Brick Festival: Event celebrating Lego comes to Bolton

'Brick Festival' took place at Bolton’s Toughsheet Stadium on Saturday, April 27.

Event organiser Mike Freeman said: “This is our first Bolton event.

"We’re really excited by this venue, it’s a fantastic space here we can bring so much Lego to people, and the fans here are so passionate about Lego it’s incredible.

“I see them smiling as they’re leaving with armfuls of things that they’ve bought, and looking at the creative spaces that they’ve left behind, the builds that they’ve left behind, building a graffiti wall out of Lego bricks – they really are making their mark here.”

Event organiser Mike Freeman said he was 'really excited' to be holding Brick Festival in Bolton (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

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Plenty of Lego was on display throughout the event.

One striking display was created by Preston’s Rick Whines – also known as @legofireengines on Instagram.

The 53-year-old has been playing with Lego since he was aged just seven years old.

After being unable to become a fireman due to his eyesight, Rick decided to put his efforts into Lego.

Rick said: “This display has taken about 15 years. It’s a 1950s display, capturing a typical 1950s fire scene, and what the crews are doing is operationally accurate for the period.”

Rick Whines started using Lego aged seven years old (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

Coming to Brick Festival since 2021, Rick said: “It’s just a really good way to show what we’ve got and what can be achieved, only the buildings in this display are actual Lego sets.

“Everything else is me, I look at pictures, decide I want to make a model, I go away and make it.”

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The festival attracted people of all ages, however.

Visiting with grandparents Dave, 60, and Lesley, 59, four-year-old Xander Bolton, from Horwich, was impressed by the fire engines.

Rocket ships and astronauts landed at Toughsheet Stadium for Brick Festival (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

Granddad Dave joked: “We’ve just been rooting around really, just to see all the models – and he’s been trying to spend all our money!”

Xander told The Bolton News he had recently made ‘a new rocket ship’ out of Lego.

Also visiting was eight-year-old Ned Templeman, with mum Zoey Beale.

Mum Zoey Beale and eight-year-old Ned Templeman visited Brick Festival (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

Ned, who likes Lego because you can ‘build anything,’ said: “I’ve seen some cool builds, like a pink tree that’s very big, and Avatar people and Ninja turtles.”

Those who missed out on Bolton's Brick Festival aren't out of luck - more Brick Festivals will be held around the county in the coming weeks and months.

May 4 will see the festival coming to Leeds, with Manchester's Sugden Sports Centre hosting the festival on August 11.

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.