greg3

I especially like the use of plants on the first 2. I agree with you though about the black/white building lacking something... It just seems less detailed and the use of trans bricks for such large windows just doesn't work in my opinion. The first 2 buildings though look great - I think the first one is my favourite!!

Beautiful!! The colour is striking and I love the details especially the surrounding walls/paths/trees etc (and of course the scaffolding and hamster!!) Definitely one of the best churches I've seen.... Excellent work!

Ah, you can't beat the classic 80's style... And this is an awesome set up and I could look at it for hours!!... I think the historic part is my favourite (but that fire station is very cool too!!) Excellent stuff!

One of the best police stations I've seen!! From the exterior (love the eagle!) to the interior layout and superhero cameos it looks perfect!!Excellent work!

Very nice!! I like the little splashes of colour and that first floor balcony looks great!!

Finally got round to finding a place in the village for the church... also made up a bit of "history" for it too!! (I tried to incorporate some real history - St Vincent really is a patron saint of builders, Keeills were early churches in the Isle of Man (where I live) and the tradition of the perquage is from Jersey (where I grew up) along with some made up stuff!!) The chapel of St. Vincent stands on the site of a natural fresh water spring and has been a place of Christian worship since at least the 6th Century (and evidence of the site's use for pagan rituals has been found dating back to the Bronze Age!) The first building on the site is believed to have been one of 6 Keeills (small buildings lived in by a priest and used for worship by local people) built by St Vincent (who became the patron saint of builders in recognition of his work to "build" Christianity in the area). The current building dates from sometime in the Medieval Period when it was a place of pilgrimage (the spring water was believed to have healing powers) It was also used as a sanctuary church, where someone accused of a crime could shelter for up to 9 days. After that, they would have to surrender or go into exile. If they chose the latter, a sanctuary path (perquage) led to the coast from where they could be picked up by boat - never to return (on pain of death!!) During the Victorian period the chapel was used by the locals as the village church, eventually falling into disuse and disrepair during the mid 1900's. In recent years it has been restored and is now a popular tourist attraction and is still used for regular services despite it's small size!! (All I need now is a village priest....) Front view Rear view Interior (showing the newly "restored" stained glass window. The image represents the sea, the land, the sun and the sky. (that was the idea anyway!!) Close up of the window Aerial view - the medieval sanctuary path can still be seen - it's now a footpath down to the beach!! As you can see I've extended the village to add a beach which is still a WIP (and should feature in the next update!!) Thanks for looking... Comments always welcome...

Another quick update, this time to give a sneak preview of the next building to go into the village... a church/chapel. St Vincent's chapel is sited over a natural spring and is believed to have been used for Christian worship since the 6th century (although the current building was probably a later rebuild). In recent years it has been closed due to structural problems but is now about to be reopened after the village commissioners and local fundraisers paid for repairs. I had hoped to have it open for Easter but other things got in the way!! Anyway, here's a few pics of the chapel (haven't yet decided where in the village it's going to go!!) The chapel is based on this one http://www.greatorme.org.uk/llandrillo.html Exterior views The interior (both end walls can be removed for access) The window is a temporary one as "highly trained craftsmen" are working on a stained glass replacement!! The altar - you can see the natural spring below it. Thanks for looking - hopefully I'll post more pics once I've added it to the village. Cheers

Well done to everyone who took part (and thanks to those who voted for my entry!) And an especially well done to the winners - all very well deserved!! Finally a big thanks to LegoCityMann for organising the competition... I really enjoyed the challenge!! Cheers

Link to my entry... http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=81042

Thanks for the comments... Like the real life version in Brunei (which is often inaccurately described as a floating petrol station) this isn't actually supposed to be floating but supported on pillars. There are plenty of actual floating petrol stations around the world though and I'd experimented with various designs before settling on this one. (I'm just glad I got it finished in time!!)

Clever design and plenty of detail!! Very nice! Good luck with the competition!!

Nice work LT!! I especially like the little lean-to area at the side. Good luck in the comp!

