Having a (LEGO) conversation with...Ricky Jenkins (legomoctails)

 

I'm delighted to return to the interviews, with a very special guest from the other side of the English Channel,to speak with an AFOL who has been making a name for himself recently for his beautiful replicas of Portuguese places and monuments.

The name Ricky Jenkins may not ring a bell (yet), but if you've been scrolling through Instagram and/or paying attention to this blog, if I mention legomoctails, the situation changes, right?

So learn a little bit more about this talented LEGO fan, his builds and how they were made,through the following questions.

And if you'd like to help, you can vote for his Pena Palace project on the LEGO Ideas platform (at this link) or even download the instructions for free on rebrickable (see here).

If you also want to be featured on our page, contact us via Facebook, Instagram or send an email to playwell.pt@gmail.com

1-Tell us a little about yourself, your name, age, what do you do, and how long have you been a fan of LEGO?

I am 40 years old, from London, married with 2 girls aged 9 and 2. The eldest loves Lego. My mother is Portuguese and I have lots of family in Portugal and we go there every year.

2- What is your first LEGO memory? Was LEGO part of your life while growing up or was it just an occasional thing?

Yes, my brother and I loved Lego as children. We had the King’s Castle (6080), Pirate Ship (6285), Eldorado Fortress (6276), as well as some of the space themed Lego and the ‘Robin Hood’ / woodmen sets.

3- Did you have a dark age? Usually, lots of adults go through one in their adolescence, only returning to the hobby when they are already financially independent. If so, what happened for you to start collecting and building with LEGO again?

Absolutely. I can’t remember exactly when I stopped – but probably nothing between age 9 or 10 through to my mid-30s. I started again when we took our daughter to Legoland in Dubai in 2019 and got her a small Disney Elsa set from the gift shop. It snowballed from there and now our house is full of Lego! Storing it is a constant problem!

4- On your Instagram page, you mention that the page is about you and your daughter, and her rediscovery of LEGO. Who is most excited about this toy, and how do you experience it together?

We usually get a big set for Christmas that we build together, plus she loves building Lego Friends and Harry Potter sets and custom creations. Before that she loved the Disney sets and creating custom characters (e.g. Disney Descendants characters).

She enjoys watching creators like EllieV on youtube. We are currently building the Hogwarts Great Hall (MOC) and, for example, I will build the structure and she likes building and organising the tables and food with all the children and staff.

 

5- We already know that you make MOCs, and very beautiful ones - all or almost all of them are inspired by places in Portugal. Can you tell us a little about your building process for these MOCs? Do you plan ahead, building digitally first, or do you prefer to have the pieces in hand?

I am inspired by Portugal and my Portuguese heritage and very proud of Portugal, so I really wanted to build things that are typically Portuguese and have not been built before or in official sets. It has always been with bricks in hand before, but I am currently using Bricklink Studio to design instructions for Pena Palace and I am really enjoying the process now I am starting to get more confident with the software..

6 – Where do you usually get the LEGO elements for your MOCs? Do you use the ones that you already have, or do you buy them specifically for that creation? 

It is a real mix. We have a lot of bricks from official Lego sets, bricks from the Lego store pick-a-brick wall, and then the rest ordered online from Lego directly or from ebay or bricklink. 

7 - Do you also collect LEGO? If yes, what themes do you like the most?

We have quite a lot of Star Wars sets, such as the Mos Eisley Cantina. Some Harry Potter, some Lego Ideas sets, the Friends Central Perk Café and Apartments, Disney sets. We are gradually breaking up the official sets that don’t have great display value and filling the shelf space with our custom builds.

8 - What set or theme most influences you, as a fan of LEGO? Is there a theme that you would like LEGO to produce?

My daughter would love Lego Descendants or Taylor Swift!

9 – If you had the chance to build whatever you want in LEGO, regardless of weight and size, what would you do?

I was recently asked by a family member who owns an ice cream café in Vilamoura to build a lifesize pink phone box! I don’t think I have the time, money, or skill for this project. I really enjoyed building Pena Palace and would like to try some more Portuguese landmarks in future.

(Marina de Vilamoura em LEGO)

10 – How is your LEGO “workshop”/exhibition space? 

A mess! We are constantly trying to add storage solutions and organise it better. For my daughter’s 7^th birthday party we did a Lego Masters competition. We spent a couple of weeks beforehand organising all the pieces into separate containers. It was a lot of hard work but it meant for a while we have had the pieces relatively well organised.

 

11- Are you currently working on a LEGO project (not necessarily building)? If yes, can you tell us about it?

Currently we are building the Hogwarts Great Hall as mentioned. I also have a few ideas I want to try based on my favourite 1980s cartoons. Lots of ideas, not so much time!!

(Padrão dos Descobrimentos)

12 – Do you have an account on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, etc.), where you share your constructions or collections?

No, just Instagram (@legomoctails)

13– Are you part of any LUG? What is your opinion about them?

I don’t know what a LUG is and not a member.

14- What does your family and friends think about your hobby? Do they support you or still say it's a kids thing?

I think there is a recognition now that Lego is a great hobby for adults and really good for mindfulness. My family love the Portuguese builds and think it is great my (eldest) daughter and I have a shared passion.

15- Have you participated in a LEGO event or a fan exhibition?

We went to a Lego exhibition in London a few years ago. We’d love to take some of our builds to display at a future event.

16 – Have you been to the LEGO capital, Billund?

No. I do have a good friend who is actually very senior at lego and responsible for deciding their product lines for the next few years. It is literally my dream job! …

17- How do you see yourself in this hobby in 10 years?

Currently I cannot allow any more Lego in the house without taking down a set or clearing more shelf space. It is ‘one in, one out’ policy. So to still be going in 10 years I will need better storage or a bigger house! It feels like a great hobby for all ages, so I think we will keep building as long as we are inspired to build things.

Thank you so much Ricky, good luck with your projects, and I hope to continue to see many new models made by you!