Harrogate man's YouTube sensation gets him in Daily Mail

Five years and more than four million views on YouTube later, the Harrogate video that became a global sensation is still making headlines.
Global smash hit video - Ian McLeod with his son Cory.  (121009122AM)Global smash hit video - Ian McLeod with his son Cory.  (121009122AM)
Global smash hit video - Ian McLeod with his son Cory. (121009122AM)

Ian McLeod, the amateur photographer responsible for the six-and-a-half minute video clip, is about to feature in a major interview in the Daily Mail and a new documentary on BBC4.Called 21 Years, the video was created by this part-time Harrogate picture framer and former care assistant after he had compiled one photo of his son Cory for each and every day of the first 21 years of his life.It took Ian more than three months to digitise the 7,500 images but he says he had no idea the video would take on such a life of its own.Ian said: “After the initial rush of interest, myself and Cory thought that would be it, then, out of the blue, the BBC got in touch earlier this year, then the Daily Mail.“It’s quite amazing and a very pleasant surprise. It’s satisfying to know people still find interest in it.”Even after all these years later, the video is still attracting around 500 views per week on YouTube with a total now standing at 4,480,597 .The amazing video also acts as a record of changing times as well as the story of one young man’s life to date..The first picture of Cory was taken at Harrogate General Hospital, now a housing estate. The cleverly-sequenced and soundtracked video contains pictures of him in his school uniform at Oatlands and St Aidan’s schools and in his football kit with the Killinghall Nomad and Pannal Ash Juniors.Although Cory has appeared on BBC Radio 4 previously , he’s spent a good deal of time travelling after university, so Ian tends to ‘carry the can’ when it comes to media attention.The arrival of the BBC team from Smile! The Nation’s Family Album sent Ian’s household into a bit ot a tizzy.Ian said: “Two films crews turned up in our house in Starbeck and set up in the front room. “Luckily, we’d spent three days tidying up. Cory was somewhere on his way to Australia at the time.A member of Harrogate running club Nidd Valley Road Runners, as well as the forthcoming feature in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine, Ian has another exciting g, new project on the go.A new video!This one is even more ambitious.Ian said: “I started taking my own selfies when I turned 60. I’ve managed ten months without missing one.“I’m not sure I will last 21 years but we’ll see how it goes. I might have to ask Cory to take the last few as I disintegrate!”