The Center Of London

Hmm, I honestly didn't set out to make this a Londoncentric morning, but check out this massive micro (is that a thing?) of one of the most iconic sections of London. This was the last view I had on my morning commute before pulling into Charing Cross Station. I rode the Eye, I visited County Hall, I stood in the shadow of Big Ben and witnessed the royal wedding at Westminster Abbey. I know this area very well, and this MOC by Rocco Buttliere is an exceptionally detailed, accurate and wonderful tribute. Click through for many more pictures of this gorgeous creation.

The London Bus Goes Round And Round

Six years ago I lived in London. It may have been for not quite a year, but I lived there. I rode double decker buses, I ate fish and chips, I paid council tax and I avoided the dreaded TV detector vans (look it up). After my time there this MOC by wycbrandon resonates with me. While life was hard there, it was an amazing experience, and seeing landmarks I used to pass on my daily commute to Soho like Big Ben and the London Eye makes this an especially poignant art piece.

They Have A Machine!

On Wednesday I was one of 100 lucky AFOLs to go to the new Lego Store in London before it officially opened to the public. The store is the largest Lego brand retail store in the world and has two floors of Lego loveliness. There was a well documented scratch card giveaway of the Lester mini figure mascot (I did not win one) I did however win a go on their new Lego Mosaic Machine. This is essentially a photo booth that turns your face into instructions to make a Lego mosaic of it! It comes with a box (set number 40179) of 4500 1x1 plates in 5 colours (900 of each) and a 48x48 baseplate. Normally it retails in the store for £99.99 but as it contains nearly £240.00 worth of lego (at Shop at Home prices) its a bargain. But better than that you have your own super exclusive lego set! And I will share that with you here, no copying it now, I can trust y'all?

The Shard

This iconic building was still under construction when I was living and working in London in 2010, but even in it's half-built unfinished state it was impressive. It was completed in 2012 and while it had somewhat divided the public at first, it has since found it's way into the hearts and minds of Londoners and the world. It's a beautiful building, and this brick version by Rocco Buttliere is just as beautiful. Click through for more pics.

Around the World in Eighty Days!

Okay folks, hold onto your bowler hats, and tighten your corsets!  It's VirtuaLUG's award-winning rendition of Jules Verne's classic adventure tale!  Beneath the massive globe in the center, the epic story begins with Mr. Phileas Fogg's bet at the Reform Club, and circumnavigates all the way back to London.  In between you'll find multiple modes of transportation: trains, steamships, a balloon, the Nautilus, even an elephant!  The layout consists of a contiguous topographical map featuring scenes from the movie, plus various landmarks along the way.  The collab is flush with Easter Eggs:  Gandolf and the crew in the Himalayas, a micro Mount Olympus, and Dorothy and Toto (in India?); all to pay homage to past VLUG collabs.  There were over 20 members who contributed to the project, including myself.  The Man In Charge, Heath Flor, writes, "With contributors from 5 countries and nearly a dozen states, it's a collaboration that truly is from Around the World." 

Check out  VirtuaLUG's Flickr group for all of the scenes and their builders.  

Beyond the Brick was on location at Brickworld with Heath's guided tour! 

Slums Of London

Intrepid builder and history buff Peggyjdb is back with another glimpse into London's past. This time it's the living conditions of the unskilled laborers in some of the poorest areas of London, and the efforts of Octavia Hill to elevate those conditions. This and many more outstanding, historical builds will be on display in Swindon at the Great Western Brick Show on October 4th-5th as part of the "London 1875 - Capital of an Empire" collaborative build. 

You Mean We Shouldn't Drink Contaminated Water?

During my time in London I worked in Soho, and from time to time I would pass a small black pump thingy on the sidewalk without giving it a second thought. Then one day I read the plaque on it. It turns out it was the focus of infection in the 1854 Cholera outbreak. Builder peggyjdb recreates this pivotal moment in disease control in his usual informative and brilliant style. Ah to be a Londoner in the 1800's.

221b Baker Street

Any Sherlock Holmes fan (myself included) knows that address well. I actually visited there a couple years ago. Yes, that's a real address, and it's been converted into a fairly cheesy Sherlock museum and tourist trap. There's nothing cheesy about this MOC though, it's top notch work by Paul Vermeesch.