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Home » london

Taking the Harry Potter London Tour – What Can You See?

April 1, 2016 By Toby Isaacson Leave a Comment

Harry Potter London

The best way to determine the success of a product, whether it’s a movie, book, or TV show, is to pit it against the ruthless passing of time. It’s easy for a certain something to be a one-time hit that will get lost among the tides and replaced by the other future products to come. Harry Potter definitely isn’t one of those one-hit marvels. The tale about a wizard boy destined to defeat an evil wizard lord together with his wizard companions changed the world so much that no matter how many times I write the word “wizard,” I can only think about the series. Sorry, Merlin, maybe fight some basilisks, werewolves, and dementors and give it another shot.

The success of the franchise was a bit surprising, especially considering the fact that J.K. Rowling got turned down by plenty of publications when she presented them her manuscript for Sorcerer’s Stone. Not only did she continue writing six more books after that, but they were also equally brilliantly adapted in a total of eight movies. Speaking of which, it was also the first series to tackle down the now overused “split the last book into two movies” formula that was picked up by other titles of the likes of Twilight, Hunger Games, or Divergent.

But if you thought that all of those things previously mentioned are enough for Harry Potter to leave a long-lasting mark on the history of literature, you were right. However, that didn’t stop the world of witchcraft and wizardry from expanding even further, fortunately for us. As time passes, the tales of Hogwarts are slowly diving into the nostalgic category and, in no time, people who have grown up with the franchise will look back to their childhood series with bittersweet melancholy. The good news is that we can all tame this nostalgic impulse, by going on a Harry Potter London adventure.

Harry Potter London

Enter the Magical World of Hogwarts (Literally)

If you’re a Potterhead, paying a visit to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter is an absolute must. The studios are the heart and foundation of the popular films and they have opened their gates to guests. In exchange for £66 tickets (£61 for children), visitors are able to trek through the original sets where the movies were shot. They showcase everything from unique costumes, props, animatronics, and special effects secrets to an environment that feels so genuine you’ll begin wondering if you’re not a muggle anymore.

There are many things that you will see on the tour, including the sets for the Great Hall, Ollivander’s Wand Shop, the Gryffindor Common Room, Dumbledore’s Office, Umbridge’s Office, Hagrid’s Hut, and plenty of other iconic locations.

To give away just a few of the secrets previously mentioned, there is one particular highlight that is bound to draw gasps from any visitor laying their eyes on it. Built to a 1:24 scale, the original model of Hogwarts is going to make you wonder how anyone could have the patience to craft it so finely and with so much attention to detail. The replica is the original that was used for shots of Hogwarts’ exterior during the first six movies. I’m certain that pretty much all of us didn’t doubt for a second that the castle didn’t actually exist, which makes the mastery of this construction all the more incredible.

Harry Potter London

If you’re curious about the way the impressive magical creatures were brought to our screens, the studio tour gives you a peek at an 18-foot wide Aragog hanging from the ceiling, an animatronic Buckbeak, and several models that have been used for Dobby the House Elf.

At the end of an eventful tour day like this, visitors that have a decent amount of money can stop at a merchandise shop, which is rich in items of the highest quality. You can buy any of the Horcruxes, polyester scarves for any of the houses, and even sweets. The cheapest item available for grabs is a £3.95 lollipop, with the most expensive one being a high-quality replica of Dumbledore’s robe, purchasable in exchange for a jaw-dropping £495.95.

Harry Potter London

Find Out if You’re One of Voldemort’s Lost Soul Pieces

Who doesn’t love a good, old trip to the zoo? It was at the Reptile House in the London Zoo where Harry discovered that he had the gift of Parseltongue when he realized he was able to communicate with a python. In many senses, this was the place where it all began. Sure, the trigger for the action was Hagrid’s legendary “Yer a wizard, Harry,” but it was thanks to this friendly reptilian that the audience started realizing something fishy was going on. Not only did it give an idea that he wasn’t an average child, but it was a foreshadowing that would only be explained in Chamber of Secrets.

If you’re planning to head to the Reptile House, you might as well take a look around the whole zoo. You may do this for as much as £24.25 for a ticket, with the cheapest being a children’s £17.60 ticket.

Harry Potter London

Jam Your Trolley Into a Wall (Don’t Actually Do It)

Good news – this one is for free. Head over to King’s Cross station and stop to snap a memorable photo next to the famous Platform 9 ¾. The platform was ingeniously designed to offer visitors the full Harry Potter experience, by having a trolley stuck in its wall. Moreover, you may even visit the Harry Potter Shop, located near the platform and decorated to resemble Ollivander’s Wand Shop.

