greg3

Ahhh.... you can't go wrong with blue, grey and trans-yellow!!! Having grown up with Classic Space, this was a real trip down memory lane (Reminds me of some of the layouts in old ideas books - but much cooler!!) My favourite bits are the rocket launch station and the "hot dog" portal. The ground/mining scenes are spot on too!! Excellent suff!!

This is brilliant!! So many cool and interesting designs from buildings to spaceships - I could look at it all day!! Fantastic stuff!!

This is really cool and has a great classic sic-fi serial feel to it!! Reminds me of something from Flash Gordon or the Dan Dare comics!! I also enjoyed the back story!! Excellent stuff!! Hope you don't mind but I might borrow the idea to make my own version!! (just waiting on parts!)

I really like the shape and design of this one - especially the rooftop greenhouse... I'm not so sure about the colours though but that's just me!! Anyway, nice work - thanks for sharing!!

I love all the details you've packed into the room (and the blood shows real dedication!!) And who knew... Lego babies are born ready dressed!! Nice work!!

Thank you!! This week sees a familiar face return to Ballabreek... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Those of you who saw last year's Ballabreek thread might remember Oswald Cobblepot - the businessman behind the very popular penguin themed Christmas ice skating rink. Well now he's back to promote his new venture.... Duck Boats!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr He's developed one-person amphibious Duck-themed boats which he plans to hire out to people for trips around Ballabreek Bay. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr This weekend sees the first customers using them and they already seem to be a big hit!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Safety is of course very important and here you can see the rear mounted GPS system that allows the boat's position to be constantly monitored. It also means the boats can be programmed to follow a set route or stay within a certain area. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Now visitors and locals alike have a new activity to look forward to!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr I've had a couple of these Penguin sets lying around for a while an thought this would be a great way to use them. The idea came from the yellow amphibious tourist buses that I've seen used in cities like London and Liverpool (although I think they've now been stopped as they kept sinking or catching fire!!!) A minor MOD replaced the "Health and Safety nightmare" that would be the rear mounted propellor on these craft with an aerial for the onboard GPS system. I also added wheels so they could be used on land as well as sea. Anyway, thanks for looking... comments are always welcome!!

As promised, the backstory to the choice of Easter Bunny!! The idea for this came about when I was unable to find the headpiece for the CMF Bunny-Suit guy I was originally going to use and so had to use March Harriet instead!! The story may be continued as a Batman story in the future (if Lego ever produce a Mad Hatter figure!!) but for now it's just another strange day in the life of Ballabreek!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr So there we have it, Ballabreek is safe again thanks to the boys (and girls) in blue!! Thanks for looking... comments welcome as always!!

Fantastic stuff!! The whole scene looks perfect; from the cars themselves to the stations the landscaping and the surrounding buildings (great looking roof design!!) The streetlight lighter guy is a cool touch too!! Nice work!!

That is very impressive!! I especially like the elaborate bike shed and the interior details are spot on!! Excellent work!!

This week's update should be called "Easter Fun in the Park"!! What better way to spend Easter Sunday than taking the kids to the local park for some Easter inspired activities... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr You can try your hand at decorating eggs... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr There's the ever popular Easter egg hunt... how many can you spot!? Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Found one!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr There's a chance for the kids to get up close to some cute Easter-themed animals thanks to the local petting zoo who have brought some rabbits and chicks.. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Free hot-cross buns are also available... (my favourite part of Easter!!) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr And of course a chance to meet the Easter bunny!! (this isn't the "bunny" originally booked to attend but more about that in the next update - just waiting for a Bricklink order to arrive before I can tell that story!!) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Anyway thanks for looking... and Happy Easter!!!

Great looking buildings!! I really like the variety of architectural designs you've used - especially the curved glass roof structure and the tan "tower" section. As others have said it could definitely hold its own as an official set. Fantastic stuff and I look forward to seeing more of your work!!

