Lego-obsessed lorry driver fills house with creations after injury left him stuck at home
A Lego-obsessed lorry driver has filled his living room, bedroom and hallways with his creative builds.
The fascination all started some 10 years ago, when a hobbled Matt Hook went past a Lego store located at Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield.
The 54-year-old, who 'dreads to think' how much the hobby has set him back, was off work with a snapped Achilles, an injury he sustained chasing after his dog which had escaped.
"I panicked when he escaped and chased after him, but before I knew it, I was a sack of spuds in the road," he recalled.
"I was off work and I was bored, the family took me out and we went past a Lego Store. I thought 'I wouldn't mind building something like that while I am stuck at home'.
"The bug started from there and has basically taken over."
Matt lives at his home in Walsall with his wife Sandra and son Tom, with his daughter Emma recently fledging the nest.
But he is not the only person with a passion for Lego in the house, with Sandra also an avid fan. The pair have joined forces to turn their hobby into a business, buying and selling sets and pieces both online and at conventions.
Matt said: "I am a lorry driver for a furniture company by day. After you have been on the road all day, it is a way of relaxation.
"I just find it a stress release after work, that is a big reason behind me enjoying it.
"The wife is big into it as well, she is in the process of starting a Disney Castle which is a very big model she has wanted for a while.
"We set up a small business doing toy collectors fairs, they call them block shows, because they are not run officially by Lego.
"We buy and sell Lego pieces and sets, helping people finish their collection or to get one they have been searching for. We have made a lot of friends through that community and I will be in Stafford this weekend doing it."
Matt's creations litter the house, but due to the volatility in the market of Lego, he says it is virtually impossible to say how much his collection is worth.
"What was my son's old bedroom, we have converted it and put cabinets and shelves to keep things on display," Matt said.
"In the living room, we have three shelving units with different displays on, ranging from Star Wars to Harry Potter. There’s a company that does display cases, so I have started buying those to save on the dusting.
"I was big into my Star Wars a little bit ago, but now it is a mixture.
"I can't remember what the biggest piece is I have done, but I am looking at one now I haven't started and that is 3,231 pieces.
"I have the Death Star from Star Wars but I'm not 100 per cent how many pieces there were in that one, that was a big build though.
"I have spent way too much, I wouldn't be able to put a figure on it, but it is thousands. Some individual sets I have spent £300 on, and there are probably some I have I could sell for £400 if not more."
Most of the time, Matt sticks to the blueprint and follows the plans for the sets.
"I have adapted some and changed the characters to make them a bit quirkier, but a lot of the time it is from the box, as that’s why I bought them.
"They are nice to look at and nice to build, I don't see myself stopping any time soon."
