Gary Leport is back and fighting fit.

Gary is now back home with his dedicated wife Sue, and has been back playing with The Plonkers.
The full story follows

Musician fights for life after road accident.

A WELL-KNOWN musician was still fighting for his life on
Wednesday, almost a week after being hit by a car in the town.

Gary Leport, guitarist and backing singer with the Plonkers Agricultural Orchestra,
was struck by a Peugeot 306 as he crossed Southampton Road in Lymington
near his home at about 6.30pm on Thursday of last week.
The 64-year-old was assessed at the scene by an off-duty doctor before
being rushed by ambulance to Southampton General Hospital with serious head injuries.
He was still in intensive care when the ‘A&T’ went to press.
A 25-year-old woman who had been driving the Peugeot was unhurt.

Having played guitar since he was 15, Gary began his musical career
recording for Joe Meek, of Telstar fame.
He formed the Five Dimensions with Rod Stewart in the 1960s,
and the group played for Chuck Berry and other major American blues artistes.

Gary has been with The Plonkers for six years, and is also a member of
the Bournemouth based Gypsy Jazz quartet Swing 39.
Plonkers leader Gordon Brownen told the ‘A&T’:
“He’s a terrific musician and the back bone of The Plonkers."

Many thanks to Andy Sherwood the News Editor of the Lymington Times for allowing us to publish this news item

Plonkers Agricultural Orchestra's bass guitarist Gary Leport remains in hospital
8:30am Saturday 23rd January 2010

A MEMBER of one of the most popular bands in the New Forest was still in intensive care last night more than a week after being hit by a car.
Gary Leport bass guitarist with the legendary Plonkers Agricultural Orchestra,
has been at Southampton General Hospital since being hit by a car on Southampton Road in Lymington on January 14.
The 64-year-old, who has played with stars such as Rod Stewart and Chuck Berry, suffered serious head injuries following the accident,
which happened at around 6.30pm. The driver of the Peugeot 306 car, a 25-year-old woman, was unhurt.

A hospital spokeswoman said Mr Leport’s condition was stable.

Mr Leport, of Paddock Gardens, known to his band mates as Sludge,
started playing guitar aged 15 before making his first recording with Joe Meek of Telstar fame.
He then went on to form the Five Dimensions with a then-unknown Rod Stewart.

Plonkers front-man Gordon Brownen said: “Gary is a terrific musician and the backbone of the Plonkers.”

A statement on the band’s website said: “We all wish Sludge a speedy recovery.”

Police are asking witnesses to call 101.

Rod’s fans support sick musician
7:43am Friday 12th February 2010

FANS of legendary rocker Rod Stewart are rooting for a Hampshire musician who was seriously injured in a road accident near his home.
Guitarist Gary Leport formed The Dimensions in the early 1960s and gave the spiky-haired singer his big break by inviting him to join the band.

Gary, a member of the Plonkers Agricultural Orchestra, was crossing Southampton Road, Lymington, last month when he was hit by a car.
He suffered serious head injuries in the collision and is still in a coma on a life support machine at Southampton General Hospital.

Details of the accident have appeared on the online version of SMILER, a quarterly publication by Rod Stewart’s fan club.

In a message to the Plonkers, fan club member Mike Walton said:
“We all wish Gary a speedy recovery and hope he will not mind us putting the news on SMILER.
Please pass on our best wishes and let him know we are thinking about him.” 

Fellow members of The Dimensions included bassist Louis Cennamo, who confirmed that Rod, then virtually unknown, was also part of the line-up. 

“Gary got him in – they were at school together,” he said.
“Rod was the first guy I’d seen with a bouffant.
He was also very funny and kept us amused in traffic jams by opening the back door of the Dormobile and simply rolling out into the road.” 

Gary, 64, of Paddock Gardens, Lymington, had been to post a letter and was walking home when the accident happened on January 14.

The hospital are now encouraging visitors for Gary.
His consultant has told staff at the Rehabilitation centre to encourage visitors 2 at a time,
to stimulate him and help him remember his friends and life.
Gary has also now requested that his friends should be allowed to visit.
Visiting hours are from 10am - 8pm. 
2 visitors at a time for 1/2hour - 1 hour. 

Everyone wants to thank the hospital staff for all the care that Gary has received
and we are all thinking and caring about Sue, Gary's wife, and the immediate family.

Below are comments from well wishers, we will pass these onto Gary when appropriate.

