So this was my first set since childhood. Even then, I can barely remember having a set as such, just a bucket of bricks with no real instructions.

With some confidence I can say therefore that this was the first major set I've ever built. I had a great deal of fun, although I started back to front since I really want to do the toy shop first before doing the tree and the lots of little set pieces.

In comparison, the tree was significantly easier - some of the parts of the shop itself was quite complicated, but very satisfying when the roof went on (I wasn't expecting the fastening, which is probably more down to my inexperience with these sets than any real uniqueness). There's lots of good characterization in the set, with some real attention to detail. I have no idea why that frog is in the roof space, but I love. it.

My only criticism would be that as a complete newbie (even though I jumped into an advanced set), I was surprised when I ended up having several of the small pieces left over. I was glad that there was an inventory of pieces that was meant to be supplied at the back of the second book, as it indicated that these were in fact extra pieces and not things I'd missed (for example I had two blue/black levers dispite only one being used on the robot in the shop window).