James May's LEGO HOUSE DEMOLISHED[s]James May tries to give away LEGO House[/s]

[MsRowdyRedhead]

James May and his full-size Lego house nobody wants
By James Tapper
Last updated at 10:35 AM on 20th September 2009
It could be the biggest bargain on the property market: a two-storey house that’s being given away for nothing.

The only drawback is that this des res is made entirely out of Lego – and you’ll have to find somewhere to put it.

Top Gear presenter James May has just built the world’s first full-size Lego house – including a working toilet, hot shower and a very uncomfortable bed – using 3.3million plastic bricks.
 Toy storeys: James May and 1,000 helpers built the 20ft-tall Lego house on a wine estate in Surrey
 Stripe me: A close up of the fully functional house, which was built using 3.3million differently coloured bricks
About 1,000 volunteers built the 20ft-tall house in Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey – but now the vineyard needs the land back to harvest its grapes.

If no one collects it by 8am on Tuesday, it will be hacked to bits with chainsaws.

 More...Who lives in a house like this? James May to stay in the world's first house made entirely from Lego

May says Legoland reneged on a deal to take it to their theme park in Windsor, Berkshire, after deciding it would be too expensive to move.

Meanwhile, miffed Legoland managers criticised May for building the house without their help.
May said: ‘I’m very unhappy about it. I feel as if I’m having my arm twisted into saying “knock it down�.
 Blocked sink: The bathroom with a working taps and basin made from Lego

 Cosy: James in the bedroom - and you'll never guess what he made the bed, pillows and slippers from!
 Purrfect: The home even comes with its own cat
‘Legoland only told us on Thursday they were not going to take it.

 Block head: The TV presenter built the house for his forthcoming BBC show, James May Toy Stories

'Knocking it down is just wrong on every level. It’s a really lovely thing – it would break the hearts of the 1,000 people who worked like dogs to build it.’

May believes that an art gallery, a children’s home or a wealthy private collector might be interested in the house.
But any entrepreneurs hoping to make money from it would face legal problems as Legoland has an exclusive licence to use the plastic bricks as a public attraction in Britain.

Lego has also banned May from dismantling the structure and giving away the bricks, which the company donated for his forthcoming BBC show James May’s Toy Stories.

‘It would dilute Lego’s sales – we can only give them to charity,’ May said.

May slept in the house on Friday night, on ‘the most uncomfortable bed I’ve ever slept in’ – when he also discovered the house was not waterproof.

Martin Williams, marketing director of Legoland Windsor, said: ‘We’re disappointed we were not consulted as our model-makers could have advised on building a movable structure.

‘In our opinion, the only way to move the Lego house now is to cut into it, which would compromise the structural integrity and present us with health-and-safety issues.

 Plastic fantastic: James in the multi-coloured hallway

 Building blocks: James even used Lego to make kitchen utensils, including a toaster, whisk, bread bin and iron
 Daily Block: The home, which is unwanted by Legoland, also includes reading material
'We considered all the options but due to cost, timings, logistics and planning permission, we have decided it would not be viable to move the structure to the park.’
Earlier this year the TV presenter made his debut in the Chelsea Flower show with a garden made entirely out of plasticine.
His Paradise in Plasticine boasted palm trees, bushes, a vegetable patch, grapevine, lawn, rockery and pond and featured two and a half tonnes of plasticine in 24 different colours.
The 46-year-old claimed his effort is the biggest and most complex plasticine model ever made.

He produced the the garden as part of his BBC 2 series James May's Toy Stories, where he aimed to 'get kids out of their bedrooms and away from their Playstations'.
 Bright idea: James stares through a multi-coloured window as light pours in the home
If you can take the house, email rebecca@plumpictures.co.uk

Read more  SEE PICS: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1214729/James-May-size-Lego-house-wants.html#ixzz0RhDfdKFa

[Jade]

I can't even imagine the shipping costs to move the house!

[Trijhak]

Shipping costs? LegoLand Windsor is in Britain. 

Why would it be shipped if LLW is in the same country? 0_o

[MsRowdyRedhead]

I wrote this letter to them...

Happy Tuesday, Rebecca,

As a woman in construction and an AFOL, I have followed the planning and construction of the James May LEGO house closely.

I am writing today to suggest you consider a donation to the National Association of Women in Construction.

Each year we do an event called  Block Kidsâ€�, all around the country . (In my case the US)

The Block-Kids Building Program is a national building program competition that is sponsored on the local level by NAWIC chapters and other organizations. The award-winning program introduces children to the construction industry in an effort to create an awareness of and to promote an interest in future careers in one of the many facets of the industry. The program is open to all elementary school children in grades 1-6. The competition involves the construction of various structures with interlocking blocks and three of the following additional items: A small rock, string, foil and poster board. Local winners advance to Regional Competition and one semi-finalist from each region is entered in the National Program competitions. National prizes are awarded to the top three projects. The chapters provide the bricks to the kids, who get to keep them.

This is my chapter http://www.nawicportland54.org/

The National/ World HQ http://www.nawic.org/nawic/

And the UK National http://www.nawic.co.uk/

This would be not only a fantastic charitable donation, but would bring the construction industry to many kids at the point where they are starting to dream about what they want to be when they grow up.

Thank you for your consideration.

Have a Happy Day 

[designerdude101]

I wish that legoland would just take it...it would be a great exhibit.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

James May's Lego house demolished
A two-storey Lego house built by 1,000 volunteers for BBC Two show Toy Stories is no more despite efforts to find a new owner to save it from demolition.

The house, created by presenter James May at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey, would have cost £50,000 to dismantle and rebuild.

Plans for Legoland in Windsor, Berkshire, to buy it fell through.

Meanwhile, May has called for the return of a Lego cat stolen from the house on Sunday or Monday.

'Coming down'

Denbies Wine Estate had said the house could not remain because it needed the vineyard back to harvest its grapes.


“ James told us last night that Fusker was a unique addition to the house because he was built by a fan, rather than one of the team of Lego enthusiasts enlisted to work on the project �
Top Gear website on the missing Lego cat
When Legoland pulled out "due to the costs and logistics of moving and rebuilding the house", the website of Top Gear - also presented by May - set up a page on the Facebook website to try to find a buyer for the house.

A blog posted on Tuesday morning on the Top Gear website - which had championed the Lego house cause - said: "Today's the day then.

"Despite James' best efforts, your comments on this site and the 2,500 fans signed up to our Facebook group, the Lego house is coming down.

"We spoke to James last night and he confirmed that brick-by-3.2 million-brick, it'll be dismantled this morning."

Meanwhile, May has appealed through the Top Gear website for the return of the Lego cat, named Fusker, which is based on his real cat.

The blog posting said Fusker had disappeared after "security allowed a few members of the public to have a nose around the house".

"James told us last night that Fusker was a unique addition to the house because he was built by a fan, rather than one of the team of Lego enthusiasts enlisted to work on the project."

May is appealing for the cat to be returned to the Top Gear offices in London

PICS HERE
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8269479.stm

[Legodac]

Please tell me which tuesday, my pc is runnin slow, thankyou

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Yesterday.

[designerdude101]

That's a shame...all of those bricks went to waste...

[Legodac]

That's a shame...all of those bricks went to waste...

I wrote in the sister topic, check it out eh...

[(=Nemesis=)]

Poor old Captain Slow.

I only just now heard about the LEGO Fusker. That's a real shame. Can't people give a geek a break these days?

[Jade]

Topic dead, TopiClosed. Archiving...