I had a really enjoyable Saturday yesterday, doing something I've not done in donkey's years.
Last week I watched a programme on National Geographic about the LEGO factory in Denmark. Amazing building and amazing set-up, and when they showed you the LEGO R&D department and how they design new models, it really gave me a great appreciation of how much work goes into making a LEGO piece when a new design is called for.
As it happened, I went to Bluewater on Thursday (one of the UK's largest shopping malls) and they happened to have a LEGO store. I walked past idly looking in the window with my new found appreciation.... and then I saw it.
A 1962 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van in LEGO!!!
Now I love Volkswagens (my Skoda Superb is part of the VW group) and I especially love VW buses and Camper vans. I used to have one. So when I saw that model, I basically just had to have it. I was talking to the person in the shop and she told me that this particular model was LEGO's best seller last Christmas, bought mainly by adult VW fans, and that demand was ridiculous, to the point that on Christmas eve, a guy walked into the shop and, on discovering it was sold out, offered £1000 in cash for the one in the window. If you go on the LEGO website, its listed under the "hard to find" section.
So anyway, I sat down yesterday to build it. 1332 pieces. It had been that long since I built a LEGO model I forgot the golden rule of organising the parts before you start, but once I sorted them all into the colour groups and got into it, it was really enjoyable to build. Just nice to sit and do something real and practical for a change. No video screens, no computers, just building something at my own pace.
And I'm really pleased with the result. Pictures are on Facebook.