By Julie Waters
A STUNNING Lego city, believed to be part of one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom, has gone on display in Bangor to ‘honour the memory’ of a local man.
Rachael Morrow, owner of Magpie Bricks, in King Street, has lovingly created the huge city scape, complete with a moving train, by incorporating part of 26 year-old Ian Armstrong’s collection with her own Lego city creation.
The local business owner was asked to value Mr Armstrong’s Lego collection after he sadly passed away last November, just six months after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. On seeing the collection, Ms Morrow described it as both ‘amazing’ and ‘out of this world’ and believes it was ‘one of the biggest collections in the United Kingdom’.
Young and older Lego fans are now invited to admire the display which stretches across four tables in the city centre store, and make a donation to Guide Dogs NI in memory of Mr Armstrong.
Originally from Letterbreen, Enniskillen, Mr Armstrong had lived in Bangor since 2019. He had previously survived a brain tumour at the age of eight, which had left him partially sighted.
As well as his passion for Lego building, Mr Armstrong was a volunteer for Guide Dogs NI and completed a number of fundraisers for them, including a parachute jump.
Speaking to the Spectator, Mrs Morrow explained how she brought the Lego structure to life.
“It was really important for me, after speaking to Ian’s mum and dad that he just absolutely loved Lego, and I wanted to honour his memory and finish what he started.
“It was without a doubt one of the biggest collections in the United Kingdom. It was out of this world. As a personal collection, I could see the level of care and the ideas that he was working on, it was just amazing.”
Mrs Morrow set about her labour of love restoring the display after purchasing a section of Mr Armstrong’s collection that is part of her in- store display.
Meticulously cleaning and putting together the structures, Mrs Morrow said: “I started working on June 7 and finished on July 3, I was working mostly from 7.30am to 10pm at night.”
Mrs Morrow, who has been building Lego for four decades, said the city structures went on display in time for the shop’s ‘third birthday’ and the public interest has been ‘unreal’.
“We have had it on display since July 4 and the interest we have had in it has been unreal. When I was building it, I was crouching down, imagining if I was a four, five or six year-old, how they would see it. I wanted it to be of interest for everyone, and for children, to see what they could do.”
Said Mrs Morrow: “We want to raise as much money as possible but also I love the fact that people are coming in, they are seeing Ian’s work and are being inspired. I think that is what he would have wanted.”
“Sharing Ian’s collection and finishing off his ideas is a nice way to honour Ian’s memory and if it brings enjoyment to people, especially children; nothing could be better than seeing the children coming in.”
In tribute to their son, Ian’s parents Helen McElmurray and Roy Armstrong are holding a massive sale of their son’s Lego sets and boxes, at Hillsborough Village Hall, on October 24, from 9am to 4pm. All funds raised will be donated to Guide Dogs NI, Cancer Focus NI and Marie Curie.
To view the Lego city scape and make a donation call into Magpie Bricks, at King Street, Bangor, Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm and Saturday, 11am to 5pm.
