A LEGO-MAD couple in the U.K. have spent four weeks working 14 hours a day to create a 21-foot (6.4-meter) replica of Old London Bridge in their living room. Every year Mike Addis, 63, and Catherine Weightman, 58, build a massive Lego creation in time for Christmas. And for their 27th project they used 400,000 Lego bricks to recreate Old London Bridge of 1400 on the River Thames at Southwark. The model has 78 houses, a castle and chapel and 500 mini-figures that include guards, bakers and residents. Their 21-foot-long and 3-foot-high replica only includes three-quarters of the bridge’s entire span, as the full size would not fit in their house. The model was inspired by the medieval Frost Fairs that were held when the Thames froze over from the 16th century. The couple started in mid-November and finished in mid-December, sometimes clocking up 14-hour days. Addis, an economics teacher, said: “It’s probably our most impractical model as it splits the room in two – there’s a foot gap at one end to get around to the other side. We had a party with people on one side of the bridge and some on the other. Most people are in awe because it’s so big.” Addis is planning to fit himself, Weightman and 12 family members, including children, around the model for Christmas. He added: “We have the settees on one side but the heaters are on the other side. We have separate Lego for the children to play with.” The couple have previously built a huge polar bear and replica of Ely Cathedral. Addis, who will keep the model up until Jan. 6, said: “You have to be patient. Some of it is quite tricky. To make the curved arches we had to build them with half bricks.” The couple’s love for Lego was reinvigorated when a friend visited with their child and they fetched their Lego from the attic. Addis, of Cambridge, said: “We realized how much we loved Lego. We do it with friends sometimes, a pal came over one weekend to help us.” (SD-Agencies) | 