Like all good ideas Dr Plot’s was dreamt up in a local pub over a couple of beers……
The rest is history, well actually, Dr Plot’s is all about history.
A small band of volunteers grouped together to work out how to help locals, old and young, and visitors be aware of the rich and varied heritage of Leek and the surrounding area.
When we got our heads together there was so much that others thought was fascinating, OK, interesting but together was a really rich narrative, that, dare we say, some other more popular towns would have been shouting from the rooftops.
So once a year we pick a theme from Leek’s past and put on some art and craft workshops for everyone to have a go, learn a skill or a bit of history, we hold a parade, street theatre, story telling and a few other bits for good measure.
The main event is held on the first Sunday in July as part of the Totally Locally Leek Sunday Supplement artisan market and we’ve added events either side.
Over the years Doctor Plots has covered tall tales, dubious legends and actual factual events as varied as Leek’s very own replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, the local poem Sir Gawain & The Green Knight (straight out of King Arthur’s tales but written in Leek), Doctor Robert Plots recording of Leek’s double sunset, French prisoners of war living in Leek during the Napoleonic War (yep, really), the last town Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed over in before he was routed… we have also dug a little deeper into Leek’s ancient bronze & iron age burial mounds called Lowes – there is evidence of many of them in the town through old place names – Foxlowe, Cocklowe, Cattleslowe, Greatlowe – now all just a name and a place on an old map. Why is there a pub called the Green Dragon (allegedly Tolkiens inspiration for the Green Dragon Inn), a field called Dragon’s Croft…. is this linked to the vikings maybe?
You can check out this years events on our calendar for the various workshops, talks, walks, parades, stories, theatre and other oddities.
And who’s behind Doctor Plots? A handful of artists, musicians, photographers and volunteers, having a pint once a month and a bit of fun, in no particular order Paul, Moira, Jenny, Deb, Chris, Heather, Marc, Jon, Jenny, Jane, Eric, Caron and hopefully we haven’t forgotten anyone.
If this sounds like your kind of thing why not get in touch and join in.