Lego adrift

5 million Legos sank 25 years ago in Cornwall, collectors collect those that surface!
When almost 5 million Lego toys washed up in the sea off the coast of Cornwall, spilled by a cargo ship hit by a freak storm, the little colorful figures that soon piled up on the beaches quickly became a treasure hunt for beachgoers.
Many of the pieces, coincidentally, had a nautical theme: flippers, octopuses, life jackets, harpoons, knives, sharks and scuba tanks. There were also witches hats, wands, brooms and more. They often wash ashore in different parts of the country and this causes particular excitement among collectors.
The Tokio Express was a cargo ship bound for New York from Rotterdam. On February 13, 1997, it capsized about 20 miles from Land's End. The Lego container, one of 62, fell into the water. 25 years later, its tiny plastic passengers can still often be found washed ashore, many barely changed from life underwater.

Tracey Williams, who lives in Devon, is one of the most serious seekers of lost treasure. The toys had captured the imagination of residents for miles around. They have become a passion for collectors as well. And they already have such a value - the rare green dragons (the container contained only 514, compared to 33,427 black dragons). They are among the most desired by collectors of valuables.
Black octopuses are the "holy grail" as they blend in with the algae and are hard to spot. Williams first discovered such a figurine in 1997, but did not find another for 18 years.

After moving to live in the country for a while, she forgot about Lego. But after returning to Cornwall in 2010, she discovered new figures. Collecting them led her to the idea of researching trash and the long-term impact of plastic in the seas and oceans.
"It started as fun, but over the years it made me realize how much plastic is in the ocean and buried in the sand," the woman says.
Williams began documenting her findings, initially creating a page on Facebook and later on other social networks such as Twitter and Instagram. Thousands of people contacted her, sharing details of their beach treasures.

She tells it all in the book Adrift: The Curious Tale Of The Lego Lost At Sea. "It was interesting to start mapping the Lego pieces and see how far they had traveled," she says. Pieces of Lego have been found on the Gower Peninsula in Wales, County Kerry in Ireland, Kent and Guernsey. Some reached France and Belgium, some even returned to the Netherlands.

"At the time, it was believed that half of Lego floats and the other half sinks. But that's simplistic," says Williams. "Even the sunken pieces are beginning to surface from the seabed. I think it shows us how long the plastic lasts and how far it travels and what happens to it when it breaks down," the woman added.
Tim Brooks, vice-president of environment at the Lego Group, is interviewed in the book and tells Sky News that the company "doesn't want the pieces to be in nature or end up in the sea under any circumstances". He added: "The Lego Group is very serious about caring for the planet and we have a bold business strategy that aims to leave a positive impact on the planet for children to inherit."

You'll find Williams, accompanied by her dog Jess, digging with special tools on the beach near her home on the north coast of Cornwall every morning.
During her scavenger hunt, Williams found all kinds of items: pens, toothbrushes, hangers and, of course, plastic bottles. She put together a colorful collection of Smartie tube caps that are "50 to 60 years old." Not surprisingly, much of the trash is now related to COVID. She has thousands of Lego items stored at home, with plans to exhibit one day. “I give a lot of the plastic to local artists who use it to raise awareness of marine debris. We recycle what we can," she adds.

The book is filled with beautiful images of Williams' finds that evoke a sense of nostalgia - long-forgotten children's toys that lived in a different world. She hopes it will raise awareness of the harmful effects of plastic in our oceans in a way that doesn't make people feel afraid or blamed.
"I think what Lego has done has allowed us to tell the story of plastic in the ocean in a way that's not too scary and in a way that people can relate to." I have some horrible images, disturbing images, of birds strangled in ropes and I think sometimes it can be so upsetting that you don't want to watch it. I understand this. It's a disturbing subject, but what I've tried to do is tell the story of ocean plastic in a way that's not so scary."
She also asks: “The toothbrushes"

Written By Boryana Kolchagova