One of Swindon’s most popular events will celebrate its 20th anniversary at STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway with a special tribute to the town’s railway heritage.
The Great Western Brick Show returns to the Swindon Borough Council-owned museum on Saturday, 1 and Sunday, 2 October.
Set alongside iconic GWR locomotives and historic exhibits, this year’s event also takes place as The LEGO Group celebrates its 90th anniversary.
Martin Long, co-organiser of the show on behalf of Brickish, the UK club for adult LEGO fans, said: "The very first public LEGO fan event in the UK was held at STEAM in February 2002 with just a handful of members who brought a LEGO train display to the museum.
“Since then, the Great Western Brick Show has grown year on year and this year we expect to welcome over 6,000 people through the doors over the event weekend.”.
Appearing at the event this year is a LEGO model of the historic Swindon Works buildings. Created by Paul Robinson, the 180-square feet model is complete with Great Western station and signal box, locomotives and track, the Weighbridge, and a section of ‘A’ Shop, which was once the largest covered workshop in Europe.
Immortalising the town’s railway works has been no small feat, as Paul Robinson, explained it had taken him five years to research, plan and build his model, and tens of thousands of bricks.
“I’m a Swindonian that grew up in the 1970s with the distant sounds of the Works hooter punctuating daily life. Seeing the Swindon-built locomotive King George V on display at STEAM inspired me to build a range of replica GWR engines and rolling stock. It was from here that my plans for a model of Swindon Works truly began," he said.
Councillor Matty Courtliff, the council's cabinet member for culture, heritage, leisure and town centre experience, said: “The Great Western Brick Show has been a highlight of the STEAM calendar for two decades and it just gets better and better each year.
“This year will be no exception and I can’t wait to see Paul Robinson’s fantastic model of the Swindon Works as well as all the other wonderful displays. It really is an event not to be missed.”
The event in October will also feature a giant LEGO mosaic that visitors can help build over the weekend, plus the official LEGO shop and marketplace.
Doors open between 10am and 5pm on Saturday, 1 and Sunday, 2 October 2022.
Tickets must be booked in advance through the STEAM Museum website: www.steam-museum.org.uk
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