greg3

Interesting you should ask this as the only pieces I've had break are.... Reddish brown clips!! (1x1 plate with clip on top) In my case they were in the Winter Village Santa set and after building it 2 Christmases ago I dismantled it and stored it in a container. Last Christmas, I came to build it again only to find 2 of the clips had split in half!! So I don't think it is a result of overuse.... Perhaps there is something about the colour that dos make them weaker!! Wonder if anyone else has had this problem?

Thanks for the comments... I think the minifigure was originally for sale from the Groundspeak website shop at www.geocaching.com but I got mine from eBay (think it cost about £20) Right, on with the latest update!! As promised, thanks to new footpath, we get to explore a little bit of the countryside around Ballabreek. Who better to take us there than the new Hiker minifig!! Off we go!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr But oh dear!! We seem to have run out of path!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr According to the map this should lead to a lake/river!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Hmm... it should be... over there!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Luckily a giant hand comes to the rescue and the Hiker can finish his walk, arriving at a picturesque water side lodge... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Across the river is a new campsite that can be reached by road from the village too. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Well worth the walk!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As you can see this is an attempt to use sets that are too big or that just don't fit with the main village. I wanted to create a scene that you might see in a catalog or Lego store to showcase the official sets and have other plans to create more scenes on the shelves. Here's a few more pics... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As you can see, i added the brick built animals to the scene... not very realistic but who cares!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr A view of the campsite... now I've got somewhere to display the excellent Creator mobile home!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr This is also the first in a series of updates featuring the new CMF series... I've got all 16 figures and plan to see if I can fit them all into a Ballabreek scene by Christmas!!! (I think some will be easier than others but I have a few ideas!!) 1 down... 15 to go!! As always, thanks for looking...

That is such brilliant idea!! Love the shape and the steam!! The landscaping is spot on too. Excellent work!!

Nice! I remember having the original TV truck as a kid!! I'm hoping TLG will add a TV theme to the modern city line... we've had a helicopter and satellite/transmitter dish in other sets but they could add a truck, studio, news crew... etc. I'd buy them!! Anyway thanks for sharing!!

Beautiful looking build!! The shape is perfect and I love the interior details. The tree mosaic is a nice touch!! Excellent stuff!!

This is cool!! I like the little story you've made up about the scene (it's what I do with my town too!!). The police car and fire engines look great and it's nice to see a classic style 4 wide car there too!! Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks for the comments.... here's a quick sneak peek of what I'm planning to do by surrounding the map with other Isle of Man themed MOCs... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Clockwise from top left... The TT motorcycle races The 3 Legs Of Man (The symbol/flag of the Island) Manx Cross (found all over the island and a traditional combination of Celtic, Norse and Christian imagery) The Great Laxey Wheel (the world's largest working waterwheel) The Tower of Refuge An Electric Tram (dating from Victorian times and still operating regular passenger services) Traditional Manx cottage Milner Tower (a popular landmark) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr I have more to add so this is still very much a WIP!!

Hi For some time, I've been working on series of MOCs based on places in the Isle of Man. Today I finally got around to recreating the Island itself in the form of a mosaic map - eventually I hope to display all the "Manx MOCs" together with the map as the centrepiece. Creating the map was a bit of a challenge and it took a few attempts but I'm pretty pleased with how it came out (It's pretty simple but like a lot of mosaics it looks most accurate when viewed from a few feet away); now I'm thinking of recreating the topography (hills etc)!! The Isle of Man - LEGO Mosaic by g.nat, on Flickr Thanks for looking - comments are always welcome.

