Team GB - Complete!

Woop woop.

This week saw the completion of my Team GB Lego MiniFigure Collection after a quick trip to Tesco's. (I feel really bad that I didn't manage to buy any from my local toy shops but as they don't have them in stock yet, I didn't want to risk missing out)

After a very quick fondle of a four or five bags, I found the weightlifter.  He is pretty easy to find thanks to a baton and two little studs.

Team GB show win another Gold.

So that's my collection complete. Yay! Sadly for Lego I only got one swapsie - but to me, its not really a swapsie as you really can't have just one relay runner. 

Team GB celebrate their medals. ;-)

So here they all are. The complete team. Really wish there was a cyclist.... as we all know cyclists rock! Very tempted to try and make one using body parts from some of the others. The weightlifters kit would make an ideal skin suit if it wasn't for that belt.

Team GB - Bags 7-9

Well, all my great plans to save a few bags and savour the excitement were shortlived and the final three bags were also quickly opened.

7th out was the Stealth Swimmer.... who is a tad tricky to identify as he doesnt have anything identifiable other than his swimming cap.

About to take the plunge

Then came the Horseback Rider. Sadly, she came without a horse to help identify her... again you have to find the head piece, which this time is a riding helmet. Once you find it, its quite obvious what it is, but it did take a bit of identifying. feel for the peaked helmet and a plait of hair coming out the back.

Really like the detail on her kit and her helmet/hair combo is perfect.... but that face.... that smile is nearly as sickingly happy as that darn bride from Series 7. Yuck!

The final bag to be opened was the unmistakable Tactical Tennis Player - you cant miss the racket!

Game. Set. Match. .... Strop. Throw Racket. Sulk.

So, now the Wonderous Weightlifter is the only one now that eludes me... but I have to say that I am overall very pleased.... all the minifigures are super and I am really pleased to have only one swapsie so far.

Team GB - Bags 4-6

I had hoped that I would only open a few bags on Thursday night after or return from Tesco as I would have liked to save the enjoyment for a few more days - but who was I kidding - I know that when it comes to Lego I have no will power....

So another bag was grabbed.... Inside I was delighted to find my most anticipated figure... the Relay Runner.  He is quite easily identifiable due to his baton.

Those of you with keen eyes may notice that there are two runners here.... The official Relay Runner Minifigure is the one at the front - about to take the baton.


OK. Let me explain.... In Tesco's the very first bag I'd picked up had the baton shaped object in. Then when Mikey too felt the baton shaped object, whilst we were trying to identify the weightlifter (part of his bar-bells) I was happy. Mikey really is the king of bag feeling so I didn't double-check as it was getting on and we'd now been stood fondling bags for nearly 10 mins.


So when I excitedly tore open bag number 5, I was mortified when I found a 2nd Relay Runner.


My disapointment was short lived though when I realised a relay race would be rubbish with only one runner - so having a second wasn't too bad and as there are hundreds of Lego figures in this house it was simple enough to give one a new head.


The next packet to be opened was one that I was confident in.  It had the unmistakable bow and arrow of the Agile Archer in it.

The Agile Archer (I've altered the official cheery face for a look of concern) knows better than to try and get his gold medal back off a unpredictable Wookie. 

So that was Bag Numbers 4 - 6.... Stay posted for the contents of my final three bags. How many Swapsies will I end up with?

Team GB - Bags 1-3

The Team GB Minifigures have made their way to deepest darkest Cornwall and in my eagerness not to let them get away from me I bought 9 packets last night.

10 minutes of fondling and I was pretty confident when I left Tescos that I shouldn't have too many (if any) swapsies.

First out of the bag was the Flexible Gymnast - easy to identify with the two small single bricks that form her balance bar.

(This isn't her original balance bar - I modified it to make her achieve better poses.)

Next out of the bags came the Brawny Boxer - again pretty easy to identify due to his large headgear. 

Team GB dominate in the ring.

I then decided to open one of the bags I wasn't completely sure about. Lego have been a little devious with this series as there are a number of characters that don't come with any equipment... so extra care is needed to feel for any other distinguishing features.

In bag three I found the Judo Fighter.... I'd found her solely by feeling for her long hair/pony tail.

