The first batch of a lego brick Tyne Bridge has sold out only 48 hours after going on sale. Orders were also taken for another 30 sets that won’t arrive until well after Christmas. Newcastle business improvement organisation NE1 announced last week that it was selling 50 limited edition Lego brick sets of the bridge. Chief executive Sean Bullick said then: “The Tyne Bridge is one of the city’s greatest and most iconic monuments, a symbol of Newcastle’s industrial innovation, heritage and engineering prowess. “We wanted to create a version in Lego bricks to celebrate the bridge and to commemorate the city’s engineering history.” There is still a last chance to secure the one remaining set before Christmas. Set number 1, which has its own authentication certificate, has been reserved by NE1 Ltd and will be auctioned on Ebay with all proceeds going to charity. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/121835485041 The charity that will benefit is NE1’s own Space 2 initiative for young people in Newcastle city centre.
The set has a starting price of £295 and bidding will close on December 18 for a delivery within the UK before Christmas. The model Tyne Bridge has over 3000 pieces and a 158-step guide to its construction. The sets come equipped with all the bricks to build the bridge, the towers and a section of the River Tyne below together with vehicles and a vessel resembling to the Tuxedo Princess floating nightclub that was moored on the Tyne for over 20 years. NE1 Ltd, commissioned a first run of 500 limited edition packs of the Mott, Hay and Anderson designed bridge. with only 50 available before Christmas. The remaining sets will be delivered in the Spring. This sets mark the 90th anniversary this year of work starting on the Tyne Bridge’s construction. Gift shop Upside Down Presents on Dean Street/The Side in Newcastle is the exclusive stockist of the sets which retail for £295 and is taking pre-orders and deposits for the next release of the T sets. For a Spring delivery call 075 1234 9988 or buy online from http://61side.co.uk/tyne-bridge-model
Support independent shops this Christmas Which Christmas shopper are you? Get Baileys for half price at Morrisons Shop at a festive fair this Christmas Shop at one of these Christmas markets Grab a festive bargain at B&M Survival tips for Christmas shopping Christmas shopping for gin loversA fluffy toy which hatches from an egg has today been named as one of this year's must-have gifts for Christmas. The annual Dream Toys list also includes a microphone which lets children film their own music videos and a silly sausage game the whole family can play together. Decided by a panel of leading toy retailers in the UK, the Dream Toys listing is championed as the most accurate and authoritative list available, providing insight into the top toy picks for Christmas. More news: Hull set to get free huge Christmas family street party The annual big reveal is regarded by many across the UK industry as the start of the Christmas countdown. In this year's list, Nerf N-Strike Elite Hyperfire and Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage bring familiar names to the listing alongside Shopkins, Speak Out and Paw Patrol.
Lego finds its usual spot in this year's dream dozen listing with this year's big ticket number for the festive period in its Lego Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster. And if there's space on the sleigh, there's also a cute little interactive puppy who wants to find his way to under the tree. Gary Grant, chair of the Dream Toys committee, said: "The 2016 Top 12 list is incredibly diverse, with familiar names appearing alongside some clever innovations that will ensure these toys will be on Christmas wish lists up and down the country. "It's also great to see, in these uncertain times, this is a very affordable Dream Toys list." Thomas & Friends Sky-High Bridge Jump, Mattel - £99.99 Lego Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster, Lego - £89.99 Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage, Mattel - £89.99 Star Wars Rebel U-Wing Fighter, Lego - £69.99 Nerf N-Strike Elite Hyperfire, Hasbro - £59.99 Hatchimals, Spin Master Toys - £59.99 Snuggle My Dream Puppy, Character Options - £49.99 Shopkins Chef Club Hot Spot Kitchen, Flair Leisure Products - £24.99 Paw Patrol Air Patroller, Spin Master Toys - £39.99 SelfieMic
, Worlds Apart - £19.99 Speak Out, Hasbro - £19.99 Silly Sausage, John Adams - £19.99 Market Research company the NPD Group is now forecasting a record year for the toy industry in which annual sales of toys is expected to 400 million for the first time, potentially helping the industry to a record breaking high in 2016 of over £3.3bn. More news: 'Farce' as roadworks leave Princes Quay shoppers trapped in car park The Dream Toys list is among the priciest ever – even though organisers say it is "very affordable". The total for all 12 is £644.88 – with an average price of just over £53.74. The most expensive toy is the Thomas & Friends Sky-High Bridge Jump Mattel, priced at £99.99. However there are bargains to be had for shopping around. The SelfieMic is available cheaper in Toys R Us, currently priced at £14.98. A spokeswoman for Toys R Us said: "Armed with a bit of insider knowledge, you can pick up those extra little deals on top of some of the best prices around. "We are already running a £15 gift card when you spend £100 or more promotion, plus plenty more extra deals alongside some of this year's top brands."
