A Harry Potter Christmas

Hogwarts: A Christmas Story

With Thanksgiving done (and done right), the Christmas season begins, and what a better way to start the season than with a Harry Potter studio tour! After eating so much for Thanksgiving, the next day we walked it off (sort of) enjoying the nostalgia of Harry Potter. We purchased a Groupon offer for an exclusive after hours Harry Potter Christmas tour. The tour included a hot meal, Butterbeer and souvenir cup, and a special treat (we received a chocolate frog at the end of the tour); as well as a look at new(er) attractions such as the Chamber of Secrets door (it unlocks which is awesome) and the Hogwarts Express and Platform 9 ¾. It even "snowed" whilst we were outside! 

I grew up with the Harry Potter books and movies, reading the first in middle school and each year anticipating the release of the next book or movie. I don’t know what I expected from the studio tour, but the tour surpassed any I could imagine. Prior to going, I’ve heard nothing less than what a great time is to be had, but for me (and my young at heart husband), it was much more, so much more.

The studio tour is the actual studio where the Harry Potter films were created. All the actors grew up, went to school, and worked here for over 10 years. The first set you walk through upon entering the tour, is the doors to the Great Hall all dressed for Christmas! The magical world of Harry Potter begins!  Walking through the studio, sets and props were identical to those in the movies and you got to relive all those exciting moments. It was extraordinary to walk through the sets as if at any moment the actors or filming crew would just show up. It was like seeing the movies in real life. There were even special guests- Death Eaters! The Death Eaters would lurk about and then all of sudden curse unsuspecting victims! 

Not only could you see key sets, you could participate. There were green screens so you could fly around Hogwarts on a broomstick, use magic to call your broomstick, and more. There were also animatronics, sketches, costume designs, and lots of artwork to admire. About halfway through the tour, we found ourselves at the studio café where we were treated to a select hot meal, drink, and Butterbeer! The general consensus from the British is that the Butterbeer is disgusting; however, we quite enjoyed it (I think I did more than the husband). I especially enjoyed the marshmallow-y creamy butterscotch foam!

As much as I enjoyed EVERY aspect of the tour, my favorite part of the tour was seeing the Hogwarts castle model lit up and dressed for the winter season. It may sound silly, but the nostalgia that hit was overwhelming and found myself a little teary eyed. Also, I loved getting walk through Diagon Alley; the place even smelled like old books (or castle, medieval smells)! I just loved it all, every minute, every second. It was by far one of the best tours I’ve experienced here in the UK (albeit it’s probably more to do with child nostalgia)! If a Harry Potter fan, this is a must. For the price, I feel we got so much out of it- a 3+ hour tour, a hot meal, souvenir cup, chocolate frog, and the opportunity to return travel to a magical world in which I spent most of my youth.  

We took tons of pictures, but really it's something that should be experienced. It was also interesting that I had visited Lavenham prior to the tour which is the town Godric's Hollow and the Potter Cottage are designed after. 

Lavenham: A Medieval time capsule

Lavenham

The village of Lavenham is a popular day-trip destination. The reason- it's a well preserved medieval time capsule! Just walking around the charming town, there are numerous half-timbered houses, each with their own individual, unique, and characteristic door. Some buildings are especially unique in that over the years, they have become rather crooked...

Lavenham was once one of the richest cities in Britain during the 15th and 16th centuries due to the wool trade. The wealth of the area can be seen by the size of the buildings and color, as well as church which was erected during this time. The church of St. Peter and St. Paul was completed in 1525 and lays claim to being the tallest village church tower (village tower, not city, still it is an impressive tower). However, by the 1600 much of its wealth was lost due to Dutch refugees that settled in Colchester who provided much cheaper labor and could produce work that was lighter and more fashionable. Many of the towns people fell into reduced circumstances and did not have the money needed to upgrade buildings making Lavenham what it is today.

Other places of interest are the Lavenham Wool Hall and the Guildhall of Corpus Christi. We had the pleasure of eating lunch in one of these beautiful, medieval buildings, a place called Number 10. The food was delicious! The chunky chili (medium spice flavor) and the venison pie was incredible and a very tasty meal on a chilly day!

Some people may recognize Lavenham from scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1 and pt. 2. Lavenham is the inspiration for Godric's Hollow and Lily and James Potter's family home. Lavenham is also the place where the lyrics from the nursery rhyme 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' were born. It is also the place said to have inspired the poem 'There was a Crooked Man' 

There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.

He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all lived together in a little crooked house.