The winter wonder of Lee’s Lego-land
Toy shop manager puts his creations on display at Parkway
A HUGE Lego Christmas display has appeared in one of the empty unit windows in Parkway Shopping centre.
The incredibly detailed model of a snowy town centre was built and designed by Lee Stanley, aged 45, who is manager of toy shop The Entertainer.
Featuring a church, a large Christmas tree, an ice castle and a miniature version of The Entertainer toy store, the Lego city display will remain in Parkway throughout the festive period and into the new year.
Mr Stanley said: “I have been told a few times by some families that whenever they’re in town, they have to walk through Parkway to see the Lego display because the kids won’t go home otherwise.”
He said he always enjoyed building Lego as a child, but moved away from it as a teenager.
He reconnected with his brick-building passion in his late 20s when he began to build some of his old sets with his nephew.
Since then, Mr Stanley has become a prolific builder, with a popular Instagram page showing off a variety of his wonderful creations.
He said: “In the last year Lego have recognised the adult market more.
“You’ve only got to look at their website now and see they’ve actually got a whole section called ‘adults welcome’ where you can find display pieces that wouldn’t look out of place in your front room.”
The Parkway Christmas display is made up of Lego pieces Mr Stanley has collected over the years, with many of the shop designs coming from specific sets.
Mr Stanley also designed certain elements himself, such as the church and The Entertainer, with pieces he had ordered from Bricklink, an eBay-style site for Lego pieces.
The project first came about when Parkway approached him last Christmas to make a display in place of the Santa’s grotto that would usually be put on.
Since that time, Mr Stanley has made a number of displays for the outdoor shopping mall including a Hallowe’en scene and one containing a hospital, a police station and a fire station as a tribute to key workers during the lockdown last summer.
He said: “As an adult you can build the Lego city you wanted to as a child.”
Mr Stanley’s impressive winter town Lego display can be seen in an empty unit opposite The Entertainer toy shop now.