Oxford!

Sunday we go to Oxford as a class trip. UK weather apparently had had enough and decided to send us tornado weather. (Ok not a tornado... but that kind of windy dark sometimes rainy brutal weather...) The weather made for an adventure in itself! Fortunately I scheduled many indoor activities for us.

Got to Oxford around 11am... amid all the wind and rain ... just a quick rush across the block to the Ashmolean Museum... UK's oldest museum, apparently. I had the students find me something class related in the place to present... and then I gave them an hour to wander. It wasn't anywhere near enough time... I'll just have to return to Oxford... again!!

Covered Market next... not quite so rainy... but also Sunday and mostly closed. I once again told them to find me one class related element and grab lunch (it was noon) and meet again in an hour. I grabbed a sandwich and wandered around what stands were open... bought some post cards... and then waited for the students... right by the fish stall... poss not my best idea!

Rain almost entirely stopped... Still crazy windy... Went on a quick walking tour. 2 Twain places and 2 HP places... only peeked in as everywhere in Oxford charges you even for looking... Didn't even get to see the tree Malloy dropped out of in Goblet of Fire... sigh! The Twain sites, btw, were All souls and Sheldonian... his procession to receive his honorary degree.

Next stop...2pm... a lecture on Americanization and Globalization through culture at the Bodelian. Really good talk and I think the students got a *lot* out of it. Not the least of which the idea of hearing the US being discussed and theorized by non-Americans. What does the academic world outside the US think of US culture. That is always fascinating! We were all surprised at how positive it all was. C:

Bonus: the Divinity Hall was a HP film site... the Hogwarts infirmary. I got them to one after all!!

That was it for class... most of the students actually just went home. I find that shocking! The weather had definitely improved by then... I stayed and told whoever wanted to could come with me to the Literary Festival and then The Eagle and the Child... My S&T students were the only takers.

It was too fun at the festival getting books and souvenirs... and then we did pay our respects/homage to the Inklings at the Bird and the Baby!!

I then went off on my own to see a Alice in Wonderland influenced performance at the Sheldonian. So I got to see where Twain received his honorary degree over 100 years ago... C: A strange and lovely performance.

Last Oxford visit... veggie pub of course! The Gardeners Arms. Sherry and Alex and I met back up for dinner. We didn't finish until around 9pm.

And that was Oxford... Bused back to London... and it was after 11pm till I got home! And I feel like I didn't do anything in Oxford!! But I was busy all day!! I just have to go back! C:

Wembley

It was another one of my goals in this trip to see some kind of game at Wembley... and CAPA actually had an excursion day I could sign up for! Yay!! It was a rugby match between the Saracens and Harlequins... I was told to root for the Sarries. ;)

I needn't have bothered... they won handily. I spent some of my time wandering the halls and looking at the memorabilia and merchandise. Ended up getting a key chain to add to my collection. (I have too many collections.) Also there was a Pre game show by a lady called Pixie Something... I had no idea who she was... and the stadium sound meant I still have no idea what the songs were.

The game was apparently a big deal tho, something called Derby Day. The stadium had 85,000 attendees... which sounds like a lot to me!! Lots of kids in their rugby kits.

In addition, the game wasn't terribly hard to follow. A touchdown is called a try and worth 5 pts. The point after is worth 2. And instead of field goals they have penalty kicks worth 3 pts... And there's no sets of downs... just go until the other team steals the ball and then they go and so forth. Lots of injury timeouts tho.

Final score if I remember correctly was 28 to 14...

The next treat for the day was dinner and a wander around Ikea... There was one within (barely) walking distance of the stadium. And they had veggie dogs!! I love London! The Ikea in CA doesn't have veggie options in their meals. So instead of having a L15 burger at the stadium, I had hot dog, fries, a drink, and an ice cream for L 2.50. C:

I walked around the showroom but of course didn't buy anything. I don't want to deal with packing stuff obviously. But I got some filter coffee and snacks for later. And I got to play sitting on the couches and drooling over shelves and such... C:

Today is Oxford day... So another fun one coming... C:

Curious Carta Dickens Gatsby Ballet

Today I didn't have my normal teaching days… we're going on a field trip to Oxford on Sunday instead, see… So I was GOING to get a whole bunch of writing done on this chapter that I'm working on this semester… Only… yeah…

In my Global Foods class, we're reading the first Harry Potter book. (Because it's a fun book to end a semester on, and FOOD…) Then I couldn't help myself and just read onto the 2nd, and 3rd, and… I'm half way through book 6 right now! Indeed, book 6 is my fave, but to punish myself for wasting a week of good work time, I'm not letting myself finish it until I've gotten some writing done today. We'll see how THAT goes…