Gary on the mend, back on his guitar and being accompanied by his loyal and close friend Gill.
Picture taken 15th, March, 2010

First and foremost all The Plonkers and Plonkettes wish sludge a speedy recovery,
its everyone’s wish to see him well, back on stage, strumming his guitar and fine tuning the Plonkers sound once again

Hi Gary, we're so chuffed to hear that you're much improved and on the mend.
We've all been thinking of you and hoping you would be OK and get back to your normal self.........normal being a relative term !
We'd love to come and see you, but gather that at the moment you still need to take it easy and not have a load of us bothering you.
We wish you well and look forward to seeing you back in Paddock Gardens.

Much love and best wishes from Jill and Geoff ( no. 39) and Viv and Lynton ( no. 40). xx

It was with great sadness that we learnt of Gary's accident. We are very grateful to John, for contacting us.
 Bob frost has been in contact with his wife sue, and we are pleased that he is awake if not fully recovered yet.
He has been such a large part of our lives, for as long as we can remember.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Gary and his family.
We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to happier times once more.
From Tony, Bob, Peter and Peter. 
(The Moontrekkers)

Hi to all, The Moontrekkers, many thanks for your kind thoughts,
All of these messages are being read out to Gary, this one is sure to be very special to him.

Kind regards, Golly and the band

Night of the Vampire, 1961

I  was shocked to see on the Rod Stewart fan club news about Gary Leport's tragic accident
I was a singer in a band in the 60's with Rod, we were called The Moontrekkers in the days of Joe Meek.
I too lived around the corner from sludge in Glebe Rd, Hornsey in North London, it's a small world.
 I now live in Melbourne Australia and have done so for the last 40 years.
Many a time I would go around to Gary's mums place to practice some cords on my Elvis songs.
I would sing after Rod would sing his Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran hits.
Please give my condolences to him and his family and please let me know if there is any news. 

Yours, Desi Duffy 

Our thoughts and prayers are for Gary and his family during this difficult time,
We wish him a speedy and full recovery.
I know that Golly say’s he is the wish bone of the band
Being the part time banana box player with the Plonkers when I‘m in the area, I know exactly what he means.
Get well soon Sludger our tanks are overfilling.

Julian and Heather Bishop

P.S. All the boys and girls of the Somerset Yesterdays Farming Club wish him well.

Having known Gary for more years than I care to mention,
I started playing with him in a group called the Moontrekkers with Joe Meek, when I was also fifteen,
I am absolutely devastated to learn of his accident.
I am relieved to hear that his condition is stable, but our thoughts are with him constantly during this period.
Please send on my warmest regards when possible. 
Many of the ex Moontrekkers are aware of the position, and are keen to go down and see him.

Regards, Peter Knight

I have just got back from visiting my dear, long - time friend Gary.
He is still in intensive care at the neuro unit in hospital.
We have been close friends since the age of five, we met at infants school in 1950.
Strangely enough, he fell over in the play ground and banged his head badly,
it was me who picked him up. That was how we met. 
I have seen him progress from skiffle through to the swinging 60s where his Night of the Vampire composition became a considerable hit,
and still retains a cult following today. His passion for the guitar formed a major part of his life, he is truly a magnificent master of the instrument.
We all send positive healing energy to help him, and his wife Sue through this difficult time.

Tony Porter

Hi Gary,

Have been thinking about you lately, and hoping so much that this will end well.
It has made me think of how lucky I have been to know you, because I would not be the same musician otherwise.
I will definitely never forget that, and of course you will be mentioned when I make it into the big time!!

You never deserved all the misfortune you've been through,
and I just wish that you will still be able to do what you love when you get better.

Best wishes,

Sam Bird. 

I live in the Midlands but still retain strong links with my hometown and noted the tragic story about Gary (online Echo pages)
I have notified my old muso pals in the area and they may be in touch with you at some stage.
As he hopefully gets better then I'm sure that he will know several of the old farts who are still making music and might be able to meet up with him.
This would be therapeutic when chatting about Gary's old stomping ground and give him a boost.

David St John

We were so sorry to read about Gary's accident in the Lymington Times this morning.
Please pass on our good wishes to Gary,

Fiona and Tom Morgan

Gary, followed your music for many years and have a lovely memory of you.
 A friend and I were sat outside the Schoolroom Tea Rooms in Lymington and were privileged to have a ‘private concert’
from you one Summer afternoon some years ago now; playing us ‘ The Harry Lime’ theme amongst others
as we (you included) had been discussing the films of WW11, the Cold War and Spies.
The next week you kindly gave me a CD of yourself and another of my long-time favourites – Tim Colwell.

Looking forward to your recovery and hearing your brilliant playing, very soon.
KEEP POSITIVE – there are loads of us out here rooting for you!!
Kind Regards and Happy Memories of you,

Jan Coles and Vince Allen

Our best wishes to Gary & Family at this time we hope he will be back on his feet very soon.

Ross & Cynthia Oliver Caravan Club West Hampshire Centre 
Our fellow caravanners also send their best wishes