Other than these three key locations, there are other places you may visit that not only will make you sigh deeply remembering all your childhood memories but will also offer you a small London sightseeing experience. Stop at the Leadenhall covered Victorian market to see where many of the shots for Diagon Alley were taken. Pass through Piccadilly Circus to reminiscence the place where the Golden Trio fled to after Fleur’s and Bill’s wedding got swarmed by Death Eaters. And since you need to travel to get to these places, might as well visit the Westminster Tube and follow the route to the Ministry of Magic that Harry and Arthur Weasley took in Order of the Phoenix.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Filed Under: fun Tagged With: harry potter, harry potter london tour, london, london visiting, movies, traveling, warner bros studios

What Do You Do With Too Much Free Time?

August 6, 2012 By This Blog Rules Guest Leave a Comment

You Build a replica of London’s Olympic Stadium. From Legos.

Warren Elsmore, famous for other Lego creations, designed this 100,000 piece Lego set in honor of the Opening Games of the Olympics in London.  This 220 pound behemoth was built by 4 “engineers”, and took approximately 450 hours to complete. We have more pictures, so click the break for more, but here is a 360 degree view of this masterful creation.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: art, creative Tagged With: legos, london, olympic stadium, olympics

Comical Close-Ups of Ping Pong Players Mid-Match

August 3, 2012 By Vernon Gadson Leave a Comment

Well, the 2012 Olympics are well underway in London, England. I’m sure you’ve all been glued to your sofas, watching the world’s greatest athletes swim and cycle and sprint and ride and row and shoot and punch and murder (okay, maybe not murder), breaking world records hither and thither, all in the name of bagging a gold, silver or bronze medal for their home country. But hey, how about a bit of a lighthearted break from the heart-racing tension of it all, courtesy of London-based arts site It’s Nice That?

The site, which specialises in showcasing artwork and photography, has published several close-up images of professional ping pong players’ faces mid-match. As you’ll see below, the players display an ever-so-comical expression on their faces that draws a fine line between fierce competitiveness and feckless bewilderment. It’s Nice That is unaware of the origin of the photos, but whoever took them, if you’re out there somewhere, thank you for sharing these with us. [Read more…]

Filed Under: fun, sports Tagged With: 2012 olympics, athletes, britain, close up, competition, divers, england, funny, images, london, olympics, photography, ping pong, players, shot, sports, table tennis

#Olympics News According To Twitter

July 26, 2012 By This Blog Rules Guest Leave a Comment

#Olympics News According To Twitter In case you missed it in the last 24 hours, we’ve brought you some of the best moments, comments, quotes, and oops of the Olympic games so far.

Most Offensive Olympic Moment

Leading in the race for “most offensive moment” is when the North Korean women’s soccer team took to the field  – or didn’t take to the field – when the SOUTH Korean flag was flown instead of the proper one.  Wonder who lost their job over that one?
Equally offensive and somewhat more ingenious is the Borat theme song replacement of the Kazakhstan National Anthem. That “oops” certainly has to have been deliberate.

Sexist Olympic Tweets

In other twitter news, less likely to incite an international incident is the funny, yet sexist Mark Hughes as he writes about the women’s soccer team and their unfortunate (and hungry) men.   A Mitt Romney parody laments London’s lack of preparedness due to no Mormon Temples etcetera and so on.
Stay tuned for more Olympics Oops, Offense and Outrage all month long as ThisBlogRules follows Twitter to stay on top of the Best #Olympic Moments in London.  Post your favorite #Olympics tweet below for future consideration.

Filed Under: sports, strange news Tagged With: Kazakhstan, london, mitt romney, mormon, olympics

Thank God: The Magic Tray

July 18, 2012 By Vernon Gadson Leave a Comment

Clumsy tray-carriers of the world, rejoice! The Magic Tray is here to solve all our tray-carrying problems. No longer will we embarrass ourselves when we lose our balance and spill a glass of red wine onto our grandmothers’ white living room carpet. No longer will we stumble and send that precious china plate hurtling down towards the hard linoleum floor, where it smashes into a million unglueable pieces. And no longer will we lose our new girlfriends by tripping on our untied shoelaces and spilling the entire contents of a plate of freshly cooked lasagna down their newly bought blouse. Lucy? Where are you, Lucy? I said I was sorry!

Actually, The Magic Tray is not really here, it’s currently only a prototype. But it’s a great idea, I think you’ll agree. Designed by Ryan Jongwoo Choi, a watchful observer of tray-carrying calamities, its “magic” comes from a magnet that fills the inside of the tray. This attracts the magnets embedded on the bottoms of a collection of cups, mugs, plates and bowls that would presumably come with the tray. When the tray is lifted, the magnetic attraction is activated, and the dishes are stable even when the tray is tilted. When the tray is set down, the magnetic attraction is broken, and the dishes can easily be lifted off. [Read more…]

Filed Under: fun Tagged With: concepts, cool designs, kitchen, london, magnets, peter parker, products, prototype, spider man, tray

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