Philip R. Leese has lived either in Kidsgrove or Butt Lane for most of his life, and was Area Children’s Librarian at Kidsgrove for many years, during which he formed contacts with many local schools.
After leaving the library service in 1997 he settled down to running a local history group, which meets weekly at the library, researching and publishing local history and storytelling, which still takes him into schools, nurseries, libraries,museums and shopping centres all over North Staffordshire. A keen litter-picker, he is a member of Kidsgrove Citizens Forum,Border History, Audley Family and Local History Society,Kidsgrove Library Book Group, and a Governor at two local schools, Maryhill Primary and Maryhill High. He has recently published a two volume history of Mow Cop. Any spare time is spent reading, going to the theatre and film Theatre, listening to records( if anyone can remember what these are) and trying to take a daily healthy walk.
