Sunday 28th August 2016
Ever since it was announced you could go visit the studios where Harry Potter was filmed back in early 2012, I knew it was going to be high on my bucket list. It has been a very long 4 year wait to finally go.
I almost didn't have tickets for this trip to London. Once I booked my train tickets for London I went straight onto The Making of Harry Potter website to get tickets but it was sold out being bank holiday weekend! I was devastated, it was the main thing I wanted to go to London for, so I was just hoping that they would release more tickets or someone cancelled anything for me to get tickets. I checked back a couple of days later & 2 tickets for Sunday at 1:30pm came available & I was straight onto it! I was so lucky to get tickets, birthday present to myself from myself!
Kelly took me for breakfast (I was meant to go the day before on my actual birthday as it was part of my present) at Beany Green Broadgate Circle which is a 10/15 minute walk from where Kelly lives.
Yogi Berry
Mixed Berries, Fat Free Frozen Yogurt, Low Fat Milk & agave, served w Edible Roses & Freeze Dried Berries
Avocado on charcoal
Organic Cold Fermented Activated Charcoal Sourdough w Avocado, Labne, Lime & Lemon Dukkah
Smoked Salmon Royale
Smoked Salmon on Dark Rye w Avocado, Spinach, Poached Free Range Eggs & Lemon Hollandaise
I almost didn't have tickets for this trip to London. Once I booked my train tickets for London I went straight onto The Making of Harry Potter website to get tickets but it was sold out being bank holiday weekend! I was devastated, it was the main thing I wanted to go to London for, so I was just hoping that they would release more tickets or someone cancelled anything for me to get tickets. I checked back a couple of days later & 2 tickets for Sunday at 1:30pm came available & I was straight onto it! I was so lucky to get tickets, birthday present to myself from myself!
Kelly took me for breakfast (I was meant to go the day before on my actual birthday as it was part of my present) at Beany Green Broadgate Circle which is a 10/15 minute walk from where Kelly lives.
Yogi Berry
Mixed Berries, Fat Free Frozen Yogurt, Low Fat Milk & agave, served w Edible Roses & Freeze Dried Berries
Avocado on charcoal
Organic Cold Fermented Activated Charcoal Sourdough w Avocado, Labne, Lime & Lemon Dukkah
Smoked Salmon Royale
Smoked Salmon on Dark Rye w Avocado, Spinach, Poached Free Range Eggs & Lemon Hollandaise
You don't always get the choice of having smoked salmon, poached eggs & avocado when you go out for brunch! I always have to choose between smoked salmon or avocado.
We got the longest train from Euston to Watford Junction. Kelly didn't think we could use the normal train as we were using contact less (like using an Oyster card but using your debit card) so had to get the London Overground. It took a good 40 minutes when it really only takes about 10. When you walk out the train station you'll see double decker buses with Harry Potter plastered all over them, these are the shuttle buses that take you to the studios. It's £2.50 for a return ticket.
You get searched & you bag before you enter. The guy asked me how old I was as I guess they can't touch you unless your either 16 or 18? I told him I turned 23 yesterday & he gave me a badge that said "It's my birthday!". I was hoping this would get my some freebies or special treatment all I got was people saying Happy Birthday to me all day.
Looking forward to seeing this!
Once you're in you have to queue to go into a room for a guy to play some cheesy games & watch a video of how the films started. Then you go into the cinema where Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint & Emma Watson talk about their time filming. It was like being in Florida before you go on to the 4D rides. Once all that is done with you get to enter the great hall!
I think I was lot more excited than most of the kids there. Most of them weren't even born with the books & films came out. It's like Pokemon go all over, this is my childhood! The parents who have kids that are dressed up probably did that cos it would look weird if they were all dressed in the robes.
This moves!
I didn't realise that most of the stuff is real & with stirring pots or things chopping that it's done with rope & not CGI!
It's all very real! You may not be able to touch them but seeing if believing!
I really liked the photo the guy took of us both but for £14??
Super excited to go to Hogwarts!
The most expensive ice cream I've ever bought £4.95! It was nice but still well over priced! I was hoping maybe I would've got it free with my birthday badge? Nope nothing. Most people don't like butter beer but I like, I think it tastes like an ice cold frappuccino.
Knight bus
You can go into Privet Drive now.
Moving chess pieces
Potter's Cotage, Godric's Hollow
Amazing how things are made & there's actually a real thing there for them to see & not just having to pretend!
Gringotts Wizarding Bank
Kind of makes up for not seeing it in Florida..
This was probably my favourite part of the tour & when you see it that's where all the magic really is. Poor Kelly has already been on the tour & had to pay another £35 to see it with me. (I did tell her she wasn't allowed to go with anyone else but me!) It was a bit different from when she went as it's currently celebrating the 15th anniversary of The Philosopher's Stone film.
She said it might ruin the magic for your knowing the secrets but I think it's made it better. I don't think it's ruined the magic at all, it'll just make you see the films a little differently. I'm dying to have a marathon with the box set but it's a commitment having to make sure I have 8 evenings where I'll be able to watch them all one after the other!
If you're a Harry Potter fan then you have to go it! Even if you're not I think you'd like it but whether you'd be willing to pay £35... I took just under 300 photos & it took a long time to narrow them down, just as long as it did uploading them all onto this post!
