Harry Potter (Part Two)

An outdoor section had the flying motorbike, the Knight Bus, Privet Drive, the giant chess pieces, Tom Riddle's grave monument, the Potter's old house, and the uneven bridge from Hogwarts.

We sat in the courtyard drinking butterbeer which, sadly, contains no alcohol, but a lot of sugar - like a cream soda.

The Knight Bus

Inside the Knight Bus

Little monsters on the Flying Motorbike

Drinking Butterbeer

Tom Riddle's grave

Hogwarts' bridge

Wizard chess pieces

The creature workshop was fantastic. Here is where you get to see how Dobby functions, how Hagrid's giant head is made to move, and how the uprooted mandrakes wriggle and scream. All the magical mythical beasts are explained with working models, from thestrals and hippogriffs to mermaids and werewolves.

The table of latex elf and goblin heads is a little spooky, but the tone is lightened by Luna Lovegood's lion headdress.

In the creature work-shop

"Thestrals can only be seen by people who've seen death"

Turning a corner, we entered the spectacular Diagon Alley. I loved this cobbled street lined with Olde Worlde shops; it remined me of Haworth!

There's Olivander's Wand Shop, crammed with boxes of wands, each in a hand-painted container. There's Potages, stocked with all-purpose cauldrons of every possible size. There's the imposing exterior edifice of Gringotts' bank.

Mr Mullpepper's apothecary sells clabbert pustules and various livers and fangs, but warns against asking for unicorn blood because it is 'not sold'.

An owl emporium displays cages of the beady-eyed predators, while Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment and Quality Quidditch Supplies boasts broomsticks in the window.

Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour is probably the most 'normal' shop on the street, although Flourish and Botts, dispensing quills and other writing utensils, may also be able to lay claim to that title. Not so Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, with its puking pustulles and other gimmicks. It was a fabulous street/set and one of the highlights of the tour.

Another corridor led us past some of the designers' artwork (they envisaged these scenes so intricately!) and scale paper models of Hogsmead, Diagon Alley, the moving straircases (complete with mechanical engineering images of how this would work), and the Durmstran ship that carried Viktor Krum.

Artist's concept for Fawkes the phoenix

Ukranian Ironbelly Dragon crashing through Gringotts' roof

Artist's impression of Hogsmead

Hogsmead scale model

Moving staircases in paper detail

And then, the big reveal! a 1:24 scale model of Hogwarts, with details taken from the original sets of Alnick Castle and Durham Cathedral. It took 86 artists and crew to construct the first version, which was then rebuilt and altered many times for the next seven films.

All the doors are hinged, real plants are used for landscaping, and miniature birds are housed in the Owlery. Over 2,500 fibre optic lights simulate lanterns and torches, and give the illusion of students passing through hallways. The lighting is demonstrated to full effect with a day-to-night cycle every four minutes, highlighting the changing atmosphere at the castle/ school.

Just before the gift shop are the cases of wands - every member of cast and crew had one made for them, and you can hunt for the names. I found Dawn French, Helen Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman, Dilip Patel (assistant accountant) and Jenny Harling (hair stylist).

The nephews and niece wanted robes but they were pretty expensive so, after Aunty Sarah promised to make them, they settled for scarves and wands. Nephew Olaf and Nephew Adam both got Harry Potter's wand, while Niece Rachel chose Hermione's.

The Weevil got Fleur Delacour's wand and, when we questioned the concept of a grown woman buying a wand, she countered succinctly, 'How else am I going to defend myself?' Fair enough.

Harry Potter (Part One)

I went to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter with my brother, sisters, niece and nephews. I can't vouch for the young folk, but we big kids absolutely loved it!

Scarey Sis was impressed with the fact that many of these are the real sets in which the films were shot: the potions' room; the Gryffindor common room; Dumbledore's office; the Ministry of Magic etc.

We saw the flying car and the cupboard under the stairs, then we were ushered into a cinema where we watched a short film presented by Harry, Ron and Hermione, before the screen lifted to reveal the doors to the Great Hall.

Volunteers were invited top open the doors (Niece Rachel was one of them) and we all oohed and ahed as we entered the hall, set up for a banquet, with some of the actors' costumes dotted about.

From the beginning I was impressed with the level of detail; the coat of arms in the fireplace (which was never seen in the films because there was always a fire in the grate); or the intricate carvings on Dumbledore's lectern or Mad-Eye Moody's staff.



A quote from J.K. Rowling read, "No story lives unless someone wants to listen", and the interpretation must delight her, down to the minor details - faces in the tapestry; ice sculptures and chocolate treats for special feats; the winged stone boars atop the Hogwarts' gates inspired by the Il Pocellino statue in Florence.

Wigs and costumes were on display, as was the Mirror of Erisea and a cabinet of wands.

The proclamations of things that became forbidden are in a corner, nailed against the wall with a tall stepladder before them, and the portrait of the fat lady who guards the Gryffindor Tower smirks from another wall.

Within the dormitory, a West Ham duvet cover marks out Dean Thomas' bed. In the Gryffindor common room are portraits of past heads of the house, including a spectacular oil painting of Dame Maggie Smith in younger days - that's the level of detail I was admiring.

Detail in the Potions' classroom



Tools of magic in the wand case

The Mirror of Erisea

The corridor of the Three Broomsticks and the entrance to Dumbledore's office are all there. In the office itself are portraits of sleeping wizards and the cabinet of memories for the pensieve.

I liked Hagrid's Hut, the detail on the Gringotts' bank vault doors, the statue outside the Ministry of Magic (like something by Rodin carved out of stone) and the moving staircase. Who am I kidding; I liked all of it!

The door to the Chamber of Secrets

Moving staircases - better than Escher?

Detail on door of Gringotts' bank vault

Big video displays explained the technology of green screen filming of sequences such as Quidditch. The mechanics of the broomstick are on show, and you can queue for an hour to have your picture taken flying above various scenes. We didn't (but we saw some evidence of those who had, and it looked really cool!) 

I loved the Burrow - the Weasley's home - where you could press buttons to make the ironing, the washing up and knitting do themselves. There was also a clock which indicated the location of all the Weasleys ranging from 'home'. 'school', 'quidditch', 'garden', and 'work', to 'lost', 'in transit', and 'in mortal peril'.

Weasley's magical family clock

I also loved Dolores Umbridge's office which uses pink in the most evil way you've ever seen, and is hung with plates depicting far-from-innocent fluffy kittens.

The Ministry of Magic

The death eaters (masks and mannequins) were scary. I said to Scarey Sis that I wouldn't like to be shut in there overnight for fear that they might come to life and terrorise me. She says I've got an excessive imagination.

The case containing the paperwork was also a favourite of mine. There were some of the letters addressed to Harry Potter in the cupboard under the stairs; the Owl examination questions; a copy of The Quibbler (with Free Spectrespecs); some of the Weasley brothers' wizard wheezes (including a boxing telescope and a decoy detonator); Gilderoy Lockhart's self-promotion books; and the Marauder's Map with the Room of Doom, Poisoned Vermin Trap, and Prowling Passage clearly marked.

The Marauder's Map