Stoke-on-Trent man recreates city’s Centenary logo using over 4,000 LEGO bricks

Stoke-on-Trent’s Centenary celebrations have inspired a unique tribute – a large-scale LEGO version of the city’s official Centenary logo, created with more than 4,000 bricks donated by local residents.  

The striking 81cm x 81cm design has been built by LEGO enthusiast Neil Walker – known as StokieLEGO on social media – and is now on display at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Neil issued a call-out in April asking people to donate spare LEGO bricks to support the build. Within days, donations came in from across the city.

After 77 hours of work and 4016 bricks, Neil completed the ambitious creation, which features raised details including an iconic bottle kiln and a Spitfire.

The artwork will remain on display at the museum until the end of July, as part of the city’s Centenary celebrations before going on a tour of the city’s libraries.

The Centenary logo takes the form of a back stamp found on the many cups, saucers, plates and more – a subtle nod to Stoke-on-Trent’s renowned pottery industry.

It also incorporates other significant aspects of Stoke-on-Trent’s identity:

·        The Spitfire – honouring engineer Reginald Mitchell

·        A bottle oven – celebrating the globally renowned ceramics industry that gained Stoke-on-Trent city status

·        The Chatterley Whitfield mining wheel – representing the city’s status as a mining community

·        The Burslem Angel – which stands above the old Town Hall in Burslem – immortalised by Arnold Bennett in his books ‘Clayhanger’ and ‘The Old Wives Tale’ and rumoured to be the inspiration for Robbie Williams’ chart-topping song Angels.

·        A duck – a nod to the friendly local greeting: “Ay up, duck”

Deputy Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Steve Watkins, said: “As soon as Neil announced his plans, I said I couldn’t wait to see it with my own eyes. It’s a wonderful gesture to donate his time and talent for others to enjoy – and a great reminder of how something as simple as LEGO can bring joy to all ages.

“LEGO encourages creativity, patience and problem-solving. I hope this display inspires young visitors to build their own ideas and reminds grown-ups that you’re never too old to play.”

Neil Walker said: “I’ve been absolutely blown away by the support. I needed a lot of LEGO to bring this to life, and the community came through.

“The final design is mostly flat, but I’ve added some raised elements to give it depth – the kiln and Spitfire literally stand out, just like they do in our city’s story.”

For more information on visiting The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and the Centenary programme, go to: www.stokemuseums.org.uk