I really like this!! The yoga studio is a great idea ("Stetch or stretch not - there is no try!!") and the contrast with it's calm and tranquil atmosphere and the busy coffee shop made me smile (what is King Tut putting in that coffee!?) The building itself looks perfect - especially the Egyptian style first floor - nice work!!

That is really cool!! I also get a very "Prince of Persia" vibe from it!! A wind powered clock is a great idea and I love the building designs (especially the windmill sails) and the statue in the centre!! Excellent stuff!!

Well Easter's almost here and the sun is shining so this update takes us down to the seaside to see how the locals are getting ready for summer!! Those familiar with Ballabreek's recent history will notice that the car ferry has gone!! Introduced last year on a trial basis to reduce congestion on the roads, it proved popular but too expensive to run and so other solutions to reduce traffic are being considered (namely an eco-friendly bus service due to go into service later this year). In the meantime, the harbour has now been freed up for more recreational uses. Then Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Now Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Plenty of spaces for pleasure craft to tie up Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Jet-Skis, sailboats and pleasure cruisers are all welcome!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr This increase in use is a good thing for local businesses. The sunshine has brought people out to enjoy the market Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Arthur Curry, the local dive shop owner, is gearing up for the new season... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The seaside cafe serves delicious ice cream!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr A few hardy souls are even braving the open air pool (as the weather warms up, it'll get a lot busier as people come to enjoy "Fun at the Beach"!!) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As you can tell, I've bought a couple of new sets, the Creator seaplane and the city catamaran and this seemed the perfect way to use them!! As always, comments are welcome. Thanks for looking...

Thanks for the comments - I did experiment with a working trapdoor but it took up too much space. Anyway, I'm sure we'll see more of Arkham later in the year (just waiting for some baseplates in "proper green"!!!) This week's update makes use of the new dune buggy set and as ever has a bit of a background story (Possibly setting the scene for another Batman villain origin tale!!)... Local Ballabreek boy, Matt Hagan, was a popular actor until a highly public falling out with a major film director saw him struggling to find parts. Angry and frustrated at his treatment, he's turned his back on the film industry and now puts his energy into his love of motor racing, participating in a number of extreme races. His latest challenge involves a long distance unsupported desert race using a dune buggy he's designed and built himself. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Here Matt is interviewed by the local press... after receiving a lot of negative publicity in the past, he's hoping to rebuild his public image. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr A scale model of the route - a challenging course through soft sand in an area suffering from regular sandstorms. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr A couple more views of the scene... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr So how will he get on in the race? Well we'll just have to wait and see.... (I'm sure any Batman fans might be able to work out where this might be going!!) Anyway, thanks for looking!! Comments are welcome as always.

Excellent work... the hat signs look great and the colours and details are spot on and I especially like the texture and use of grey in the roof - very realistic!!

8 days work!! That's incredible and it looks stunning - I love all the architectural details and the cool parts usage (especially the handcuffs!!) Excellent work!!

That's brilliant!! The plane launcher is a great idea and I love the control room too... not too sold on all the yellow (some black detailsmight break it up a bit?) though but that"s just being picky!! Excellent stuff!

Received my prize A a few days ago... now my Spidey's got his hands full!!! Thanks again to Copmike!!

A fantastic build!! I love all the greebling you've got going on - adds a nice dark, industrial vibe too the scene!! The reflection is cleverly done too - nice work!!

To the Bat-sewing machine!! Brilliant idea and nicely done!! Thanks for sharing!!