We got the shuttle bus back & realised we could get the quick train back into London after speaking to a women who worked at the station. We wanted Italian for dinner so went to Little Venice but it was a massive disappointment & we couldn't find any of the restaurants. So ended up back on the tube to Oxford Street & went to Vapiano. An Italian pasta & pizza restaurant where you go up to order your food & they make it in front of you.
I got the ravioli con carne & Kelly rucola ravioli. It was nice but really small & not filling. There was about 20 bits or ravioli.
We walked down Oxford Street to get waffles from wafflemeister. Kelly & Danielle were going to get me a waffle maker for my birthday but I'm so glad they didn't. As much as I love them it is a treat & there would be no point in me being a personal trainer I'd put on 10 stone eating them everyday!!
As we we were walking down & crossed a street I seen a blue building & was 80% convinced it was the BBC building so we walked towards it & it was!
Didn't realise it was off Oxford Street even though I know whenever Radio 1 needed to go on the streets to ask people things it was off busy streets. Dream in life to be able to call that my office! (Or Salford)
We got the longest train from Euston to Watford Junction. Kelly didn't think we could use the normal train as we were using contact less (like using an Oyster card but using your debit card) so had to get the London Overground. It took a good 40 minutes when it really only takes about 10. When you walk out the train station you'll see double decker buses with Harry Potter plastered all over them, these are the shuttle buses that take you to the studios. It's £2.50 for a return ticket.
You get searched & you bag before you enter. The guy asked me how old I was as I guess they can't touch you unless your either 16 or 18? I told him I turned 23 yesterday & he gave me a badge that said "It's my birthday!". I was hoping this would get my some freebies or special treatment all I got was people saying Happy Birthday to me all day.
Looking forward to seeing this!
Once you're in you have to queue to go into a room for a guy to play some cheesy games & watch a video of how the films started. Then you go into the cinema where Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint & Emma Watson talk about their time filming. It was like being in Florida before you go on to the 4D rides. Once all that is done with you get to enter the great hall!
I think I was lot more excited than most of the kids there. Most of them weren't even born with the books & films came out. It's like Pokemon go all over, this is my childhood! The parents who have kids that are dressed up probably did that cos it would look weird if they were all dressed in the robes.
This moves!
Dumbledore's Office
I didn't realise that most of the stuff is real & with stirring pots or things chopping that it's done with rope & not CGI!
It's all very real! You may not be able to touch them but seeing if believing!
King's Cross Station - Hogwarts Express
I really liked the photo the guy took of us both but for £14??
Super excited to go to Hogwarts!
The most expensive ice cream I've ever bought £4.95! It was nice but still well over priced! I was hoping maybe I would've got it free with my birthday badge? Nope nothing. Most people don't like butter beer but I like, I think it tastes like an ice cold frappuccino.
Knight bus
You can go into Privet Drive now.
Moving chess pieces
Potter's Cotage, Godric's Hollow
Amazing how things are made & there's actually a real thing there for them to see & not just having to pretend!
Diagon Alley
Gringotts Wizarding Bank
Kind of makes up for not seeing it in Florida..
Hogwarts
This was probably my favourite part of the tour & when you see it that's where all the magic really is. Poor Kelly has already been on the tour & had to pay another £35 to see it with me. (I did tell her she wasn't allowed to go with anyone else but me!) It was a bit different from when she went as it's currently celebrating the 15th anniversary of The Philosopher's Stone film.
She said it might ruin the magic for your knowing the secrets but I think it's made it better. I don't think it's ruined the magic at all, it'll just make you see the films a little differently. I'm dying to have a marathon with the box set but it's a commitment having to make sure I have 8 evenings where I'll be able to watch them all one after the other!
If you're a Harry Potter fan then you have to go it! Even if you're not I think you'd like it but whether you'd be willing to pay £35... I took just under 300 photos & it took a long time to narrow them down, just as long as it did uploading them all onto this post!
We got the shuttle bus back & realised we could get the quick train back into London after speaking to a women who worked at the station. We wanted Italian for dinner so went to Little Venice but it was a massive disappointment & we couldn't find any of the restaurants. So ended up back on the tube to Oxford Street & went to Vapiano. An Italian pasta & pizza restaurant where you go up to order your food & they make it in front of you.
I got the ravioli con carne & Kelly rucola ravioli. It was nice but really small & not filling. There was about 20 bits or ravioli.
We walked down Oxford Street to get waffles from wafflemeister. Kelly & Danielle were going to get me a waffle maker for my birthday but I'm so glad they didn't. As much as I love them it is a treat & there would be no point in me being a personal trainer I'd put on 10 stone eating them everyday!!
As we we were walking down & crossed a street I seen a blue building & was 80% convinced it was the BBC building so we walked towards it & it was!
Didn't realise it was off Oxford Street even though I know whenever Radio 1 needed to go on the streets to ask people things it was off busy streets. Dream in life to be able to call that my office! (Or Salford)
We got the tube back to Kelly's which was really packed as people were going from Nottinghill Carnival. I was expecting the tube to be like that all weekend but it was the only time it was busy. Every other time we got it, we had a seat & space. I had the best weekend in London, managed to tick 2 things off my bucket list as well!
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