Jess quickly throws her opponent to the ground to be honoured with Gold.

So far I was pretty excited. The detailing on the figures is of a usual high standard. The baseplates carry the Olympic Logo and all the figures are looking pretty happy - not sickeningly happy though - to be wearing their team kit and proud to have won their gold medals.


There were still 6 bags left to open... How long could I wait?

Inside the Death Star

All my Minifigures have been quite keen on going inside the Death Star, but those that dared venture in, soon regretted it.

After seeing what happened to the last I.T. Guy, Howard was nervous about what would happen if he didn't get the Death Star's network back up and running.

Al the Alien wished he hadn't stumbled into the grasp of IG-88

Roger found himself in a sticky situation

Lego Death Star - (Part IV) Complete!

Wow... what a great way to spend a wet Sunday afternoon!

Today we opened the final box (Box 4) of the Death Star and after a couple of hours the Big Lego build was complete. And what a stunner it is!

(To give an idea of size I have put my mug in the photo.)

Tonight we built the final tier and put some finishing touches in place. First came the coolest of Mini TIE fighters. It is Vadars TIE Advance and despite its small appearance it will actually fit a MiniFig in the Cockpit.

On the top deck there are two turbo laser turrets, a laser control room,  a droid medical area and a conference room for Grand Moff Tarkin and his lackeys. Then to finish it all off you create a lift in the centre that will take your MiniFigs to every level. :-)

Now it is finished the size really is quite spectacular.  It is huge! There are 3,803 pieces in it (No I didn't count this - it says so on the box) - even my other big builds such as Millennium Falcon, AT AT or Star Destroyer don't have even half the pieces.  It is approx 16inches in diameter. And if that wasn't enough excitement - there are 24 super MiniFigures.

Seriously folks this really has to be the best Lego set in my collection, if not ever.  Every home should have one!

Lego Death Star (Part III)

On Thursday evening I emptied Box 3 (Oh no, now there's only one box left to build).

We now have a Super Laser Firing Dish, a fully operational interrogation cell, with access down the garbage chute, The Emperors Throne room with a collapsible catwalk and stairs up to Palpatines throne as well as a docking area for a tie fighter.

Tonight I shall continue the big build.... so more pics and progress to follow.

Lego Death Star (Part II)

Tonight I spent another 4 hours building the Death Star. It is so impressive. The attention to detail is awesome.

Box 2 has now been emptied....

So far we have built the garbage disposal area (with moving walls), a cargo area (with working lift up to the next level) a gun turret, and a very large cavernous area (in which Luke and Leia can swing across to escape the Stormies) as well as a working tractor beam switch for Obi Wan to disengage.

All I can say is it is freakin' awesome!!

We have also started on Box 3 but I wont give any spoilers yet.

BTW More detailed pics will be posted when the build is complete.

Lego Death Star (Part I)

Oh my. What a surprise I got this afternoon when not only did a courier turn up on a bank holiday weekend.... but the parcel they were delivering had my name on.

The Courier joked about the Lego Logo on the box - but this was no laughing matter.... only one thing could be in a box that big!

It was from Billund, Denmark.

I was ecstatic.  I didn't know what to do. I ended up just bouncing round the house.

Grabbing a knife I finally prized it open at one end.

There on the top was a little bag. It was an exclusive Hulk MiniFigure. I nearly exploded with excitement, despite knowing that as good as he was he wasn't the main attraction... he was just a bonus freebie from Lego.com.

Underneath the bag.... was a side view of a BIG Lego box.... one that had 22 Mini Figures printed on it! It could only be one thing.....

It was the LEGO DEATH STAR!!!

Again I bounced around the house, making odd excited squeaky noises.

With some help (and calming down) from Mikey we pulled out the large heavy Lego Box.

I carefully opened it.... to reveal 4 large numbered boxes.... and a instruction manual that was so thick it was spiral bound.

5 fun filled hours later and we had only emptied the first of the four boxes....

Box 1 complete. 

The big build continues... so stay posted....

The LegoLand Theme Park (Windsor)

As you have probably worked out from my earlier posts we have recently been to LegoLand (Windsor) which was just fantastic.

