Harry Potter & The Cursed Child

 Warning, this post does NOT contain any spoilers what so ever, I'm all over that #keepthesecrets business as I have a snazzy badge which tells me to do so. (Plus I wouldn't want to upset J.K Rowling, she's a feisty bird!)

*Skip to paragraph four to avoid the ramblings* Throwback to the end of October, where I was in the height of unemployment and priority booking for the eighth Harry Potter story opened, meaning I had nothing better to do then fight other avid Potter fans for tickets. It's safe to say my laptop got a bit of a shouting at, but we got through it and I ended up with four tickets to the West End performance #BossedIt 

When booking I didn't really take into account dates, and ended up travelling home for the third weekend in a row, but who doesn't love a good road trip in Dudley when you forget about the fact that you can't feel your bottom anymore, and the battle between opening the window for fresh air or keeping it shut to stop getting blown away because you're avoiding turning on the air con to save fuel. 

Fast-forward to Sunday just gone and we were on the train heading to the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue via the box office to pick up our tickets. Before joining in the queue we decided to take a short stroll, bad decision. Ever wondered what happens when a Chinese restaurant catches fire and your in close proximity to it? It spreads pretty damn quickly and visibility is minus one-hundred. But what better way to take your mind off the fact that your lungs are filled with smoke and you're sitting in the Balcony of a very hot theatre, then by Part One starting. 

The creators behind the show did an amazing job at bringing the magic of the wizarding world to life, along with the composers and choreographers- it continually amazes me how a certain tune or dance (not that it was dancey) can reflect the scene so perfectly. The first half whizzed by, with an ice-cream interval of course, and before you know it part one is over leaving it on the biggest cliffhanger- for those of you who watch Pretty Little Liars, it felt like one of the series finales. 

A two hour break before watching part two meant time to feed the grumbling tummy. We opted for Maxwells in Covent Garden after hearing my parents rave about it, and I opted for a classic BBQ chicken, chips and apple coleslaw. It's probably most famous for it's Instagram-worthy freakshakes, but if I had one of them I would have definitely been in a food coma for the second performance and so not in the right state of mind to concentrate. 

Part Two commenced and although it was like 100 degrees inside and I could feel the sweat dripping down my face (slight exaggeration) I enjoyed every moment of it. The actors were amazing at keeping the energy alive, and the atmosphere in the theatre was incredible- you were literally surrounded by crazy Harry Potter fans who cheered when the most annoying character was defeated and laughed at every pun. 

If you can still get tickets I would 1000% recommend purchasing them as you won't be disappointed! I also realise that this is a bit of a long post, however we're currently having a Harry Potter marathon and it's taken me far too long to write this for me to go back and change it all. (Yes, we probably should have done this before seeing the play, but we like to be unconventional) 

P.S. If you can spot yourself a wizard amongst the muggles in one of these pictures then you're a true Potter fan. 

Hogwarts in the snow

I can finally say I did it. This muggle visited the wizarding world and loved every second of it! I'd been waiting to go for so long, so when I bought it as a Christmas present for Jay (along with making, yes making, Harry Potter Monopoly) I've had a countdown ever since. My inner witch jumped for joy when my alarm went off at 5:45 on Saturday morning, and probably the only time I will be happy to hear my alarm at that time in the morning unless Disney is involved.

Now before I go on to tell you about the wonders of my day, if you don't want anything spoiled stop reading now. This will be the only time I tell you not to read one of my blog posts, but if you've already been or just want to keep reading then you may continue. 

My day began with a very early wake up call, curly hair that dropped after about 10 minutes and a 2 and a half hour train journey divided by a change at Clapham Junction. Not the nicest of stations, and I could have sworn my toes nearly dropped off, but I was on my way to the Harry Potter Studios. The best part of that morning journey was being greeted with snow. Real life precipitated ice falling from the sky. Being a Southampton student, I never see snow even when it's the tiniest bit and Jay has never experienced it since being away in Malaysia, so this just made us even more excited.

Now where to begin...

The journey starts walking through the doors to the Great Hall, yes I walked down the same floor as Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint; fan-girl moment! After listening to one of the guides you're free to begin your adventure into what can only be described as 'Aladdin's Cave' of props, sets, costumes. They recommend 3 hours to complete the tour, but me and Jay took 5 as we like to read everything. But why not. There's so much information to take in, and so many secrets to learn.

Halfway round you're taken to the back-lot, ultimate tourist experience. You'll need to make sure your camera is charged for this part as this where you get to board the night bus, ride Hagrid's motorbike, visit 4 Privet Drive and ultimately have a photo with your Butterbeer mustache! It tastes like a butterscotch cream soda with a dollop of ice cream if any of you are wondering! 

After this you get taken through the creature shop, and learn about all the interesting going ons behind the scenes, and one thing I will say, you will never watch Harry Potter in the same way again. Upon leaving the creature shop, you turn a corner and find yourself down Diagon Alley. From Olivanders Wand Shop to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, you'll want it to never end, and next comes one of the most amazing parts of the whole tour, Hogwarts itself. Don't rush this part, and make sure you look through the screens of information as you'll find out things you never would have dreamed of. Finally after absorbing yourself in Olivander's Wand Shop your tour comes to an end with the gift shop. This will add another half an hour to your journey, and you better have a pocket full of galleons if you're wanting to buy anything! I will admit, we did buy a Marauder's Map, but we couldn't come away empty handed now could we!

We then had a 2 and a half hour journey back, and bed never felt so good, but it was a day and a half, an experience I would recommend to everyone and anyone. And it excites me to say I'm going back again in a month (a raffle prize won by my dad for the family, I couldn't say no to Harry Potter now could I!)