My LEGO Story

Way back in the 80s, LEGO released a range of blue and gray space models. Nowadays, they list it as "classic space". I got set 928 for Christmas one year - the set with lunar craters and a landing pad, on which sat the biggest LEGO spaceship I ever did see. A litle buggy drove in and out of the back, and it was awesome. It was called the Galaxy Explorer.

That started my big love of LEGO. I built everything from LEGO. I even scratch built a USS Excelsior from Star Trek III and a Klingon Bird Of Prey from the same film (complete with working entry ramp).

As normally happens, though, as I got older the LEGO was less important. I blame girls. Yes, like most raging bags of male hormones, I was diverted to the even less productive pursuit of girls. Mum cleaned up as I grew up and the less-played with stuff was bagged and binned. Then we moved to England and most of the old stuff was disposed of. By now, all that was left of my beloved Galaxy Explorer was three or four of the minifigs. Then, finally, they too were unexpectedly consigned to the bin. I officially had no LEGO.

I look back on those years now and know that there was an empty void in my life. Actually there were two, but that's a different story. I remained LEGO-less for some years, trying to be a grown up but remembering fondly a blue and grey starship that used to fly around a bedroom in Kirkcaldy, only to land and deliver a red-suited spaceman and his buggy to his next important job.

Then LEGO brought out a Star Wars range. Nigel told me about it on a visit, letting me in on the fact that he knew Tesco were selling the new kits, including a set of two speeder bike models! We drove through four counties in our search - Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. Eventually we found a late-night Tesco store (one of the first 24 hour stores, I believe) in East Yorkshire and obtained two speeder bike sets! We dfrove back to Nigel's flat in Lincolnshire and built our models. Then we took a speeder bike each and re-enacted the scene from Return of the Jedi. In his hall. At speed. Yes, two grown men running up and down a hallway flying LEGO models - complete with sound effects.

LEGO was BACK.

From then, I started collecting LEGO again - first Star Wars LEGO then just whatever sets I liked the look of. I think I now have a collection that is even bigger than the one I had as a child.

Then, in 2002, I discovered eBay... I searched for the term "LEGO space" and got a couple hundred hits. Idly scrolling down the list I found the term "Galaxy Explorer" and, it's fair to say, my heart skipped a beat! It was a bargain, too - only £30 for the whole set. Needless to say, I bought it and when it arrived and got built it was like part of me was complete again.

Since then, I've collected a lot more LEGO, but of a far more diverse nature. I enjoy collecting the LEGO Racers collections and the Creator sets. Part of me, though, is reluctant to mix the different parts from the different sets (maybe a bit of maturity or OCD there).

I still regret losing the original Galaxy Explorer over the years, but it will always be fondly remembered as the start of my lifelong obsession with both space and model building.

So yeah. I have a LEGO obsession.

And I'm proud of it. :-)