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Musical Leask           Scrounger Leask              Naughty Leask            Naughty Leask 2

Jimmy Leask D-Day 6th June 1944        Music, Sweet Music     Ray Leask Down Under      Woodcarver Leask

Leasks, the Department Store       The Hospital Ship Centaur       John Leask 1844 - 1905 

Email Contacts Page      Leask Associated Sites on the Internet

May 2010.  We have a Politician amongst us.  Aggravation with Cricket Balls here in the North East of England has got Eileen Leask doing her bit.  See the story at http://www.jarrowandhebburngazette.com/latest-news/Fedup-residents-are-hit-for.6271023.jp

January 2010.  Brent Leask, the subject of Naughty Leask 2 has been deemed "Too dangerous to release".  Oh my god, I think I might shut down the web site.  For details see http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2009/12/13/12136571-sun.html

January 2010.  And by Jove it happened.  See http://www.thestarphoenix.com/travel/Opportunity+lifetime+torchbearers/2437494/story.html

January 2010.  Hot off the Presses!  The Olympic Torch is to be carried through the Township of Leask in Canada.  I can only guess it takes a long while to arrive in London in 2012.  Personally I dont give two hoots about the Olympics but if you want to see more go to http://www.thestarphoenix.com/technology/Olympic+torch+will+light+city/2414878/story.html

January 2010.  Nothing much to do with the Leask Clan but here's a link to an Uncles Driving School Website.  Its here to create a link to attract Search Engine Robots.  http://www.jeffmooredrivingtuition.co.uk 

November 2009. Out in Canada we have a Supreme Court Judge! A Peter Leask.  He seems to have irritated some people according to this story http://www.vancouversun.com/Common+sense+takes+back+seat+acquittal+dozing+driver/2227340/story.html 

November 2009.  We have a school in Alaska named after us.  Judy Leask Guthrie sent me some information.  "The school was named after my dad's first cousin Charles Leask.  He was principal of the schools in Metlakatla, Alaska many years ago.  They named the school after him about 5 to 10 years ago. 
 
My great-great-grandfather, James Leask, came to British Columbia, Canada in the mid-1800's with the Hudson Bay Company.  He married into the Tsimpsian (many different spellings) Tribe.  That is where we all came from.  He had one child, David James Leask and he, in turn, had 9 children.  So from those 9 children, there are probably about 500 of us.  We are going to have a "Leask Family Reunion" here in Ketchikan.  Most of us are in Southeast Alaska, British Columbia, (Canada), Washington State and a few other places.
 
You mentioned Janey Leask.  Her dad and mine were brothers.  She is currently President of First Alaskans Foundation." 

November 2009.  I cant remember whether I have reported this before but New Zealand High Commissioner for the UK is a Derek Leask.  For a biography see http://d342537.u26.pipeten.co.uk/headsofmission/diplomat.aspx?intDiplomatID=340  I did think of asking him whether he could supply some cheap Lamb but those piercing eyes of his frighten me a bit.

November 2009. We have our own Good Life Leasks up in Manchester here in the UK.  http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greenlife/s/1131781_family_digging_in_for_the_good_life__ If I lived in Manchester mind you I would be building a gun tower to protect myself from the Gun gangs.  Its grim up north you know.

November 2009. Ye Haa! We have a Rodeo Rider Mac Leask.  See http://www.canadianprorodeohalloffame.com/inductees.php?year=1998#MAC%20LEASK for details.

November 2009. John Leask has got in touch and has sent me a more flattering picture of the Leask Department Store.  See the page for your delectation and delight.

November 2009.  Ok a determined attempt to get my front page updated.  First of all Jimmy Leask, the D-Day Veteran.  Film exists of him walking up the gang plank prior to D-Day.  It was recently featured on a "DocuDrama" shown by the BBC.  All I have to do now is rip the thing to preserve it.  Thanks to Brian Duffy for getting touch and sending me stills.

September 2009.  We visited Southampton to find the grave of my great great grandfather.  He was the guy we believe transported the illustrious name to East London.  It was a paupers grave shared with 21 other people and no headstone.  It was an odd feeling being there.  I found a local Petrol Station and brought some flowers to put on the grave.  I wonder when the last time was such a thing was done.

May 2009. Only of Interest to me really.  After reading an article on Internet Fraud a suggestion was to search for your own name to see if anything dodgy comes up.  I did, nothing dodgy came up but I discovered another Ray Leask.  An army record of his time as a gunner is at http://www.forcesreunited.org.uk/myregimentsdetails_army.asp?ID=176489. No other information, which is a shame

March 2009. I have discovered some more information about Kenneth Leask, our WW1 Flying Hero.  See the Heroic Leask Page for details.

