Our very own Londonist Eye finally has a friend: Essex man Michael Williams has constructed a model of Tower Bridge out of matchsticks.
While our own effort was knocked out in the space of a half hour, using a motley collection of pipe cleaners, straws and bits of twine, the Tower Bridge scale model took Mr Williams a decade and is comprised of 1.6 million matches. In an uncannily authentic touch, the bridge is wired so it can be lit up at night, just like the real thing! Here's hoping it features the eerie Dead Man's Hole beneath the bridge's northern extremity.
At six foot long, the model currently resides in its creator's garage in Shoeburyness, but there are hopes it will be allocated pride of place in a museum. Pressed on his motivation, the 42-year old said that he "wanted to do something different" for the loquacious bridge, which he described as "the most famous landmark in the world".
Somewhere across the Atlantic, Liberty sighs and shakes her weary head.
Image courtesy of buckaroo kid via the Londonist Flickrpool