I love this entry.... As others have said, the roof looks a little out of proportion but you more than make up for it with all the detail you've added.... Really like the tanks/pipes at the front and the bike design is very clever!! Nice work and good luck with it,

Beautiful looking building!! Really fits the period both inside and out.... Excellent work and good luck in the comp.

Nice!! You've managed to get a lot of details into a small space!! I especially like the brick built sign! Good luck with your entry!!

Excellent design.... Love the roof especially (and the little background story is great!!) good luck in the comp!!

Nice idea!! And definitely something different.... Good luck in the comp!!

Here is my entry for the Servo Showdown!! Loosely based on images of this "floating" petrol station in Kampong Ayer, Brunei. http://hdrcreme.com/...-stesyen-minyak I've had to make a few changes to fit the size limitations (and given it a rebrand!). So here it is... +++++++++++++++++OCTAN+++PRESS+++RELEASE+++++++++++++++++ Octan are pleased to announce the development of a new breed of petrol station, specially designed to serve the remotest jungle areas where the lack of decent roads mean that people have to travel by river. This example of such a fuelling platform, located in Brunei, is built on concrete pillars sunk deep into the river bed and is designed to withstand the worst monsoon floods. The station provides high quality but affordable Octan brand fuel from 2 twin pumps to a wide range of customers including... Fast modern tourist boats which bring people up river from the coastal tourist resorts. The petrol station itself has become something of a tourist attraction, helping to bring much needed money and business into the local area. Traditional fishing boats, many still constructed in ways that have remained unchanged for a thousand years (although thanks to Octan's cheap and reliable fuel, outboard motors are now becoming more common, allowing the locals to fish more effectively) But Octan is not just about fuel! The back of these platforms can be customized according to the needs of the local community - options include medical clinics, internet/satellite phone facilities, education centres, or as here, local businesses. A mechanic is able to repair engines, generators and other machinery. A small market sells locally supplied produce and goods So however/wherever you travel, remember.... ++++++++++++++++++++++++OCTAN - WORKING HARD TO FUEL THE WORLD++++++++++++++++++++++++ Not sure if there's a limit to the no. of pictures I can submit with my entry... but here area few more pics... Close up of the fuel pumps... Side view.... Paying for fuel... just like the real life version, once the boat owner has refuelled. A bucket is lowered down and cash payment is placed in it. So thanks for looking... and good luck to all the other entries!!

Hoping to get my entry finished in time... Fingers crossed!!

Well, with the real life villages around here buried in snow, Ballabreek has suffered its own hardship after being played with by children!! (my niece and nephew) Now I've put it back to how it should be and added a new building... This week has seen the opening of a new business... M's Gems The owner, Molly, was a geologist working for a large mining company. She fell in love with a the natural beauty of many of the minerals and rocks she uncovered but which were considered "waste" by the company (having no commercial or industrial value). Molly would take the best examples and clean, polish and sell them online as decorative items. She's now branched out into selling such items from her own shop.... I wanted to use this bank from a Batman set, but as Ballabreek already has a bank, it became a mineral shop!! Inside is a display of some of Molly's work for people to browse and a computer so she can take/process online orders too. So far, the shop seems to be doing well. Most customers are after a unique gift for a loved one or to brighten up their home... "That's just perfect" There's also the New-Age/Hippy types, they believe the crystals have mystical powers... "Groovy..." And even the occasional super villain... "Green? I'll take it!" Apologies for the poorly lit photos... I'll try to take some better ones with the next update (when/if the sun ever comes out!!) Thanks for looking... comments always welcome.

Don't worry LT... I'm working on the pumps as I type!!

A quick WIP pic of my entry.... the basic structure is done but there's still a lot to do... A link to a reference pic... http://hdrcreme.com/photos/27366-stesyen-minyak

Excellent! The scooter shop is great but I especially like the "Octan" floors (the idea of the trophy room for all the Octan sponsored glory is very clever!) Great work!

Very nice... I especially like the exterior. It just looks perfect (the inside's not bad either!!) great attention to detail.... Excellent work!

Yep, a petrol station for boats... My version will be built on stilts but there are plenty of floating ones around that are just like land based ones... with petrol pumps and a small shop for parts/snacks etc!! ( just Google "floating petrol station")