Leo Alan *cough* Cookman, was born on August 3rd 1984. Son of Lesley and Brian Cookman and Brother to Louise, Miles & Phillipa Cookman. With a comfortable and helpful up-bringing Leo had no complaints about life up until he started secondary school. 'Purgatory' as it was dubbed, cannot be named but it was officially the worst school in the country 2004 according to OFSTED and if it was burnt to the ground tomorrow Leo has categorically stated he would not care. However he also states this is not a threat and if it does burn down don't come banging his door down....
Either way, 5 misreable years of life passed in this pit which Leo managed to survive (with no GCSE's) then in hope he might get a proper education Leo decided to try A-Levels. Astonishingly he was let in due largely to his mother's dogged determination and some well placed compliments.
2 merry years Leo spent at Canterbury College, discovering all the wonderful things about life you read in books and see in films but things Leo had, thusfar, not experienced. However, as usual all did not go as well as hoped. In an astonishing display of almost willful self-destruction, on the day of his A-Level exam for English Leo misread his time sheet and arrived just in time to see his class leaving his exam. Thinking all was lost he flushed his remaining A-Levels down the toilet and decided against Higher Education. A decision he still holds to be the correct one.
A year passed. Slowly. A year of un-employment, signing on, suicidal boredom and lots of interviews. Until, admitting defeat and that he was not going to get a 'great' job, Leo applied for a position at Tesco's. Miraculously, in the same week an old friend of his brothers was left homeless and was looking for a housemate. Leo, in one week, had gained a job and a place of his own!
The following 2 years were Leo's most enjoyable and creative yet. He finally got his band LEO & The Mane going, recording 2 demo's, 'Overdressed' and 'What A Day - EP', finished writing his Novel, began writing more screenplays, did more home recordings, learnt the Drums and Bass guitar, began his first 'serious' realtionship, started taking his Dad's Tai-Chi classes, wrote and directed his first production at the Lindley Playhouse, shot his first short film, extended his musical reach by playing keyboards in the Chameleon-like 'Essential' and local function-band legends 'Rubber Biscuit', Bass for the short lived yet immensely enjoyable 'Pretty Bones' with Mark Johnson of 'Burning Cow' fame and dep-ing here and there for other bands like 'Sneaking Sally' & 'The MCB'. But just generally had a good time with his closest friends and housemate in his own place.
Alas it was not to last...
Tragedy struck at the beginning of 2005 when out of the blue the, Brian Leo's Father, died aged 58 of Cancer. Bewildered and forced to re-assess his life, Leo quit his job at Tesco's and as such was forced to move back in with his mother where he currently resides to this day.
Un-employed once more, Leo maintains this is an essential 'growing-experience' not just goofing off and living rent free....Honest. However he has not been idle. He has since recorded 2 more songs with the Formant Label, is now in 5 different bands on varying instruments who he rehearses with almost everyday, finshed another 2 short films one short listed in a competition, written another play for production at the Lindley Playhouse, sent off his novel for consideration by literary agents and is now gearing up for his first full-length studio album with LEO & The Mane.



"Oh just you wait. You'll see, you'll all see! Mwhahahahahahahaha!!!!" - Leo 2007

We think he's joking but keep coming back and you'll find out if he was right....