travel on UK railways. The film starts outside the station and it`s beautiful frontage facing Leicester`s London road, There`s a brief cameo from a  @LOROSHospice   #StompRoundLeicester Elephant before we`re on platform 3 with regular services passing through the station. Soon from under the London Road bridge comes a bright light and Inspiration appears pulled by two Mainline class 66 freight locomotives in striking red livery and with coaches stating Future, Past, Present and Inspiration each a key part of this unique travelling exhibition for Rail200, as inspiration passes by on its way to #GreatestGathering in Derby a regularly scheduled EMR service pulls into the station beside me. For further info on Rail 200 please visit www.railway200.co.uk  @Railway200

Touring various locations across the country The Underwater Photographer of the Year interactive exhibition came to the Fosse Park Shopping Park, bringing multiple amazing images to visitors and shoppers alike. Regardless of whether visitors had made a trip to see the exhibition or had come across it whilst shopping they where treated to photography that captured the underwater world in all it`s colourful, vibrant & delicate beauty. The exhibition also had an Augmented Reality (AR) element for those using the Artivive app offering related videos & more for some of the photographs. My film takes a quick look at the exhibition which (at time of writing) is in place till October 6th and is free to see. All photos etc copyright of their various owners.

Travel back to possibly the brightest most colorful decade that ever there was, see the items that made the 80s so memorable. For those growing up in this decade it was a neverending story of great films, tv, music, toys and the first true home and portable gaming systems, we truly felt like masters of our own little universes. In the I Grew Up 80s Exhibition curator Matt Fox takes us through his personal collection of 80s objects triggering memories of our own 80s Childhoods. How many objects do you remember ?.

MODS Shaping a generation exhibition at Leicester`s New Walk Museum tells the story of the MOD Scene in 1960`s Leicester & Nottingham including exclusive first-hand eye witness accounts, archive material and unpublished images. The exhibition also celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of The Who’s cult Mod film, Quadrophenia, and includes items and original 1960’s clothing as seen in the film which has been provided by designer Roger K Burton. My film takes viewers on a tour of the exhibition and some of its highlights, look out for scooters from Leicestershire Alliance Scooter Club and some groovy clothing from the era on the recreated Ready Steady Go stage.

As part of the National Galleries "Coming Home" project well known portraits are "loaned" to the place most linked to the person featured, in this case King Richard III whose remains where famously found under a car park in the city of Leicester in 2012. The (surprisingly small) late 16th century portrait is hung at the New Walk Museum in the city as the centerpiece of an exhibition exploring the story of the King, the discovery of his remains and what these reveal about his life and death. The exhibition in partnership with Leicester Cathedral and The King Richard Visitor Center runs until September 22nd 2019 and is well worth a visit to see this historic portrait in person.

Once upon a time in a galaxy far far... wait a second lets start that again, Once upon a time in Leicester a collection of vintage toy figures, spacecraft and artwork from a popular science fiction film franchise where brought together by collector Matt Fox at the cities New Walk museum. Fans both young and old jumped into their transport craft (cars) eager to relive countless childhood hours spent recreating scenes from that adventure among the stars. May The Toys Be With You brings together the UK`s finest collection of Action Figures, Spacecraft and Artwork from the popular generation spanning Star Wars films, toys from which where created at nearby Palitoy based in Coalville (Leicestershire). Being the main UK distributors of the films toy line Palitoy where behind the unprecedented demand for the iconic toys that went on to sell more than the films that inspired them from 1977 - 1985 an estimated 300 million figures where sold. My film aims to bring a flavor of the exh...

Isla loved painting stones. In August 2018 an exhibition of stones painted for Isla was held in the Atkins building in the Leicestershire town of Hinckley. The stones are Isla's legacy and everyone is invited to be part of it by painting and hiding a stone. Young Isla was diagnosed with a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma or DIPG, During her treatment she started to decorate stones and gave them to her friends to hide. She now has over 40,000 members from all around the world on her Facebook page #islastones decorating and hiding stones. Stones have been hidden in locations around the world including the Taj Mahal, New Zealand and a very special stone in Antarctica. To join in, simply paint your own stone, write #islastones and Photo, Post. Rehide on the back and then hide them. If you can fit it on your stone please also write DIPG to raise even more awareness. #IslaStones