Going Potty Over Potter
Toby and I had been looking forward to today for a while now. We had tried previously to book ourselves into the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour but it had been sold out until today. It was at Leavesden - a bit of a hike - so we had to be up nice and early. (I was going to say “up with the birds” but realised there really aren’t any birds around at all – except the ravens at the Tower. It’s strange, but there are no birds chirping in the mornings at all. They must’ve all flown to warmer, southern skies to ride out the winter).
Our trip consisted of a short tube ride to Monument Station, a train journey to London Euston Station, a longer train ride to Watford Junction and then a bus trip to Leavesden. It sounded complicated and with mine and Toby’s combined lack of navigational skills, you’d think we’d have been struggling, but travelling around this beautiful country really is surprisingly not too hard at all. The railway network is truly amazing and you can get just about anywhere across the whole nation by train. We have nick-named Tobes the “Tube Champ” as he has the entire railway network wired. Somehow he just instinctively knows where to go.
It was more than a little brisk when we disembarked at Watford Junction and we got ourselves some hot drinks that served the dual purpose of warming us up on the inside but also managing to keep our frosty hands warm while we waited. We could hardly contain our excitement as we boarded the Harry Potter painted double-decker bus and motored out to the site of the making of the famous Harry Potter movies.
Being massive Harry Potter fans, we were suitably excited to be entering the hallowed gates and to be treading in the footsteps of our onscreen idols. The tour didn’t disappoint! Entering in to the actual “Great Hall” of Hogwarts, fittingly decked with boughs of holly, was pretty amazing for us and our fellow Potterphiles and for the next few hours we were privileged to be able to see the actual sets from the movies – where the movies were actually shot – including the boys’ Griffindor dormitory, Hagrid’s Hut, the Griffindor Common Room, The Burrow, Snape’s Potions Classroom, Dumbledore’s Office and The Ministry Of Magic. It was pretty amazing to see them in real life and to learn all the behind-the-scenes secrets and goings on. There was so much intricate detail in all the sets and costumes and it seems no expense was spared! Snape’s Potions classroom for example, had over 1000 jars and bottles of weird and whacky contents like baked bones, dried locusts and lizard’s tails. Each one had been individually filled and all the labels written on by hand. “Harry’, “Ron” and “Hermione” spent the best part of 10 years of their lives living and working in these studios- having their own school teachers, mentors and minders – and to see them grow up right before our very eyes- onscreen – and hear how the cast and crew were like a family to them was really interesting.
One of the highlights for us was getting to indulge in Harry’s favourite beverage, a “butter beer”! It was unanimous between us that it was one of the most scrumptious liquids we’d ever imbibed. We thought it tasted like an extra creamy creaming soda with an injection of maple syrup with a creamy, icecreamy head on top. Fizzy, but not too fizzy, and icy cold. So good! We also struck a dashing pose, if we do say so ourselves, in our authentic Hogwarts robes, on our very own broomsticks, which we got to ride in front of the green screens, giving the illusion that we were soaring high above the Hogwarts Castle, dipping down near the water and rushing up through the clouds. Toby went for the cool, calm and collected look but I think I may have overdone the facial expressions. I’m not sure it was an Academy Award performance but it sure was such a buzz. Toby persuaded me to buy the DVDs so I’m sure we’ll be basking in that glory for many years to come. We also got to step aboard the “Night Bus”, see the Goblet of Fire, pat Buckbeak and wander in the front garden of the Dursley’s house in Privet Drive! The final part of the tour ushered us into a magical room where there stood a complete, finely detailed (even down to light switches and door knobs!) room-filling model of the entire Hogwarts school. It was breathtaking! Most of the scenes shot above and around the castle were actually shot right here around this model. It was incredible! This place was a must-see for any Harry Potter fan. We loved it!
Heading back to London we decided (actually I decided) it would be fun to visit Oxford and Regent Streets and do a bit more shopping. With Toby in tow, this was very short-lived. We were hoping to catch up with our friend Amy, who has been working in Selfridges. How hard could it be to find her? I said to Toby “why don’t we just pop in and say hi?” Easier said than done. Without knowing exactly what department she worked in, it proved a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack. We had no idea how massive this shop was! I asked a couple of the staff if they knew an Amy who worked there and one of them told me there were over 4000 staff working there on any given day! Well, as you may have guessed, we didn’t manage to find her. Sorry Amy!
One of the hazards of being in a climate so cold is the discrepancy between the inside temperatures and the outside temperatures and the amount of times you have to peel off, and put back on, all your different layers. You have to get so rugged up to venture out into the elements – “Sara Lee dressing”: layer upon layer upon layer – but as soon as you step inside any building at all, you are immediately blasted with warm air from the very efficient heating systems and feel the need to urgently start to disrobe, lest you may just pass out with heat exhaustion! When you’re shedding gloves, a hat, a scarf, a huge jacket….it all becomes a bit cumbersome to carry and you’re always worried you’re going to drop some vital part of your ensemble that you won’t be able to do without once you dare to take a step outside again. We are forever standing in doorways dressing and undressing. I’ve also learnt the hard way never to wear dangly earrings when you are constantly taking a scarf on and off. Sadly I’ve had two casualties so far.
We had dinner tonight at a fabulous little pub, over the Tower Bridge, called the Draft House. They boasted 22 beers on tap and it was Monday Hamburger Madness day so we were able to choose from a “Poke”, “Smoke” or “Yolk” burger, with either a beer, soft drink or cider for a steal at only £10.75! The service was uncompromised and the burgers were delicious. They had “thirds” – small glasses that were designed for beer tasting and Ross got to try a few of the amber fluids on offer. I went for the “Smoke Burger” with a cider but the cider arrived in the most enormous glass I’d ever seen! It must’ve been at least a litre! You’ll be happy to know I drank it very slowly…
