An observational documentary produced by Min Robins that follows a year in the life of the nine members of the Rockcliffe Arms Leek Club from Whitley Bay. The film features members, both men and women, on their allotment as they plant and watch their prized leeks grow in readiness for being displayed as part of the annual show taking place inside the Rockcliffe Arms public house. Title: Leek Keepers Credit: Min Robins Inside the Rockcliffe Arms public house a member of the Rockcliffe Arms...

An observational documentary produced by Min Robins that follows a year in the life of the nine members of the Rockcliffe Arms Leek Club from Whitley Bay. The film features members, both men and women, on their allotment as they plant and watch their prized leeks grow in readiness for being displayed as part of the annual show taking place inside the Rockcliffe Arms public house. Title: Leek Keepers Credit: Min Robins Inside the Rockcliffe Arms public house a member of the Rockcliffe Arms Leek Club draws a sketch of a leek on the back page of diary and talks about its size for competition. Several other members drop money into a pint glass while nearby a second pint glass is filled will domino tiles. Someone scrunches up pieces of paper and places them into a sack which changes to a domino card containing people's names. At a local allotment a man works inside a greenhouse change back to the Rockcliffe Arms where the man seen previously doing the sketch continues to draw a leek describing how it should be cut and prepared for competition. Back at the allotment leeks growing in a line beside other vegetables while back in the pub a dog sits under the table beside the man doing the sketch. Inside the greenhouse on the allotment a man shows the camera a bucket containing leek seedling soaking in water and Milton Baby Bottle Cleaner fluid. Outside Brussel sprouts and cabbages growing in the earth changes back to the greenhouse where the man now talks about why he loves growing and showing leeks as he plants the seedlings in a tray of compost. A camping stove is lit and a kettle for boiling water in placed on it changes to the man holding a potted Dahlia seedling talking about how he grows them. Sometime later multicoloured Dahlia flowers growing at the allotment. In a cree several pigeons sitting in eggs changes back to the greenhouse where the man seen previously checks his seedlings and speaks with two friends about them. As he steps outside, they help load trays of seedlings into a wheelbarrow. Back inside the greenhouse he talks about his forty-years growing leeks, and about other leek clubs he remembers at places such as Whitley Bay and Cullercoats and how it is a dying hobby. As he re-pots some of the seedlings into large pots he remembers the last time he won in competition. Filmed in timelapse several lilies growing in a patch of earth beside a polytunnel. As a woman gardener rubs the leaves on one of her leeks growing inside her polytunnel she talks about getting into growing them and the help and support she has received from the men. Around the allotment all the leeks are heavily watered with some of the club members explaining why this is important. The hight of summer with bees collecting pollen from sunflowers and Dahlias growing around the allotment changing to another timelapse this time of leeks growing on raised trenches inside a polytunnel and the leaves drooping over the side. Inside their respective polytunnels the woman garden picks and trims a cabbage while the man seen previously checks over his now large leeks rubbing their leaves. In another polytunnel a man watering Dahlias growing besides thee raised trenches. Another timelapse sequence filmed over several months of various vegetables including onions and cabbages as well as flowers such as sunflowers and Dahlias growing on a large patch of ground with the plants taking over more and more space over time. In another polytunnel a different man plants leeks in trenches and talks about why seaweed makes good fertilizer. Over a montage of the leeks he is growing he talks about what to watch out for when growing them and provides some tips. Growing beside the leeks several Dahlia flowers changes to a montage of their various colourful flowers growing around the allotment. Inside one of the polytunnels a grower digs up one of his now fully grown leeks and after washing it ties a piece of cloth around the button or barrel to keep it secure. Three large leeks sitting in a towel change to a room in which large leeks have been placed on display. A man walks past placing cards in some of the leeks talking about how he judges them. Three men look over the leeks which are laid out on one side of a room, while on the other displays of Dahlia flowers. Inside the polytunnel of the woman gardener who talks about why she likes competing and being in competition with the men some of her leeks in large pots with the large leeks in pots with their leaves being supported on a frame. In another tunnel a man stamps the leaves of the leeks growing there with initials. Laid out on tables inside the Rockcliffe Arms displays of leeks and Dahlias which are being looked over two judges. One of them explains how he measures leeks using a tape measure and a tri square. As the judging continues one of the judges measures a leek while the other records details on cards and in a ledger. In another part of the pub laid out on several tables items that have been donated for a raffle including children’s toys and games as well as toiletries and chocolate. On two separate tables a collection of beers, ciders and wines also up for the raffle and the woman gardener explaining that proceeds are going to the Cullercoats Lifeboat. As the judging continues leeks a winner is picked followed by a baby asleep in its buggy surrounded by leeks. As a large pot of broth is placed on a small electric stove set up on a table beside the leeks, the woman gardener talks about how she makes it. The camera pans down the tables of leeks on display with trophies placed beside winning leeks. The pub now busy with customers and a woman coming over and picking up a pint glass partly filled with coins. As the leeks continued to be displayed in one part of the bar, people drinking and chatting happily in another. The film changes to a now quiet pub with the leeks still out on display. Around tables near the bar members of the Rockcliffe Arms Leek Club chat about the competition with a woman coming over carrying a trophy. One of the gardeners featured holds a presentation shield and talks about how some years his leaks were sabotaged and slashed. The film ends back at the allotment and a flowering Dahlia with the voice of one of the gardeners talking about what he does during the winter when he isn’t growing his leeks. End title: With thank to Alan, Conker, Gloria, Mal, Margaret, Michelle, Nick, Paula, Stephen, Tom and The Rockcliffe Arms Leek Club 2019