Other Toys R Us current deals include the buy one, get the second half price on all Hot Wheels toys and a free tactical vest giveaway when you spend £45 or more on Nerf.The new toy allows youngsters to hatch their own 'egg', teaching their Hatchimal character as it grows, mimicking a real child's development from baby to child, in order to advance to new stages and unlock new games to play. For those who were around in the days of Tamagotchis in the playground, Hatchimals is the 2.0 version. The interactive toy has been selling out fast since hitting the shelves of major retailers last month. Hatchimals are currently in stock at Toys R Us, Smyths and Argos, priced at £59.99. More news: The best Santa's Grottos in and around HullIn an October 21 Instagram post, artist Ai Weiwei revealed that Lego refused to sell him a bulk order of bricks for a forthcoming installation at the National Gallery of Victoria, in Melbourne, Australia, on political grounds. The question: are Lego's motives about "censorship," as Ai alleges?
Are they a cop out from a corporation trying to cover its ass? Or are they about a toy company that just wants to keep its focus squarely on making toys? "As a company dedicated to delivering great creative play experiences to children, we refrain—on a global level—from actively engaging in or endorsing the use of Lego bricks in projects or contexts of a political agenda," Lego spokesperson Roar Rude Trangbaek told Co.Design via email. "In cases where we receive requests for donations or support for projects—such as the possibility of purchasing Lego bricks in very large quantities, which is not possible through normal sales channels—where we are made aware that there is a political context, we therefore kindly decline support." In the October 21 post, Ai also pointed out that Lego and the Chinese government recently signed a deal to open a $300 million Legoland theme park in Shanghai, implying a connection with his bulk order going unfulfilled. In an October 25 Instagram post, Ai wrote: "Lego's refusal to sell its product to the artist is an act of censorship and discrimination."
Ai Weiwei's @Large installation on Alcatraz required 1.2 million LEGO bricks. Trangbaek mentioned that while Lego can refuse to fill bulk orders at its discretion, that it's not outright banning the sales to any individual or entity. "We respect any individuals’ right to free creative expression, and we do not censor, prohibit or ban creative use of Lego bricks," he said. (Co.Design has covered many creative projects that use Lego as a subject or medium.) So someone who wants to use Lego bricks can do so, but they'll have to buy them like any paying customer. Ai's installation will carry a message of free speech. When it comes to using Lego bricks, though, it seems that will come at a price. "Any individual person can naturally purchase Lego bricks through normal sales channels or get access to Lego bricks in other ways to create their Lego projects if they desire to do so, but as a company, we choose to refrain from actively engaging in these activities—through for example bulk purchase."
Lego declined to comment on the price difference between retail and bulk orders. Trangbaek says that this policy has been around for decades and as CNN reports, the company has tried to remove itself from any type of political messaging, from disputes between Royal Dutch Shell (with which Lego had a promotional contract) and Greenpeace to blocking an idea to create a Supreme Court–themed set under a "no politics or political symbols" rule. It's worth noting that Ai specified Lego bricks for his @Large installation, which appeared on Alcatraz from September 2014 through April 2015. Trace, a piece appearing in the show, was composed of 1.2 million bricks, which the show's organizer, FOR-SITE, obtained for the artist. In this situation, FOR-SITE asked for an in-kind donation (not to fill a bulk order as in the case of the Australian exhibit) and there was no formal notice from the corporate office declining to fill the donation. In fact, there was no response from the corporate office at all.
Alison Konecki, development & outreach associate at FOR-SITE, issued the following statement: In the early stages of developing Ai Weiwei's @Large installation, Trace, which utilized 1.2 million Lego bricks, FOR-SITE Foundation contacted Lego's corporate headquarters in Denmark with a request for an in-kind donation of materials. We did not receive a response, and subsequently reached out to several departments at U.S.-based Lego Systems Inc. with the same request, explaining that we were seeking Lego bricks for a project with artist and activist Ai Weiwei exploring freedom of expression and individual responsibility. Although our request for support was declined, we were referred to members of the Lego U.S. sales and customer service team who facilitated the transactions for numerous bulk orders shipped both to us and directly to the studio in Beijing for the project. When asked about the @Large installation, Trangbaek responded: "We do not comment on our dialogue with partners, customers, consumers, or other stakeholders."
Judging from the hundreds of comments on Ai's photos voicing support, a least a large slice of the public seems to have sided with his stance. However, Guardian critic Jonathan Jonas writes that: "I am shocked that someone who has experienced what it is to be oppressed by an authoritarian regime...would be so glib as to confuse a clumsy PR move with actual 'censorship.'" Yes, the refusal to "actively" sell a bulk order to Ai is a silly, backwards policy. Ai has since started a campaign to defend the freedom of political art, which consists of second-hand BMW 5S Series sedans that will become collection points for Lego bricks. The donations have already begun. Companies like Etsy, Starbucks, and Dove have incorporated "do good" social initiatives as part of their messaging—some more successful than others. Free speech seems like a no-brainer cause to support in this day and age, but as a corporation, Lego has the discretion to support—or not support—what it pleases.