Hi Things have been a bit quiet in Ballabreek over the last couple of weeks but with Spring in the air it's time to start thinking about the tourist season and that means getting the area's latest visitor attraction ready to open. So here it is.... The Arkham Prison Museum!! Located a mile or so from the centre of Ballabreek (in other words, on a nearby shelf!) the building dates back to the 1850's when it was built by a wealthy landowner, Amedaus Arkham, as a place where his mentally ill wife could be treated. Despite employing the finest doctors of the age, she died a few years later and Amedaus soon followed but not before bequeathing the building to the state for the continued research and treatment of the mentally ill. By the 1890's, however, it had been converted into a conventional prison - a role in which it continued until 2008 when it finally closed. A public outcry saved the historic site from demolition and it's now been renovated and converted into a museum... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Let's have a look inside... The main entrance hall and ticket desk. Here guided tours and other activities can be booked. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Upstairs is the administrators office - a former policeman himself (like his father and grandfather before him), it's his passion to tell the story of the area's penal history that has made all this happen (unfortunately he's out but you can see his workstation and the reminders of his proud past) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr On with the tour... This wing is dedicated to the conditions in which the prisoners lived during it's early years as a prison. On the upper level, touch screen displays give information. The lower level is the main cell area showing just how small the Victorian era cells were. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr This room houses a display of prison punishments. Ball and chain, crank machine - which prisoners had to turn a set number of times, usually around 15,000 before they were allowed food/rest (nowadays we pay good money to go to the gym and do something similar!!). Guards could make it harder by tightening a friction screw - hence the nickname "Screws" for prison guards!! Finally the sloped object at the front is a birching horse; prisoners would be bent over it and beaten with a bundle of twigs bound together (you can see the birch "rod" hanging on the wall) Birching was still a legal punishment here until 1971!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Above that room is an exhibition area - at the moment it's hosting a display about the area's finest detective of the Victorian era!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The building's other wing houses more cells and... the hanging room!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr For about 20 years, Arkham was a place of execution with condemned prisoners killed by hanging in this specially adapted room. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr After death, the bodies were examined in the autopsy room below (which also served as the prison's only medical facility!!) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Finally an overview of the interior Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As you can probably tell, I wanted to integrate Arkham into my town's history and I think this works ok. The idea for it came from my local prison (itself a Victorian prison in use until 2008. When it closed I was lucky enough to get a tour of it - the Victorian parts were definitely very grim. Unlike Arkham though it was demolished!!) It's still very much a WIP - I need to add staff/visitors and some external landscaping/details but hopefully I'll get round to that eventually (unless of course a sudden upsurge in insane criminals means it has to revert to being a working Asylum again!!!) Anyway, thanks for looking - comments are always welcome.

Yep the phone tile is an official piece - it came with one of the Lego Movie CMFs (Scribble-face Bad Cop) Bricklink entry

Thanks for the comments. I tend to try and use the currently available sets, so in years when there's an official construction/demolition theme in the shops, I do have building sites and roadworks and stories/updates are based around them. As this year has been a "police" year so far though, my focus is currently more on law and order... speaking of which... Following the events of the last update, concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of Ballabreek's police force (especially now that we've seen that criminals can seemingly "escape through solid walls" ) As a result, and to rebuild public confidence in the police, an open afternoon has been arranged. This allows the local citizens to see just how the police work and to voice their concerns about issues of law and order directly. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr It's also an opportunity to show how recent investment (and a trip to my local toyshop!!) has provided the force with the very latest vehicles and new uniforms!! From L-R Standard patrol car High performance pursuit vehicle (for dealing with high speed chases) "Super Quad" a large ATV suited for minor duties in town (i.e. parking enforcement) but also able to patrol the surrounding countryside. Superbike (to deal with the rise of criminals using high performance motorcycles to evade capture) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The main purpose of the afternoon though is to strengthen the bond between the locals and their police and to give people an idea of what the police actually do... There's plenty of photo ops Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr A chance to meet the 4 legged officers Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr To see what equipment a regular officer carries (radio, ID, cuffs, baton) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Traditionally Ballabreek police officers don't carry firearms but in this age of heightened security and terrorism they do have access to specially trained firearms officers such as this one that can respond to serious incidents (hopefully they'll never be needed but you never know...) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Final overview.. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Hopefully, this new equipment will allow Ballabreek's finest to deal with any criminal activity that should arise... (unless, say, an army of super villains descended on the town - but what are the chances of that?) Anyway, thanks for looking... comments are always welcome.

Nice build!! I especially like the "vintage" bike!! The idea of the folding stairs to allow access is clever!! Excellent work!!