US man builds 11,000-piece Lego model of Nottingham railway station

Tyler Lawler and his Lego replica of Nottingham railway station

A Nottingham Forest fan living in the US has built an 11,000-piece Lego replica of the city's railway station.

Oklahoma's Tyler Lawler has connections to the city through his grandmother who was born and raised in Forest Fields.

The 36-year-old has been a Forest supporter since he attended the University of Nottingham in 2009 and hopes to one day retire in the city.

The project began during the Covid-19 lockdown and now Mr Lawler wants to donate the model to Nottingham.

The project manager, from Oklahoma City, has been back to Nottingham many times and it was the long periods indoors during the pandemic that inspired him to bring a part of the East Midlands to the Sooner State.

The Lego build has been sitting in Mr Lawler's office and he wants to donate it to Nottingham

"I can remember the first time I came to Nottingham and the railway station - I got goosebumps," he told the BBC.

"It was my time in Nottingham over the years supporting Forest and the great times in the city that made me do this.

"During the lockdown, I was at home and my wife had just given birth to our second child and we had long hours at home. I hadn't built Lego in about 20 years.

"It took longer than expected, but it's turned out really well."

Mr Lawler, a project manager in the oil and gas industry, is willing to reconstruct the railway station and donate it to the city.

He said it took him many months to complete and the "doorframes were the trickiest part" to build.

'Duchess of Dakota'

Mr Lawler's grandparents Murray and Margaret on their wedding day in Nottingham

His Nottingham grandmother Margaret - who later gained the nickname the "Duchess of Dakota" - married Mr Lawler's grandfather Murray - a US pilot - who was based in the UK during World War Two.

Despite living the majority of her life in the US, she still had her Nottingham accent until she died, Mr Lawler said.

"She was a magnificent lady," he said.

"She loved her tea and ran a tea club in her home state of North Dakota where she settled - I have fond memories of her."