• Airmyn
• Asselby
• Barlby
• Barmby on the Marsh
• Blacktoft
• Bubwith
• Carlton
• Cowick
• Drax
• Elvington
• Foggathorpe
• Gilberdyke
• Goole
• Gowdall
• Great Heck
• Hemingbrough
• Holme on Spalding Moor
• Hook
• Howden
• Kilpin
• Market Weighton
• Moorends
• Newport
• North Cave
• North Duffield
• Rawcliffe
• Reedness
• Sandholme
• Seaton Ross
• Selby
• Snaith
• Spaldington
• Swinefleet
• Thorne
• Wheldrake
• Wressle

Mammoth matchstick bridge build finally nears completion

A labour of love that involved 190,000 matchsticks - and not a little patience - is nearing completion.

George Brown began his mammoth project to build a miniature replica of the Humber Bridge using nothing but matchsticks five-and-a-half months ago. Now he says all that's needed to complete his grand design are a few matchstick vehicles - to add authenticity to his model - and more strands for the bridge.

The father-of-three dreamt up the project years ago when he used to cross the famous landmark every day as part of his work as a plant-hire manager.

He began the project in January with the aim of completing a scale model of the bridge by this summer.

Soon the project took over George's life and he spent most of his waking hours painstakingly adding matchstick parts to his creation, all the while ensuring that the dimensions of the bridge were just right.

The 48-year-old former engineer, who now works as a driver for Milners' gardening and pet supplies store on Boothferry Road, has so far used between 85,000 and 90,000 matchsticks, with just a few minor additions to be made before the model - which is 9ft long and 2ft high - is complete. He expects to have it completed by August this year.

"I'm just putting the vehicles on now, as well as the people and prams," said George. "I'm coming up with new ideas for vehicles and I'm thinking of putting a fire engine on there."

To make the model look authentic, George is even planning to create a traffic jam on the bridge. Traffic jams are a familiar sight on the Humber Bridge - particularly when caravans are brought over the river in bulk. George thinks that by the time the model is complete he will have used about 120,000 sticks in total.

George, who lives on Jefferson Street, is an amateur model-maker whose house is crammed full of his previous creations, including matchstick pylons and an old showman's caravan that he built from scratch using bits of scrap. That particular labour of love took George a whopping 18 months to make.

An agent who promotes model exhibitions wants George to showcase the model bridge in New York after being impressed by the matchstick pylons, which have gone on display at an exhibition in the 'Big Apple', as well as Germany and Paris.

However, George says he wants his creation - which he has built on his dining room table - to stay local. "I'd like it to stay in the area - preferably the Humber Bridge Visitor Centre, so I can show my daughter and say 'Look, daddy built that.'"

Published on 5th June 2008 in News.

Add to: Digg | del.icio.us | Reddit

Property | Books | Contact Us | Sitemap | Terms & Conditions | Feeds