Leslie Plater (6 Nov 1965 - 17 Oct 2019)

After my parents permanently moved to Devon in the early 1970’s I met Leslie and we spent our early years at Bishops Tawton primary/ infant school in North Devon. We always managed to annoy the teachers with our distracting antics. We went to Cub Scouts One day we had a competition to see how long we could cycle along the main road with our eyes shut. I won, after Leslie plowed into the back of a stationary car. We shared a love of Dr Who, role playing games, mechanics, Lego, tennis, sci fi, top trumps, comics and later; alcohol, music and girls. He was the first person that I knew that owned a CD player. His mum was the local Post Lady who went everywhere on her bicycle. Leslie’s dad was part of the team that made the Automatic Computing Engine; designed by Alan Turing. Leslie later bought a home computer the Jupiter ACE in the eight bit era. Leslie taught me not to be so cautious and not to worry about what others thought. We shared our early summers messing about without the modern problems that plague children’s lives today. We both then went to Park School and the North Devon College. We had some legendary parties at his mum’s place. After that I did not see Leslie very often. When we did, it usually involved lots of alcohol and a steaming headache.

My thoughts turned to Leslie again because I will turn 60 in November. I did not know of his passing. We were born twelve days apart. It saddens me to know that we won’t be able to share our progress through this life any more.

Thanks for the memories my old friend. You were an atheist; but in case you’re wrong I hope to catch up with you again one day.

Others have been so descriptive and captured the essence of the Lep I got to know, so well already: jokes, soakers, jello shots, odd concoctions, zest for fun, good humour and open door to all. I can't really add more colour.

Any time I drink some strange boozy or blue concocotion in future - Lep, you will be only a thought away.

I knew Lep from the online text game Nan and the resulting parties; and saw more of him when he moved to Notts. Lep used to come round to my parents' house back in the day, and boz about with my brother Adas and also Andyyy.

I will fondly remember a particular Netherlands road trip with Lep, buying booze and fags, getting totally lost 'trying' to follow the signs to Leuven (Lep was driving;) and somehow not quite suceeding in taking any of the turnoffs. This led to raucous renditions of:"Leuven Leuven Leuven, Gotta keep on Rollin' / something something Leuven / We ride! " to the tune of Rawhide." The car not being filled with the most.. singing voice gifted of people... definitely made for a special experience.

Fellow Nan-er.
It was an honour and pleasure to know you.
I never got the biscuit jokes.
And you're hair was better than mine.

Paint the sky with extra shades of blue lovely Lep. 💙

In loving memory from Auntie Helen ,cousin Ian and cousin Sandra RIP

It was Nottingham, 1997. Beeston to be precise. A suburb on the outskirts of Nottingham City. I was seventeen at the time.

Myself, and two other friends. Simon and Charles had been invited along to a party. The party being known as a “Nan Party”. Back before the days of advanced graphical games sprang up text adventure games, known as MUDs, MUCKs, MUSHes and the so forth. One of these games was called Nanvaent.

When we arrived there were already a good number of people already there, none of whom I had actually met before and none of that mattered, we were all members of the same online multiplayer game and that was the only prerequisite for attendance. Although a few people did attend and subsequently ended up playing too.

There was a man outside the house, I didn’t know him and he introduced himself to me, “Hi, I’m LEP.” - I had spoken to him a few times in the game in regard to computer part prices, but hadn’t really ‘spoken’ to him before this event. I didn’t realise at the time that this was to be the beginning of a truly wonderful friendship with a truly wonderful person.

I’ve never been too concerned about other people’s opinions of me, and after we introduced ourselves to people we went off in search of alcohol, which was a major theme point of any good Nan Party. I actually ended up carrying back to the house two carrier bags of Stella Artois, far more than I actually needed for a civilised party but there we go. I had also come equipped with two of the biggest cigars that I could lay my hands on before setting off. I believe there are still photo’s of these cigars in existence.

This was one of the main attributes of LEP. He might not agree with your views or actions, and would quite passionately debate and explain these too you, but it wouldn’t stop him being friends with you. I do believe this is why when he walked in to a room, when I was with him, so many people were so happy to see him. He just had this level of energy that lit a room up when he walked in to it.

I remained friends with LEP after the Nan Party and I forget how many times it was, but if I had nothing to do (which was quite often as I was lazy without a job), he would drive from Beeston to Lincoln and pick me up, and many many quite drunken evenings were spent, watching DVDs and just generally chatting about anything until the early hours of the morning. LEP would go to work, quite tired, and again, we would do the very same thing the following evening.

He had a very excitable personality, and when explaining things to you, there was always this child like display of glee and amusement and gesticulation of hands and arms whilst he was doing so. Especially when he considered something to be utterly ridiculous.

He was quite particular in making some interesting spirit cocktails. One said cocktail he had us try was a mixture of Red Aftershock, Galliano and Red Absinthe. It tasted just like cough syrup, and he was stating with utter glee that it had made a few people very drunk. Most people who “know” me, will know I accepted this challenge and drank more than my fair share. If I remember correctly, I believe I said “This should be called Tixylix.”

I was unemployed, I drank far too much, I was quite a lazy so and so to be honest, but he was always really happy to spend his time with me. That is who LEP was. Although he would make repeated jokes about my utter laziness in not getting a job. He would change The Offspring’s lyrics, from “Na na na na why don’t you get a job?” to “Nathan, why don’t you get a JOB!”

One of the last conversations we had on Skype, was discussing the printer I had bought. He wanted someone to print a cellophane length, with the Periodic Table design on it. UV resistant to go underneath a glass table top. Simply so when people asked what it was, he could point and go “It’s a PERIODIC TABLE!” - This is the comical nature of the person he was.

As lives moved on and I eventually did get a job and moved around a lot, eventually settling in a different country I did not see him for many years. Eventually I spent some time in hospital due to my excessive drinking. I traveled back to see friends and as he was in Lincoln at the time, he came to see me. It was almost a decade since I had seen him. We sat down outside the pub, I had my non alcoholic drink, and likewise him too. It was as if we had never spent any time apart and just carried on like it was last week. That was LEP, it didn’t matter. If you had time for him, he had time for you.

There are simply too many good memories to be able to write them all down in words as I truly believe I could spend the rest of my life remembering them.

I write this knowing there is little justice I can do with words that could amount to any reasonable way to describe who LEP was. He was truly a one of a kind person who you would be truly lucky to meet in several lifetimes if it was possible.

I hope LEP, that you find yourself in a better place, where everything is as Blue as the colour that you adored and along with it, my friend, I send my love.

Save me a seat, when I arrive. I know it’ll be as if it was only yesterday.

Your Friend,
Nathan Bradley.

I met Lep during my time at Brighton University, back in 1992 - and then renewed acquaintances with him through aforementioned silly online text games.

I fell victim to his alcoholic Jell-O shots on more than one occasion.

Gone way too soon, mate. Way too soon.