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MARCH - The Laxey Wheel Built in 1854, the Great Laxey Wheel (also known as the Lady Isabella, after the wife of the Island's Governor at the time) is considered to be the world's largest working waterwheel. The wheel itself has a diameter of 72 ft 6 inches (22.10 m) and was designed by Robert Casement to pump water out of the nearby mines. The mines have long since been closed but the wheel itself has been preserved and is now a major tourist attraction. This model was a challenge to fit onto an 8x8 plate but I managed it (just!) The proportions and the base of the tower aren't quite right but overall I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Link to more info on the wheel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laxey_Wheel Thanks for looking... Comments are always welcome.

Hi This is a quick MOC inspired by the book "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions". Written in 1884 by Edwin Abbott Abbott, the book describes a theoretical world of only 2 dimensions, populated by sentient shapes. The book deals with geometry and the possibility of different dimensions and at the same time satirises Victorian society, dealing with subjects such as class and the treatment of women. It's actually quite a good read and one of those books that really makes you think! Anyway, my first Flatland MOC is the book's narrator and main character, Mr A Square. This is how he appears to his fellow Flatlanders (In the foreward to the book, Abbott explains that Flatland is not strictly speaking 2 dimensional but everything in the land has exactly the same height which is incredibly tiny and there's no solid ground making it impossible for the Flatlanders to measure it.) Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr His true nature and how he would appear to a being able to move in 3 dimensions... i.e. us!! I've tried to include features described in the book so you can see his square exterior is a thin shell open at the top and bottom. Inside this are his internal organs (including his brain located in the same corner as his single eye). Flatlander society is governed by shape - the more sides you have and the greater your angles are, the more important you are. Squares are considered to be part of the "Gentleman" class. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Building in "2 dimensions" was a lot harder than I expected it to be but I've got a few more Flatland inspired ideas in mind!! (Mr Square's wife is next) Thanks for looking and feel free to comment!!

That is fantastic!! The technic portholes are a great idea and the whole ship just looks great. I especially like all the little deck details - excellent work which definitely deserves to be on display somewhere!!

Great looking exterior and the interior is spot on too... I especially like the little story you put together!! Excellent work!! Looking forward to seeing what you build next!!

That looks really nice and a great use of the friends sets!! I especially like the dojo!! Excellent work!

2014 sees the Isle of Man celebrating it's culture and heritage through a series of events and projects involving the creative arts. This "Island of Culture" theme has inspired me to create a series of Lego models representing places, people and themes linked to the Island's rich history. The models will be small (fitting on a base no larger than 8 x 8 studs) and I hope to create at least one model a month during the year so watch this space!! JANUARY - The Tower of Refuge This is actually an older model that has already been posted on EB so please check out the original post http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=69582 for the background info. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr FEBRUARY - Traditional Manx Cottage A typical Manx stone cottage from the 18/19th century. These can be found all over the Isle of Man and were generally thatched with straw held down with ropes or fishing nets. Inside there were usually 2 rooms; a main living/cooking area and a bedroom, with perhaps more sleeping or storage areas in the roof space. While those cottages still inhabited today have been modernised, in the village of Cregneash (which was the British Isle's first open air folk museum) you can see preserved examples and learn what life was like living in them. Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Here a wife is tending the veg patch while her husband is out with the fishing fleet... for centuries farming and fishing were key industries. The national dish is said to be "Spuds and Herring". Untitled by g.nat, on Flickr Thanks for looking and feel free to comment...

They were putting these out today in my local Toymaster (along with the Junior sets, the princess sets and the new Marvel sets) I bought one of each "tribe" and have to say I like them... Might get the rest!!

Very nice... Looks really lifelike. Nice work!

Wow! That is just amazing!! I can't even begin to say what I like best about it as it's all excellent. (It's things like this that I show people who say Lego's just a toy!) Very well done to all involved!

Excellent work!! The buildings are great and the layout is perfect with all the little details (love the vehicles too!) All in all a perfect set up!!

