Walton man creates massive matchstick ship for charity (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Walton man creates massive matchstick ship for charity

8:30am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News

A MAN spent 14 months painstakingly creating a model ship from thousands of matchsticks, which he will now auction for charity.

Derrick Mullan, 77, taught himself the art of making matchstick models while he was in the navy, and honed his skills while spending weeks out at sea working on lightships.

He has now created his biggest model to date at more than four feet tall, and plans to auction it for cancer charity Macmillan, where he volunteers.

Mr Mullan said: “It took me about 14 months and I’m really pleased with how it has turned out.

“I have made quite a few ships, but this is easily the biggest.

“This one isn’t from a kit or anything, but something of my own design, based on a ship called the HMS Formidable that I saw when I first joined the navy.

“It is sometimes hard to give them away after putting so much work into it, but I’m thrilled to be giving it up for a good cause."

Mr Mullan says he used thousands of matchsticks on the HMS Formidable.

It will be raffled at Walton market on Thursday today to raise money for Macmillan.