About me

My name is Joshua Hicks, and I'm the creator of Hicks Bricks.

Like many people, I grew up loving Lego, spending countless hours building, imagining and creating. As I got older, however, I gradually moved away from the hobby, believing I'd outgrown it. That all changed when a thoughtful gift for my 30th birthday reignited my childhood passion. One set quickly turned into many, and before long, I was hooked all over again!

Since returning to Lego, one idea had always stood out above all others for a MOC (My Own Creation), building a large-scale model of Gloucester Cathedral. As a local landmark and also my place of work, it felt like the ultimate project. For a long time, the sheer scale and complexity of the build put me off starting. However, in January 2025, I finally took the plunge and began my very first MOC.

Initially, this was simply a personal project, something I wanted to build at home for the enjoyment of it. However, after showing the model to a colleague, they suggested it could make a fantastic addition to the Cathedral's summer festival. Although initially hesitant, the thought that my creation might inspire others, particularly children, encouraged me to take the opportunity.

The model went on display for a couple of months, and the response was far greater than I could ever have imagined. Among the many lovely comments, one suggestion kept coming up and that was that people would love to have a smaller version of the Cathedral that they could build themselves.

That feedback sparked the next chapter of Hicks Bricks. I went away and designed both small and large versions of the Cathedral, with the aim of offering them as complete building sets, including step-by-step instructions, so others could recreate these incredible buildings for themselves.

Since then, I've completed both small and large models for five UK cathedrals, with the ambition of eventually creating models for all 15 cathedrals that are part of the Cathedral Workshops Fellowship (CWF).

The CWF is a charity dedicated to supporting traditional craft skills involved in the conservation, maintenance and repair of cathedrals and other historic buildings.

What started as a childhood hobby rediscovered has grown into something I never expected. Through Hicks Bricks, I hope to bring these remarkable buildings to life, one brick at a time, and share my passion for Lego, architecture and our wonderful cathedral heritage with others.