A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to fulfil a lifetime ambition...
I finally got my letter for Hogwarts!
We jumped into the car and sped down towards the Harry Potter Studio Tour near London, tickets clutched firmly in hand, and were immediately flung into a magical world filled with memories from the books and films.
Even the gift shop, which we visited whilst waiting for our tour time, is filled with exciting little titbits..
Finally, after what felt like a very short time, we joined the queue and were ushered through into a small theatre.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were there to welcome us and introduce us to what was, in my opinion, one of the jewels of the entire experience.
The Great Hall.
After years of waiting to take my place in the hall at one of the long house tables I was finally there, experiencing the real thing! And...as cliche as it sounds...it was magical!
The hall was set up as if it were the Yule Ball from the Goblet of Fire. The tables were groaning with hyper-realistic goodies that the characters could have feasted on. The walls and trees were festooned with garlands, decorations and tiny, flying witches...
Crowning it all? An excellent array of "ice" sculptures, instruments (perfect for a music "nerd") and snow!
Soon we were ushered away from this truly spectacular sight to explore a the cavernous space that was the remainder of the tour.
We spent a good 4 or 5 hours pointing, laughing and reminiscing about all of the tiny details.
There were plenty of them!
From books, to coins to prophecies...
It was wonderful to look into scenes from my imagination and recognise exactly where the story was "spelled" out.
The Gryffindor Common Room, complete with Christmas decorations, character costumes and their tiny jumpers from the first film!
Dumbledore's Office... a space which has always held a great amount of awe and wonder for me.
The walls are covered with previous headmasters, cupboards are filled with memories and spindly little objects and the man himself occupies a commanding space next to his desk.
The creepy Potions Classroom, filled with strange looking things in jars, self-stirring cauldrons, the Half Blood Prince's potion book and the potions master in his black billowing robes.
Hagrid's ramshackle but welcoming hut...
The Burrow, a space which comes alive with self-ironing irons, self-washing plates and self-chopping knives. I wish that Molly could pop by and teach me some enchantments!
The dark and overpowering Malfoy Manor
The Ministry of Magic...
Would you ever guess that all of those tiles are actually expertly treated wood?!
The majesty and excitement of Platform 9 and 3/4 and the Hogwarts Express - billowing steam and ready to go!
The deliciously normal Privet Drive...
And the best high-street that I've ever visited - Diagon Alley! A place where the magic really started
There's even the door to the Chamber of Secrets and items fresh from the Quiddich pitch!
It was wonderful to explore all of the places that have been such a happy and huge part of my growing up - a real treat that I'm incredibly thankful for.
You might think that all of this is magic enough and that Warner Bros couldn't pack any more excitement and magic into their tour... But no! There was more!
We visited soon after the Forbidden Forest opened - another set to explore, this one spookier even than Malfoy Mansion...
Hagrid is there to guide you through the mist.
But don't forget about the creatures lurking in the forest! Acromantula are waiting in the shadows.
Whilst the sets are a key focal point of the tour and a visual which everyone remembers fondly from the film series (and our imaginations all those years ago!), one thing that I found particularly "spellbinding" about the tour was the behind the scenes aspect.
Throughout the experience you are trusted with tricks of the trade used by hundred of skills craftspeople who worked on every single film.
Whilst it was incredibly special to find out how all of these creatures and characters were created from scratch, my special gem of the tour had to be the beautiful work created by the art department.
We walked through corridors lined with incredibly concept art, plans and costume designs and packed with tiny scale models of scenes and set from the film.
Having started reading the books soon after they first came out over 20 years ago, this intimate experience felt like we were re-watching the story unfold from the bare beginnings....the art space saw ideas and concepts which eventually graced our screens and stamped themselves firmly on our memories for a lifetime.
Every model is intricately detailed...right down to tiny individual giants on Hogwart's Bridge, minuscule owls in the owlery and individual window panes on every shop front in Diagon Alley.
These are truly exquisite.
However, the true gem of the experience and of the art department occupies the end of the tour...
A scale model of Hogwarts...the one place on earth that we all wish we could visit.
Walking around the corner and being hit by this magnificent sight is truly breathtaking. We stopped to take it all in...gazing at the detail for well over an hour.
Every window, brick, tile and tree has been crafted painstakingly.
There really is only one word for it.....magical!
If you love Harry Potter and his magical world as much as I do (you might have guessed....it's rather a lot) then please, treat yourself and get tickets for this amazing experience.
It really is worth every penny to explore, reminisce and rekindle that awe and wonder that the books and films bought. I felt really quite nostalgic!
Find out all about it at https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/home and book well in advance!
My final advice? Take your time! There are far too many details and quirks to speed through in anywhere near the recommended 3 hours.
That....and never stop wishing for that letter to come!
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