Magical meanderings, Harry Potter Studio Tour : A STONE'S THROW AWAY

I am a secret (...um not so secret at all) Harry Potter mega fan and last weekend I finally pottered off to Watford Junction to do the Studio Tour! Pottered...y'get it?!

It was a bloody good day. Like super epic mega brillo awesome good. And to be honest, there were far more adults there than children! Although I did wear an extra special jumper which would have you questioning my age...

Jumper from Joy - www.joythestore.com

The girls and I gathered at Euston, well some of us gathered...Sophie decided to arrive on a broomstick galloping through the station forecourt and leaping for a homemade snitch that she promises she didn't use any 'work time' to make. I had a quick bit of quidditch practice on the platform.

 The Studio is so easy to get to, a fifteen minute train to Watford Junction, then a ten minute bus ride on the HP bus which plays the movie theme tune as you glide through the streets. When you arrive it really doesn't look like much, just a couple of huge warehouses painted a Brownies club yellow with a massive Harry Potter logo slapped on the front, but my oh my is it snazzy inside!

***Now, if you don't want to read any of the secrets stop here - SPOILER ALERT!! ***

I checked the Nimbus 2000 into the cloakroom after Sophie gifted it to me on the train and got myself a little Digital Guide - it's basically an iPhone with recordings, voiceovers, videos and pictures on that make your visit even more geekorific. Numbers are dotted around the tour that correspond to different sections in the guide. At £4.95 it's money very well spent and really does add to the day.

But first stop - The Great Hall! I don't want to brag too much about this but, because as it was my birthday, I got to open the door to The Great Hall!! I had to share a door handle with a six year old, but it was pretty cool all the same. 

As it was Halloween the hall was set up for an All Hallows Eve feast - pumpkins galore and ghoulish treats. Around the room you get your first glimpse of some of the most famous costumes from the films including Harry's first robes, Neville's cracking cardigan from the final movie, Dumbledore's famous get-up and Snape's billowing black gear.

Daniel's first set of Harry robes on the left, and Neville's cardigan second from the right

After this bit you're left to run wild! I couldn't help but stick to the audio guide route though, I didn't want to miss a thing. The pics are all rather self explanatory so I'll leave you to peruse the photographic tour of my fave bits!

The Griffindor boy's dorm - the beds were made when Daniel and Rupert were 11 so they were far too small for them by the end of filming hence why they're always snuggled up in the later movies!

The Griffindor common room - everything was so much smaller than I had imagined. It's hard to think they had any space for the cameras.

Lovely Lauren having a listen to the audio guide on the potions room - the detail in the stone work was incredible.

Hagrid's hut. All the furniture is super sized so that when the actors were on the set they seemed dwarfed. Oh filmatic trickery, you naughty little thing!

 

The tour ends with the most breathtaking surprise - you turn the corner to find yourself in front of the most fantastic model of Howarts! It's so realistic that all the doors are actually on hinges and the plants are real. The model was used to film all of the beautiful sweeping shots of the castle and there's some more lovely facts about this cracking bit of set here.

Then, one last brilliant bit... just before you exit the tour and are thrust into the madness of the gift shop you find yourself surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of wand box, each of which are adorned with the name of every single person involved in the making of the films. Such a lovely touch.

The Harry Potter Studio Tour really is fantastic and I'd recommend it to any fan, big or small. Not big or small as in Hagrid or Dobby, I'm talking more about your level of interest.

So, as I very chuffed Harry Potter fan Londoner I would suggest....

- Get yourself up to Watford. Adult tickets for the tour are £29 and can be bought here.  There are lots of concessions for kids, children under a certain age, family tickets, group ticket etc. so take a look. I've left a lot of bits out of this blog so really do believe me when I say this is just a tiny fraction of the brilliant things you'll see.

- Go before 6th January and it's Christmas themed! A sprinkling of snow and dash of carols. Lovely.

Luncheon, The Harwood Arms : LOCAL LOVES

I am full to the brim. 

I am absolutely full to the brim from a lunch I had YESTERDAY. 

My lovely best friend Arabella's dad celebrated the big Six-Oh yesterday. He very kindly invited me along to the party and when I found out that it was going to be at The Harwood Arms I was over the flippin' moon!

Tucked away in a residential area of leafy Fulham The Harwood Arms has only been around for a couple of years but has already earned itself a cracking rep - it is the first and only London pub to be awarded a Michelin star. Yep, pretty special.

They describe themselves as a' rural haven' so for those country folk amongst you this is the ideal place for a special meal. Famed for their game and wild food the venison is actually shot by the owners of the pub. The menu is meticulously sourced and selected so you really are getting the best of the best....hence the price tag. But don't worry, if meat isn't necessarily your thing, the vegetarian menu is equally delicious and I can personally vouch for that. There were 14 of us at the lunch so I got a sneaky peek at pretty much the entire menu...

Treacle cured smoked salmon with smoked cod roe, whisky jelly and watercress

Roast Berkshire partridge with salmi, creamed livers and game tea

The atmosphere is so relaxed and fun, they've managed to keep the 'pubby' vibe whilst serving top notch grub and this is just my cup of tea. I love a luxurious meal but hate stuffy quiet restaurants - I need a bit of noise and silliness. There was quite a gap between the courses and I really liked that, it meant we all had a chance to swap seats and get the gossip from the other end of the table.

The birthday boy heading up the table

Then the main courses descended and all conversations ceased....blimey, they were good. Arabella is still harping on about the veal she had - it's a two person dish so she recruited her brother and got stuck in.

Now, it's not just full on five hour lunches that The Harwood Arms specializes in (yes, we were there for FIVE hours) - you can just pop in for a drink, plonk yourself down in front of the fire and enjoy a swift scotch egg if you like. They always maintain that they are a pub and not a restaurant so keep things nice and relaxed - dogs are welcome and there's a rowdy quiz night on a Tuesday.

But let's not digress - there's pudding to talk about! Yum. Just yum. That's all I can say really.

Pear cooked in Earl Grey with almonds, sherry and burnt butter ice cream

Brie. What a babe.

The birthday boy was very jolly after our mammoth meal. The staff really looked after us and made the day so, so brill - thank you if you're reading! 

So this lucky lunching Londoner thinks that you should...

- Get yourself over to The Harwood Arms - it's got it just so fantastically right, luxury nosh and a chilled vibe. Book me a table for life.

N.B. Nearest tubes are Fulham Broadway and West Brompton.