February 2009.  Shona from Canada has been in touch.  Shona is Jimmy Leasks daughter.  I am quite knocked out that a relation of Jimmys has been in touch.  She has confirmed that he is in fact the Sapper bottom left of the picture not bottom right.  The soldier looking out to Sea is Cyril Hawkins, Jimmy is the soldier facing the camera.  Shona is sending me some details regarding her dad and I will put them on Jimmys page.

January 2009. Well, there might be a "Cock up on the Catering Front" here.  As a special treat for Christmas I brought myself a copy of Richard Holmes' "The D-Day Experience.  ISBN 978 86200 546 4.  2008.  On page 42 is that D-Day picture of Jimmy Leask.  A Slight discrepency with what I have read elsewhere?  Holmes states that Jimmy is the Sapper at bottom left foreground rather than bottom right foreground.  Its stated that the chap looking out to sea is Sapper Cyril Hawkins.  I am gonna have to get to the bottom of this.

January 2009. For a fab website showing David Leasks Photographs got to http://www.davidleask.f2s.com/index.htm.  I just wish mine looked that good.

January 2009. Blogging is the fashion now on the Internet.  A sort of online diary.  Mmmmmmm.  For an example see Graham Leasks Blog at http://grahamleask.blogspot.com/  The upstairs toilet here is getting regularly blocked but I am not sure I want to share my adventures getting it unblocked with the the world.

January 2009.  David Leask, a reporter with The Scotsman, a Scottish newspaper is pounding away on his Typewriter "up norf" (Its grim up norf).  I am getting regular notifications of his articles that appear on its website - http://www.scotsman.com/

July 2008.  Oh dear, it looks like I am twiddling with the web site.  I have received comments that things dont work.  So I will try to fix things.  Watch this space for more breakdowns.

May 2008.  A cold chill ran down the spine of your beloved Webmiester when he found he was not the only Ray Leask on the planet!  In an attempt to combat terminal boredom he entered his name into the Google.co.uk mechanism.  Gottadamerunggg!  There is a Ray Leask alive and kicking in New Zealand.  When I saw Rays face on a website I immediately thought, do I look that old?  But hold on,  Rays older than me, why did I think we would be the same age?  

May 2008.  The Clan Leask Society sadly reported the death of Madam Leask of Leask, who died on the 25th April 2008.  Her Funeral was held on the 15th May at St Faith Crematorium, Norwich.  She will be succeeded by Jonathan Leask who becomes the 23rd Chief of the Clan Leask.

April 2008. Its been a while since I have updated this but what a find!  I have just booked a holiday to visit the Beaches of Normandy.  I was reading some library books on the subject only to find a Leask in the forefront of one of the most famous D-Day Photographs.  I will create a new page for this, watch this space.

April 2008. Struth, I have just discovered the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site, http://www.cwgc.org/. Stick in the hallowed name and see what comes out.  Its difficult not getting slightly emotional about it.  I see that a Canadian Leask, James Joseph was killed on D-Day and is buried near Bayeux in Normandy.  I would like to look into this some more.

April 2008.  Searching for Jimmy Leask I find there is a Jim Leask working just up the road from me at Colchester Borough Council.  An Enterprise Team Leader.  The clan is just getting more and more common.  Looking on Bebo there are plenty of Leasks now.  I hope Jim hasn't been trying to email me at work.  The email system for the Essex "gov.uk" suffix is a complete dog and yours truly has been struggling to understand it.

January 2007.  the Clan Leask Society have issued their Autumn 2006 Newsletter.  I would say its the best one yet.  On page 13 is an article written by a relative. A fine genetic strand of the Leask Clan.  Go to http://www.clan-leask.org.uk/ for details of how to get it.

October 2006.  Google has just purchased YouTube.  Go to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/ at search for Leask.  There are some video clips.  Your gonna need a broadband link for this.

April 2006.  I had been told about this story a little while ago and at the time seemed very sad.  A picture of David Leasks shops appears elsewhere on this site. I have now come across it as reported by a British Tabloid newspaper.