Thanks for the comments and kind words... time for another update!! This week sees Ballabreek get its first geocache!! My second favourite hobby (after playing with Lego of course!!) Geocaching involves using a GPS equipped device to locate containers hidden at outside locations, the co-ordinates of which are posted online. Here we see how it's done... Using an app on his GPS enabled phone, the Geocacher is guided to the correct location... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Hmm... it's around here somewhere!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr A-ha... a suspicious looking slab of rock... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Found it!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Now to sign the logbook and replace everything for the next finder... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As you can see, this update has made use of a new area of Ballabreek: a recently opened long distance hiking trail/footpath starting behind the mine. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The land (which was originally overgrown and unused) has now been cleared and landscaped with a gravel path which takes people on an attractive walk through the countryside. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr An information board (modified from one in a recent ideas book) has maps and guides to allow walkers to make the most of their visit. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The Geocacher himself is from a custom set created by a Geocaching company to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the placing of the first 'cache. The 2x4 brick is actually a "trackable" and can be placed in a 'cache to be moved from 'cache to 'cache by subsequent finders. A code on the brick allows you to track it's movement around the world!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As always, thanks for looking and feel free to comment.... It's not often I get to combine my 2 favourite hobbies and it gave me the push I needed to create the short section of hiking trail... but where does the trail lead to? Watch this space!!!

The Castle Mona Hotel is a well known local landmark in Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man. It was originally the seaside mansion home of the John Murray, the 4th Duke of Atholl and was built in 1804, shortly after the Duke became the Governor-General of the Island. It was designed by George Steuart and constructed on part of the Duke's estate about a mile from the town of Douglas. Constructed of white free-stone (a form of granite) imported from the Isle of Arran, the main part of the building is roughly square and consists of 2, 3-storey wings connected by a 2-storey section and topped with a round tower. An annexe at the front of the building contained offices where the Duke's businesses could be run from. The building was set on a large, well kept lawn between the cliffs and the sea and reached via a half-mile long driveway. It would have been an imposing sight especially to those approaching the town from the sea. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Link to period reference photos http://www.imuseum.i...erm=castle mona (knowing the area today, these pictures amaze me at how much it's all changed... apart from the building itself!!) Following the Duke's death in 1831, the estate was sold off and the Castle Mona became a hotel. Since then, the surrounding area has changed dramatically as the nearby town has expanded. A main road, tramway, promenade and shops were built on the land between the hotel and the sea. More hotels and apartments were built on the surrounding land and on the cliff behind the Castle Mona. The hotel itself underwent a number of extensions: including the addition of more modern rooms, a bowling alley, restaurant, a nightclub and even a pole dancing club!! Then in 2006 the hotel suddenly closed as it's owners went bust. A neighbouring hotel company bought the building a year later but it has remain closed ever since. A number of plans for the site have been put forward; reopening it as a hotel, turning it into a museum or art gallery, converting it to apartments, even using it as an IT training college but all have fallen through. It does get used occasionally as a film location and the local police and fire services use it for training but the once proud building is looking rather dilapidated and sad!! Hopefully someday soon it will find a use (I like the museum/art gallery idea best but anything that saves/preserves the building would be good!) As it is now 17589034331 by g.nat, on Flickr Aerial view showing all the modern additions to the original building. FullSizeRender by g.nat, on Flickr Anyway, as I live on the cliff overlooking the site and walk past it everyday so I decided to recreate it (but as it might have looked originally!!) Front of the building... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The office block was the trickiest part of the build - I wanted to recreate the arched windows but keep the overall proportions looking right so there's less windows on the ground floor than there should be (there should be 5 archways altogether!) Might revisit this bit another day!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Aerial view Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Side view (this is the side that faces the sea) Most of this central section was taken up by a dining/ballroom which opened out onto a low balcony. The ground floor should really have tall rectangular windows but I had to make do with using 2 headlight bricks. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr My least favourite view - I couldn't find any references to this side of the building and modern buildings block any view of it so I had to guess!! If I get the chance, I may pay a visit to the local museum and see if they have any more pictures/plans that may help. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr My favourite bit is the main entrance... I was surprised at how well it came out!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr More views Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr I don't often attempt such small scale builds but I really enjoyed the challenge of trying to recreate this and while it's not quite perfect I'm pleased with how it came out. I may still tweak it a bit and try out some different ideas; especially on the office block section and the tower. Comments are always welcome... thanks for looking.

