With over 1200 visitors coming through the doors over the two days, over $3000 has been raised, money which will go to the Eltham Football Club’s zero fees programme for junior members.
“This is massive for our club and a huge support for getting our kids out playing sport.”
A clear crowdpleaser at this year’s brick show was Masterton based Marianne Draijer’s incredibly realistic Lego model of Stratford’s glockenspiel.
“I specialise in building New Zealand icons in Lego for shows like this. I like people to be able to recognise what I am building and for children especially to see something familiar.”
Romeo and Juliet appear on the balcony of the Lego model glockenspiel. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Marianne says she had originally started work on the model a while ago, but had put it to one side while she worked on something else.
“Then I heard about the Eltham Brickshow, and of course, I knew I had to bring it, so I got back to work on finishing it.”
Marianne starts with an idea in her head she says, before beginning her research and then sketching the model out before she swaps the pencils for bricks. Every model is different, and can vary in the time it takes, with her estimating the glockenspiel build as taking between three and six months in total.
“I used to do jigsaw puzzles, but they got too easy, I like the challenge of building with Lego, it is good for the brain, and it is really rewarding when you bring a model to a show like this and get such a great response.”
Frank Averes from Levin was another exhibitor at the show to have put a uniquely Kiwi twist on his work.
“To my knowledge, this is the only Lego marae ever built.”
The model, which included everything from a wharenui to people fishing on the river from a canoe and Lego mini figures using poi or rākau, was always popular when he displayed it at events like the brickshow he said.
“The marae is unique, people seemed truly amazed by it. It has been on display at the Festival of Elements in Porirua on Waitaingi Day before, and I always get a lot of positive feedback on it.”
A view through the entrance of the Lego marae. Photo / Ilona Hanne
The model isn’t based on one specific marae, but rather draws in elements from various ones. Frank says he doesn’t sketch out his planned builds before he starts to build.
“I take a few photos, then do a bit of math and start building with bricks.”
Eddie says word had clearly spread about the brick show, with exhibitors keen to attend after hearing about the success of last year’s shows, and a steady crowd of people streaming through the doors this year.
“We had exhibitors contact us asking to get involved, and the displays were really well done.”
He says the club is grateful to the exhibitors who travelled across the country to share their hobby and passion for Lego.
“The feedback I have had has been so complimentary about how friendly they were. They all loved the chat with the visitors and are already thinking of what they could do next year. A huge thank you to the public who supported our fundraiser, they were an awesome crowd. We even had visitors do a day trip all the way from Feilding and Whanganui to see the show.”
A team photo taken of all the exhibitors at the 2023 Eltham Brickshow after the doors closed on the event.
As with any successful event, a hardworking team was busy the entire time behind the scenes, he said, led by his wife Carmel.
“She manned the ticket desk almost the whole weekend, always with a smile on her face, greeting the visitors warmly and letting them know what’s happening.”
Sponsors including Primo Wireless, Uhlenberg Haulage Ltd and Toyworld New Plymouth and Duncan English have also been instrumental in helping make the event so successful, he says.
For 9-year-old Trey Whiteson, who had come from Hāwera for the show, it was hard to pick a favourite exhibit.
“They are all really cool. I like all the Star Wars stuff, but also seeing some of the older Lego that isn’t for sale now.”
One of his favourite parts of the day had been the challenge to find the hidden Lego storm troopers across all the displays.
“I think I got them all, but some were really well hidden while others were easy to spot. It was fun looking for them because it made me look a bit closer at some of the models and then I saw other details I hadn’t noticed at first.”
Trey thought the glockenspiel was “really awesome” and said he thought trying to build a Lego model of Mount Taranaki would be a clever idea for a future show.
“You would need a lot of white bricks for the snow on top though, and it would be hard to get all the slopes right. You could have storm troopers skiing down it too if they did that competition again.”