I've been having trouble putting into words just how fab the Theme Park was.  The excitement started about 10 miles away when I saw the first brown road sign.  Then I nearly popped when we saw the first glimpse of the huge Lego brick at the final turning before the park.

We hurriedly booked into the hotel, trying not to be too distracted by the amazing surroundings (another blog post to follow) and then dashed towards the hotels private entrance to the park.  (Hotel residents are rewarded with an extra half hour earlier in the park.)

On entering the park I was so giddy I was ready to explode.  Even the tiny little baby ducks quacking at the waters edge couldn't get my attention - not when there was endless Lego to be mesmerised by. 

The park was fantastic with Lego models everywhere you looked - from the tiniest birds in the trees to large elephants blowing water from their trunks.  It was mind-blowing!

We soon arrived at a ride.  It was the Atlantis Submarine Voyage.  Excited, we boarded; not reading any signs so not knowing what to expect.  We climbed into a large Lego submarine.  As the doors shut, I started to have doubts. My excitement had led me blindly into this but I hate enclosed spaces and as I looked around us, it suddenly felt like we were on a very young kids ride as there were bright buttons and knobs to be pushed. Thankfully, my doubts were short-lived as the Submarine windows suddenly went from darkness to spectacular views of an ocean.  Hehehe. We were now in a tank full of amazing and brightly coloured REAL (not Lego) fish and Lego Statues.  As we continued we found ourselves surrounded by sharks and rays too.  With real fish and Lego divers, mermaids, treasure chests etc, whichever way you looked it was amazing.

The next ride was the Dino Safari ride which was a gentle pootle on a small jeep through a Lego jungle to see lots of animated Lego Dinosaurs and tribal hunters.   We then took the brightly coloured (and surprisingly fast) Hill Train up and towards the Star Wars Experience. 


WOW! As a huge Star Wars fan and an even bigger Lego fan I was far from disappointed.  It took us on a journey through many of the iconic scenes from all of the 6 movies.  As an avid collector of the SW Lego I was shocked to find that there were no MiniFigures to be seen - Instead there were bigger scale models of the familiar figures.  The scenes were on a huge scale with authentic sounds and lighting to add to the overall effect.  It really was the ultimate Lego Star Wars experience.  I was mesmerised.  Star Wars fans will not be disappointed.

It was then time to get an ariel view of the park from the SkyRider, a gentle ride which gave spectacular views of the park and over MiniLand - which by the way was just as great as it sounds.  With hundreds of thousands - probably millions - of bricks they have created fantastic scenes and models from all across the globe from London to America - from Cornwall to the roads of the Tour de France.  Wherever you looked there was such amazing attention to detail.

Stan waits for his connection

Stan is happy to find a pint size St Pauls Cathedral 

We then went to explore the park some more; taking in all the amazing scenery.  The park is divided into sections and themes.  Like the Lego themes you will find in the shops there was Lego City, Lego Pirates, Lego Kingdom etc.  Every section was jam packed with themed models/sculptures, rides and attractions.  Some were for smaller kids but there really was something for everyone.  The Models were just phenomenal.  What I would give to work on even one of the imaginative Lego builds. 

There was swashbuckling fun in the Pirates area, including the Jolly Rocker - a fast swinging pirate ship which made Mikey laugh hysterically and sound like a 5yr old girl - and the Pirate Falls Dynamite Drench -  a log flume which got us very wet indeed.  

Bernard thinks he may have met his match.

It was then onto the The Knights Kingdom for some medieval mayhem under the shadow of a very grand castle where we enjoyed a trip on The Dragon - a magnificent roller coaster ride.

Then we visited the Land of the Vikings making our way through a Nordic maze and then another drenching on the Vikings River Splash ride.  The final ride we went on was a little "Boating" Lake where we controlled a little two seater boat around a lake.  It was a very gentle but a perfect way to end our day!

We had such a blast at LegoLand, spending the whole day there -  arriving when it opened and leaving a mere  15 minutes before it closed.   It was such a fantastic day out.  I was gutted that the following day the park would be closed.

I would highly recommend it as a day out for anyone who likes Lego.