"The Spider" was one of a number of crime fighting vigilante characters created in the early 1930s that would go on to inspire the creation of many of the superheroes we now know and love!! He was created in 1933 by Harry Steeger and went on to feature in over 100 pulp magazine novels, 2 movie serials and a couple of recent comics. I've recently discovered a couple of the early novels online (as their copyright has expired) and really enjoyed them - so much so I thought I'd try and recreate some of the characters in miniature form!! Richard Wentworth was a millionaire playboy, the last surviving member of a rich family. After returning home from WW1, he discovered New York to be overrun by criminal gangs - and the police powerless to stop them. Wentworth decides to take matters into his own hands and becomes The Spider - a vigilante not afraid to break the law himself to deliver justice. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As the Spider, Wentworth hunts down and kills criminals the police can't catch, marking each victim with a spider mark (an ink stamp on their forehead). His preferred weapons are 2 45-calibre pistols but he's also an excellent swordsman and trained in a number of martial arts. Although ruthless towards criminals, he never hurts the innocent and avoids harming the police (even though they're out to capture him) He's also a master of disguise and in some stories is able to control people using the sound of his voice giving him the title of "Master of Men". As Richard Wentworth, he often works alongside the police, helping Commissioner Kirkpatrick on many investigations (although Kirkpatrick hates the Spider and is out to discover his true identity!!) My version is a combination of the novel/film/comic version of his appearance (in the books he wears an domino mask - the spiderweb hood was introduced for the 1940s film version where it was white rather than red - the black/red design comes from the comic) Ideally the web design should extend down the back of his cape. Unsurprisingly, the Spider is said to have inspired Stan Lee to create Spiderman!! Although I see a lot of the elements of Batman in him too!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Thanks for looking.... I've got a few ideas for some of the Spiders associates and enemies so watch this space!!

Congratulations to the winners (all well deserved!!) and also to all the other entries. (I know I enjoyed the challenge of putting mine together) And of course a big thank you to those who organised the comp and provided the prizes... Looking forward to the next one!!

Arctic sets at the beach!? Now that's dedication!! Seriously, I really liked the recent Arctic theme and your crawler looks spot on!! The last pic makes it look suitably imposing!! Nice work!

Very nice!! I really like the interior and all the furniture and other details (I can imagine a lot of shady dealings going on in there!!!) The rooftop pool is a nice touch too!! Although to me, it's not really big enough to be a mansion... More of a town house for "business" dealings!! Apart from that, it's pretty much perfect!!

That's brilliant.... Instantly recognisable and yet using so few parts!! Excellent work!!

This is great... One of the best Lego yachts I've seen!! The hull design and rigging look spot on - excellent stuff!!

Looks good so far!! I've got that Friends set too and plan to use it to create a supermarket (based on the Lego Store set 40145) for my smalll town layout! Thanks for sharing!

More silliness in Ballabreek this week as it hosts the Tyre Paddling World Championships 2016!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Celebrating it's 45th anniversary, this annual event involves paddling any unmodified, commercially available, vehicle tyre around a course marked out in the bay. Over the years, it's become an important charity fundraiser with all proceeds going to local charities. It's origins are unclear but are said to lie in an attempted escape by a wanted criminal, As a result, it's become a tradition for the reigning champion to dress as an escaped convict!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The event attracts a large number of spectators... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr This year's course is an L-shape; going from the jetty steps, around a buoy and to the slipway... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The winner is the first one to complete the course, exit their tyre and reach the top of the slipway... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Finishers medals... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Of course, safety is important and recovery teams stand ready just in case... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Mad though it seems, this is actually inspired by a real event - The Annual Tin Bath Racing World Championships, held every year in the Isle of Man (this year's was a couple of weeks ago). This involves paddling a "boat" made out of an old-fashioned tin bath around the harbour and attracts competitors from far and wide!! It was also a way to use this year's Tyre Escape set!! Anyway, thanks for looking... comments are always welcome.

