Seriously...

Lego Overboard


Listen Later

In 1997 a freak wave washed 62 containers into the sea off a cargo ship near the coast of Cornwall. Inside one were five million pieces of Lego. By a strange quirk of fate, many of the Lego pieces had a sea theme. This is the story of the community of beachcombers trying to track down the miniature octopuses, scuba tanks, life rafts, flippers, sharks and some very rare green dragons still washing ashore today.

Beachcomber Tracey Williams set up the social media account Lego Lost At Sea, allowing people to share their finds. She leads BBC reporter Robin Markwell on a journey around the Cornish coastline looking for the tiny toys.

On the way they meet fishermen still bringing up Lego in their nets, families brought together by dragon-hunting and an artist making sculptures out of millions of pieces of microplastic. Lego Overboard is a tale about the joys of treasure-hunting with a serious message about the long-lasting legacy of plastic pollution in our seas.

Producer: Robin Markwell for BBC Audio in Bristol

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Seriously...By BBC Radio 4

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

257 ratings


More shows like Seriously...

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,702 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,065 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,547 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,793 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,880 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,765 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,036 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,097 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,923 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

481 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,027 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

499 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

579 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

109 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

49 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

308 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

843 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

82 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

52 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,170 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,003 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

116 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

118 Listeners

When It Hits the Fan by BBC Radio 4

When It Hits the Fan

41 Listeners

Young Again by BBC Radio 4

Young Again

48 Listeners