"It appeared overnight on 25 December. Wrapping paper ripped off by 6.30am by 10 year old son. Build start time delayed by pretending to be interested in other presents, and then by parental demands to eat breakfast. After plate inspection and the cleaning of teeth build allowed to start at 9am. Twelve hours of solid Lego building later (entire day spent in pyjamas: no time to change, see?), briefly interrupted by the eating of some turkey, and without a single request for help from his Lego Technic veteran father and it is finished by 9pm the same day. Play of finished set interrupted by bedtime but resumed boxing day....all boxing day.
Ever since it has remained proudly displayed on the coffee table, where it was built. The mini-figures must have commanding views of the lounge. I don't know where to put it, it is so large, I mourn the loss of the coffee table.
A very happy little boy. Christmas would have been a disaster without it, he made sure it was the only thing on his letter to Father Christmas, he didn't want to take any chances he'd get something else on the list instead: his school friends said it was so expensive he had no chance!
Personally I prefer Lego Technic cars, tractors, forklifts and so on and I live in hope my son one day invites me to help him assemble a differential or some tricky suspension, but it is an impressive set and having to navigate around it many times each day will be good exercise."