Lego fans celebrate 50 years of model-making

It has cemented its place in history as one of the world’s most popular toys and is now celebrating its half century.

Lego is 50 years old.

To celebrate, the toy’s manufacturers are planning a series of events, including a world record attempt to build the biggest Lego tower ever.

From Easter onwards, there will be a Lego Brick Road tour around the UK, and a special commemorative pack will be available for collectors.

The simple toy has allowed generations of children to construct everything from houses and castles to monsters and robots.

And it hasn’t just stopped there, adults too are getting in on the act, with many embarking on projects to create models out of the tiny bricks.

In 2005, artists Darren Neave and John Cake recreated pieces including Tracey Emin’s 'My Bed' and Damien Hirst’s shark out of Lego for an exhibition.

In 2006, a team at Legoland in Billund, Denmark created a model of the world’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380 superjumbo

Made of 75,000 Lego bricks in eight different colours, it was around 10ft long, and took its creators more than 600 hours to finish.

Last year, an avid Manchester City fan reconstructed the team’s former Maine Road stadium out of the little bricks.

Lego’s enduring appeal has even seen a whole land named after it – the Legoland theme park.

Such is the power of the brick that it has spawned a number of fan clubs.

In Britain, there is the Brickish Association for AFOL’s (Adult Fans of Lego).

Member Warren Elsemore, from Edinburgh, recently completed a scale model of the Forth Rail Bridge, a project that took 18 months to complete.

One couple are set to marry after bonding over Lego.

Pete Reid, 33, from England and Yvonne Doyle, also 33, from Dublin, met at a private gathering of Lego lovers three years ago.

Mr Reid said: “We met at a Lego meeting around someone’s house in Scotland. Our eyes met over a pile of bricks.

“We build together most weekends now. The biggest thing I’ve built by myself is a four-foot space ship. but we’ve made bigger things collaboratively and with others.”

He added: “I’ve never not been into Lego. It’s an all consuming thing for me.”

Lego was founded in Denmark in 1932 when carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen began making wooden toys.

Two years later he stumbled on the Lego name by putting together the first two letters of the words Leg and Godt, which mean “play well.”

But it was not until 1947 that Mr Christiansen was introduced to plastic, which would form the basis of the toy we still see today.

Of Lego’s enduring popularity, Brickish chairman Simon Bennett said: “I think it is that it is still the same product it was in the 1950s. A brick bought now will connect to a brick bought back then. You can still build the same things that you’ve always done.”

“I don’t think there’s any reason why it should ever fall out of favour. It’s an excellent toy.”