Entry B - 2 points Entry A - 1 point

Following on from the last update, the workers got finished in time and the park is now open again!! As you can see, the locals have wasted no time in getting out and enjoying the sunshine!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Whether it's enjoying a spot of lunch... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Keeping the kids occupied... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Or just enjoying a quiet sit down... Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Ballabreek park is the place to be!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Oh, and if you're wondering what happened to the old fountain which had been a part of the village for many years (the one with the gold bricks, which in the "History of Ballabreek" was intended to mark the village's gold mining heritage), it was due to be demolished but the local Space Tech firm offered to take it to put in front of their local headquarters!! It's now home to the firm's fishy mascots Neil, Buzz and Michael. You can just see them below the water!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Thanks for looking!!

After the excitement of the previous updates, things in Ballabreek have quietened down somewhat and attention has turned to more mundane issues, namely what to do with the local park!! As you can see, the fountain and paths of the original layout leave very little open space that the locals can use. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr This is becoming more of an issue as the population is changing. As more young families with children move into the area, pressure has been growing on the town planners to create a more usable, family friendly space and the park is seen as the ideal location. Various plans have been put forward, including a total redesign of the area and even demolition of some of the buildings but for now, with summer approaching, a temporary solution has been reached and the finishing touches are being completed. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As you can see, the large fountain has gone, opening up a grassy space where families can picnic and play. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The finishing touches... mowing, painting and plumbing in the new fountain. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr The removal of the War Memorial has proved a controversial move but it is set to return later in the year (albeit to a slightly different location) after a bit of renovation and repair. In the meantime, the workers need to get a move on... the new park is due to open in just a few days!! Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr As you can probably tell, I got the new "Fun in the Park" set and need a park to put the fun in!! Eventually I hope to extend the open area - I'm currently thinking about getting rid of the medical centre as it's not had any "investment" (i.e. new sets to go with it) for a while. I'm just waiting to see if if 2017 will bring us a hospital theme, in which case it may win a reprieve!! The bank and supermarket are also probably going to be replaced towards the end of the year but again, I'm waiting to see what official sets we'll get next year!! Anyway, thanks for looking - comments are always welcome!!

Hi Here's my entry for the Local Landmarks Architecture Competition - Milner's Tower Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr A bit of history about the real thing. Situated on Bradda Head, overlooking the seaside town of Port Erin in the Isle of Man, Milner’s Tower dates back to 1871. It was built on behalf of the town’s residents to thank retired businessman William Milner for the kindness and generosity he had shown them. Milner had grown rich running the family business in Liverpool making locks and safes. Then tragedy struck. Embroiled in a bitter feud with a rival over whose safes were the strongest, Milner set up a series of public tests and demonstrations. During one of these tests, the amount of gunpowder used was miscalculated and the resulting explosion killed a young boy in the crowd. Shortly after this, Milner retired and moved to the Isle of Man, settling in Port Erin. Perhaps due to the guilt he felt over the accident, he began putting his wealth to use in service of the poor and became well known for his work supporting local charities, especially those supporting the families of local sailors lost at sea. When it was suggested that a viewing tower be built on the nearby headland, the townsfolk decided to dedicate it to William as a gesture of thanks. The tower was built of local stone and the design was said to represent a key in a lock (don’t see it myself!!). The work was paid for by public subscription (although when Milner found out about it, he made a large contribution himself!) and the tower was finished in 1871. Since then, it has become a popular and much loved landmark - featuring on local stamps and even on the reverse of the 50p coin! Visitors and locals alike make the climb up the (very!) narrow spiral staircase in the round tower to reach the view point on top of the main part of the structure. From here, stunning views of the south of the Island can be seen, as well as the Mourne Mountains of Northern Ireland and, if you’re lucky, a passing basking shark (not that I’ve ever seen one!!) More views Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Ref. Pic (taken from the internet) 13 by g.nat, on Flickr Finally, thanks for setting up this competition - as I usually work in mini figure scale, I really enjoyed the challenge!! Good luck to everyone who enters!! Cheers

Stunning!!! A real work of art and it has interiors!!! A truly amazing model!!

Fantastic looking build!! I could look at these scenes for hours!! I especially love the whole atmosphere you've created with the old signage. The use of plates and the colour choice gives the buildings a real period feel and the trolley bus is a nice touch too. Excellent work!!

Clever parts usage - certainly has that futuristic look!! Nice work!!