Spotted these new Mixel sets in my local toy shop (Toymaster in the UK) and for £2.99 couldn't resist them.... (Had to Google what they're all about.... Not sure about the cartoon but the figures seem pretty cool!) Anyway, thought I'd take a couple of pics... (The little black Nixel came with the red Mixel "Vulk") Thanks for looking... Comments are always welcome!

That's a really nice building!! Great colour scheme and just the right amount of detailing on the exterior. The interior is equally good. Excellent work!!

Hi For my town/village of "Ballabreek" I stick to using the classic open backed building style and use as many official building sets as I can. One thing you can do is look online for instructions for older sets and then simply modify them slightly. Old Lego ideas books are also a great inspiration (and can come with useful stickers!). Whatever you do, have fun and share the results!!

So, has Mike got back into Jo's good books? Well after a lot of hard work... yes he has!! Turning the wreck he bought last week... Into.... An ice cream van!!! (Jo's dad was an ice cream salesman and she'd always wanted to follow in his footsteps - added to which, Mike painting the van in her favourite colour (pink) means he can consider himself well and truly forgiven!) I recently got the Lego Movie Ice Cream Machine set but decided that although the van looked cool it was too big for my layout (towering as it did over many of the buildings!!) So I've produce a "hybrid" by mixing its parts with the ambulance set (and adding a few extra bits!) Inside it has a freezer, soft ice cream machine, storage for cones and hand washing facilities. Now it might still be a couple of months until "ice cream" weather arrives, but Mike and Jo have been already been out drumming up trade from the locals... Thanks for looking, comments are always welcome.

Great looking bar!! Nice use of parts to create the interior - it'd be nice to see it made into a proper building! Nice wok!

Excellent... Not only is it a great little town in its own right but it's as it should be... Played with!! I let my 4 yr old nephew loose on my town from time to time and just watching him making up stories (complete with sound effects) is definitely worth the time it takes to repair the damage he does!! Nice work!

That looks brilliant! I love the contouring and and what a lot of flower stems!!! Looking forward to seeing the finished model!

This truck looks perfect! Nice sense of scale.... Excellent work!

Cool design... Looks a lot like the pick-ups used by farmers around here (usually used to transport sheep dogs around) Although as others have said it's perhaps a bit too low? Despite that it's a nice little model. Thanks for sharing.

Very nice! I like the way you've restricted yourself to using vintage bricks and yet the end result fits in perfectly with the modern building style... Excellent work!

Hmmm... Not sure about the color scheme but the design of the van itself is great!! Nice work!

Thanks for the comments... That torso has been in a few City sets.... This one was in the airline exclusive car and glider set from a couple of years ago, but it's also in this year's camper van set (probably in other sets too)

It's the weekend so it must be time for another update.... This update comes in 2 parts (still waiting for a Bricklink order to finish it off!) and concerns 2 local residents... Mike and his wife Jo... Here they are. They've lived in Ballabreek for most of their lives... Jo has a part time job in the pizza place while Mike made the daily commute to the nearby town. Until that is, he recently lost his job! However, as you can see, he's not worried because he has a plan!! Step 1: Pop into the local bank. Step 2: Withdraw your life savings Step 3: Pay a visit to "Diamond" Dave's Used Car Lot (putting the "you" into used vehicles!!) and make your business dream a reality. Step 4: Drive your new investment home while picturing the look on your wife's face when she sees what a genius you are. Step 5: Ah... Step 6: Realise that not everyone can recognise genius (and the excuse "It worked for the Ghostbusters" isn't going to help!) So will Mike make his business dream a reality or will Jo make him sleep on the sofa forever? Watch ths space to find out!! Thanks for looking... And as always comments are more than welcome.

That a beautiful and unique looking building... I like the white tree too!! Excellent work!

Well it certainly stands out! Seriously though it looks great! I like the shape of the orange walls and of course the octopus looks great! Nice work!