London - Day 3

Day three in London was by far the best day ever! I am a massive Harry Potter fan so I couldn't miss the chance to go to the Leavesden Studio Tour. Tickets were pretty expensive for me and my family I'll admit, especially with the added cost of the souvenir guide and the digital guide that you get to take about with you whilst you are doing the tour but it's money well spent when you consider how much there is to see and do there.

We got there for 11 o'clock in just enough time to get some coffee and breakfast before getting in the queue to go in. I don't want to write too much or go into great detail about the tour because if people actually read this it might ruin it for them!

I did however get picked to open the door to the great hall along with other people who were having birthdays which was unbelievable and it's insane how much smaller the hall looks in real life compared to how it looks on screen!!

The tour is split into three parts, the 1st is a massive hall you go into after the Great Hall and in here you find various sets and props used throughout the movie series and you get the chance to fly a broomstick as well as fry the Ford Anglia away from the Hogwarts Express.

The 2nd part is an outside area containing another Ford Anglia used in the films and other various sets before you enter 3rd section which contains a lot of Animatronics, and special effect masks and make up used to create memorable characters such as Griphook before you leave via a room containing a 1:24 scale model of the Hogwarts Castle which is used to capture aerial shots for the films.

You cannot forget the incredible Diagon Alley set either which was an unbelievable thing to behold, complete with every shop mentioned in the book and full of crazy window displays!

Throughout the tour you can get a souvenir passport stamped as well which is a really nice momento of the day and it needs to be said that the staff are unbelievable! I didn't know about the passport but a staff member was kind enough to fetch me one and even came back with a birthday badge for me which was great! They're a really chatty lot too and are more than happy to give you a little bit more background info on some of the props and sets you find within the studios.

I went absolutely crazy in the shop later on but I had saved up in advance because I knew I wouldn't be able to resist so much Harry Potter memorabilia!! I endud up with a time turner, a deathly hallows keyring, a Goblet of Fire 'Potter' Hogwarts Champion Top as well as a few sweets like Chocolate Covered frogs.

Here's the photos!!

Outside the studio

At the entrance to the studio

The cupboard under the stairs

Me opening the doors to the Great Hall

Inside the Great Hall

Yule Ball outfits

Gryffindor boys dormitory

Gryffindor Common Room

Me in Dumbledore's Office

Me in Diagon Alley

The scale model of Hogwarts

The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets

The Burrow

Various props and packaging from the films

The Ministry

Death Eaters

Me at Tom Riddles grave

Privet Drive

On the bridge

The Knight Bus

Amazing Butterbeer!!

More Diagon Alley

Weasleys Wizard Wheezes

Hogwarts

Hogwarts

After we got back from the Studios we decided to head back out to Oxford Street for some dinner and I had steak for THE VERY FIRST TIME!! We went to 'The Aberdeen Angus Steak House' and had a lovely meal before heading out around Piccadilly for a look in the shops. 

All in all it was a jam packed and utterly superb day!!