"KILLER husband David Leask was so warped he stopped his wife from seeing her own mother. Heartbroken Janet Spence hadn't seen or spoken to daughter Donna for six years before she was blasted to death by control freak Leask, who then shot himself. The 67-year-old has never met her four-year-old granddaughter, who has been left orphaned by the shooting on Orkney.  Fighting back tears, Janet revealed how she used to watch her granddaughter play in the local play park behind her home - but was never allowed to meet her. The girl, who was sleeping at the time of the shooting in January 2006, is now being cared for by Leask's sister and brother- in-law.  Shell-shocked Janet, from Stromness, said: "I loved Donna so much. I hadn't spoken to her for a long time. She wouldn't come to see me any more.  "I knew he was a control freak. I really think it was him who was stopping her coming to see me. He controlled her. If he said to her 'you do not go and see your mother', she would not."  Janet added: "I have never met my grandchild. Donna used to bring her to the playpark behind my house but I would never go out and speak to her as I knew I was not welcome.

Sicko Leask shot 30-year-old Donna to death at her cottage home in Finstown, Orkney, in a fit of jealousy on Thursday night over her decision to leave him two months earlier. Former butcher's shop owner Leask, 43, then turned the gun on himself as the four-year-old lay sleeping just feet away.

Donna met Leask when she was just 18 and was swept off her feet, despite being warned about his possessiveness by her worried parents.   Janet said: "She was my daughter for 18 years then she met up with this man. He was getting divorced from his wife at the time. His first wife walked out on him leaving him with two children. I knew he was a compulsive, nasty man and then my Donna got involved with him. Donna was even warned by Leask's first wife to stay clear of the psychopath. But Donna ignored her, and the couple then married in 1996  Donna's devastated sister described Leask as "obsessive and possessive". She said: "I feel hatred towards David. To take Donna and leave the child is just cruel. He could have just killed himself. Donna said that he had told her that if he couldn't have her, then no one could. "It has not sunk in yet. Murder in Orkney is so rare".

October 2005. Idly flipping through James Joyces Ulysees one night in Bed (Will I ever read it?) imagine my surprise when I saw "Leask’s the Linseed crusher…." Of Windmill Lane. Struth we get everywhere. Who is this mysterious crusher? Unfortunately this is the only mention of him in the entire book.

September 2005. Reported I believe on the BBC news website. Skipper, Peter Leask, who lives in Shetland, appeared in private at Lerwick charged over a tug boat incident. About 200 tonnes of diesel fuel was spilled when the tug Anglian Sovereign ran aground.  The skipper has been charged with being more than three times over the legal limit of alcohol. He is facing five charges under Maritime and environmental legislation. Mr Leask made no plea or declaration and the case was continued.

The Anglian Sovereign ran aground on 3 September, spilling 200 tonnes of fuel. A coastguard rescue helicopter from Sumburgh was called in after the 66-metre long vessel sent a mayday. The 13 crew on the vessel, which had been contracted by Lowestoft firm Klyne Tugs, were airlifted to safety.  A major clean-up operation dealt with the bulk of the diesel fuel spill and the rest dispersed naturally. Three investigations into the accident are under way.  The tug, which was badly damaged in the incident, has gone to Rotterdam for repairs.

December 2004.  Andy Leisk has emailed me with an URL of http://www.handweaving.net/Patterns.aspx which after registering enables you to view the Leask Tartan and download details of how to weave it.  Thanks Andy.

September 2004.  Marcus Otto from Germany has emailed me saying that there are villages and surnames in Prussia, a a part of Germany that have the name Lieske.  Also a town in Phoenix, USA called Lieske.  I will make investigations.

September 2004. Leask spotted.  A David Leask has written to the British Daily Mail.  I dont know what the subject was but it stated "According to Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado, shouldn't the punishment fit the crime, not the plea?".  As the Mails outlook on life is somewhere to the right of Hitler maybe hanging was involved.

September 2004.  Leasks are appearing thick and fast.  We have a Ranald leask who works as a reporter for the Scottish BBC news program, Scotland Today.  On the Scotland today website ( 22nd Sept. 2004 ) a Pamela Leask has won a Wonder Mum title.  Reading about what Pamela does she deserves it.   On a list of Alaskas 25 most powerful people Janie Leask makes an appearance.  I see that she was brought up in the same area where the Leask Middle School resides so maybe there's a story there.  I will put more detail on this website later in the week.

September 2004.  My Scottish link has been established.  My great-great grandfather was born in Scotland but moved to Plaistow in East London in the 19th Century.  There is a nice connection here.  When I was young my father gave me a tour of his employers printing works when he worked in Plaistow.  I hear the pipes calling.......

September 2004.  Leask spotted.  On BBC TV last night there was a program about the IRA bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton in the 1980s.  The editor was a Damien Leask.

September 2004.  I have found a school in Alaska with the revered name. Leask Middle School of Metlakatla.  I cant find an email address for it, otherwise I would ask how it got its name.  There is a phone number but my employer would almost certainly complain if I rang Alaska in work time. 

September 2004.  We have a Leask involved in Animal Welfare.  For more information on his remarks on Rhino Horn and poaching in South Africa, see http://www.enn.com/news/2003-10-21/s_9605.asp. 

September 2004.  Old news but only just discovered.  Looks like we may have another murderer.  Its alleged that Brent Richard Leask of Canada stabbed the host of a party he went to in the neck.  Leask, who has the names of a Winnipeg gang tattoed on his forearms was last reported on the run.  Struth, I am making sure the doors and windows are securely locked tonight.

September 2004.  Rhonda, who runs the website mentioned below has emailed me.  She told me about an ancestor who emigrated from the Orkneys in June 1837 to take up a job for the Hudsons Bay company.  He was to become master of a newly built Scooner on Lake Superior.  He didnt last very long in that job.  He was retired two years later on the grounds that "he was found ill qualified to act as commander of our Schooner, being too silly and thoughtless as well as careless, capricious and inattentive".  Some of my ex-employers may have thought that of me.

August 2004.  Someone else out there takes pictures of Leask gravestones. See http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~pcaddict/index.html. A Leask genealogy website I guess from across the water.

August 2004.  35 years ago I brought a secondhand book called the "Concise Dictionary of National Biography, 1921 edition". Even as a child I showed sad tendencies.  It lists people who have written things, I think.  In it is a Leask. It states " LEASK, WILLIAM. (1812-1884), dissenting divine; (Wot? He was a god?) entered congregational ministry, and held several charges from 1839; edited the "Christian World" and other non-conformist journals; author of sermons, lectures and works on theological and moral questions."  Sounded a barrel of laughs. 

August 2004.  My Personal Assistant (See above) has volunteered to explore my family history.  One more chance for me to inherit my lost lands and wealth.

August 2004.  I have received two publications giving details of Leasks and the Hills of Leasks. There taken from a Poll Tax document which was levied in Scotland in 1696.  I will give more details in the next few days.

August 2004.  I have found two streets in Scotland with Leask as its name. "Leask Avenue" in Peterhead which is a fishing town north of Aberdeen and "Leask Road" in Morray near Inverness.

August 2004.  Whilst updating the site I came across the many sites available for Genealogical research.  I may give this some thought.  My father researched the family tree some years ago.  If I find the time I may look into it and publish any research I do.

August 2004.  I have had a look at Macs website.  It looks great.  So, I have got my finger out and had a revamp of this homepage.  My site has got to look better.

July 2004.  I have been to the Orkneys.  The Leasks are as common as muck up there.  Leasks are everywhere, in the streets, in the shops, in the water and under the ground.  For an uplifting view of your webmasters personality see thousands of pictures of Leask graves.  I think I need help.

July 2004.  I have just been sent a copy of the latest Clan Leask Newsletter ( Thanks to Barbara Leask ).  Its a interesting edition.  I think I may have my DNA tested.

January 2004.  Leask sighted!  In the credits for that wonderful American TV series "World's Wildest Police Videos" (Channel 5, Sundays, 11pm'ish) a clearance supervisor is a Renee Leask.  Good on yer Renee!  It could be the funniest program on British TV if it wasn't for the guns.  Not a great advert for the States mind you.

April 2003.  I have discovered the wonderful world of Music trading.  I never realised how much superb music there was on the web and legal as well.  I have created a new page listing of what I have.  If your interested in Trading drop me a line at ray"at"leask.co.uk.  Real email address disguised to combat spam mail.

I have been told that a couple of months a months ago an advert appeared in the British Sunday Telegraph stating the "Mill of Leask" was up for sale.  Unfortunately when we tried to find the said rag it already had been used to wrap up last weeks fish and chips.  See Mill of Leask for some pictures.

I see the Clan have started to construct a new web site and it looks pretty good.  Better than there old one and certainly better looking than mine.  Take a peekaboo.

Imagine my excitement! This site has been mentioned in the Clan Leask Newsletter.  

Well, their online. Clan Leask now has its own web site. There are lots of historical information on it.  Give them a bell.

Anyone got details or even a recording of the "Leask Clan Society" song as mentioned in Clan Leask Society Newsletter December 1996?

Ok the pictures are on with a brief overview. If you are a local with any further information please email.me.

Does anyone have a decent scanned picture of the tartan? I have one taken from the tie but I think it looks a bit naff.

There back! I have the pictures! My god it takes so long to scan them in and then create the pages. So, be patient. I am gradually building up the site.

Great news! I have just returned from the Holy land. No not there, Clan Leask Country up in Scotland. Once I get the pictures back from the chemist they will be published here on my Website! Be patient.