In addition to all this tomfoolery :) I also went to a couple of shows and exhibits and museums and such… as it is becoming freakishly clear to me that my time here in London is winding down… (whimper!) First, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime was on Tuesday. I got nutty cheap L15 tix for the show in the first row… I was SO close… I think front row seats are actually NOT ideal, as you're almost too close to be able to see everything. But omg I didn't mind. I thought it was fantastic to see what color hair tie one of the actors was using, and see the sweat stains on the pants of the main actor after running all over the stage--including up the walls. It was like Acro yoga or Cirque du Soleil stuff, only instead of having a girl perched up on top… it was the male actor-- and there would be men and women on the bottom stabilizing him. AND there was a puppy on the stage. I seriously almost died. There was a little too believable of a chance of me actually running onto the stage when I saw the ridiculousness! He exposed his tummy and wiggled his tail… I don't know how it was PETA approved or what have you… But the dog seemed perfectly happy, and he wasn't on stage for long… and I LOVED him!! There was also a live rat, btw… that happened first, and I thought THAT was a big deal! (The dead dog, in case you were worried, was clearly fake.)

Tuesday I had also tried to get some work done at the British Library, but the reading rooms were entirely filled… I couldn't get access to the books I'd reserved. And it's a LONG schlep out to the library from my flat… Now with too much time before the show, I wandered to a fun veggie restaurant early --read more HP (amazingly good way to kill some time you didn't foresee, btw), and then the show. This restaurant was called Beetroot (British for beet). They do something fun at their restaurants here-- you can buy a box that they fill with all the items you want. I've done this at a couple of places now… The trick is, it's all in the box together… somewhat segmented but not really. I'm fine with this approach… But I know some people who don't like their food to touch that would HATE this!!

That was Tuesday… I clearly finished whatever HP book I was on at that point that night… Wednesday I tried to go back to the library, but no joy… This time there was NO available locker space. I am not sure why the library was so chock-a-block this week, but another long journey wasted… I decided I was done. No more trying to get work done at the library… So, I decided to make my time worth it, I'd go to the Magna Carta exhibit. (Cool for the US stuff, mostly-- copies of Dec of Ind and Bill of Rights and such… That was pretty amazing!! And the actual Magna Carta was cool to see, too. Old and crumbling and impossible to actually read…) I also hung out at a Quaker Meeting House coffee shop I kept seeing nearby… It was a coffee shop… nothing too special. But it did have good Wifi, and a cheap cappuccino. So it is a winner… and with that, I bid the library farewell. Things are ending here-- first the SOAS food forum, now my visiting the BL… Sigh!!

Thursday I was seeing a matinee… which is an annoying time to see a show, as it's pretty tough to plan stuff around it. As the show gets out around 5pm, I can't go anywhere really after it… whereas if it's an evening show I can do museums or markets or whatever up until 5p, then dinner, then the show… and it works out great. ANYWAY, I made time for one museum in the general area of the show--the Dickens Museum in London. I have been MEANING to go the entire semester, of course… so this was my chance. I took a picture of the gate of the actual Marshalsea prison where Dickens and his family lived (before Dickens moved out on his own nearby) when he was a kid. I had taken my class on a walking tour past the place where it really was--and freaked out because they were in the process of tearing the final standing wall down--AS we were talking about it!! At least the museum is keeping a small piece of this place for the history involved…

There are a few more author museums and exhibits I mean to get to before I leave: the Holmes exhibit at the Museum of London--which has the manuscript of Poe's "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and the Benjamin Franklin house--they say is the only standing Franklin residence remaining, but I don't know if I believe this… There are a few more things, too--but these are a couple of the main ones!

Then I had lunch at a lovely veggie place called the Gate... a bit classier than my "all your food in a bowl" place but still with very reasonable lunch prices. Actually the exact same prices now that i think of it... Finally, I went to the Great Gatsby ballet. It was amazing!! I don't know what I was expecting… probably just to give some love to an American text being performed in some way… But I ended up just being enthralled. If you think about it, it totally works. There are all the party scenes at Gatsby's mansion that make for great numbers… and then there are all the love affairs and duet scenes-- those were also fantastic. If anything was lost, it was Nick's part-- he was even less significant in this than in the book. A fun observation: the dancer playing Tom was able somehow in his body language and costuming to play him as a dick… I don't really know HOW he did it-- but he danced with his chest puffed out somehow--and would occasionally punch his hand--and wore a red "power" tie when everyone else wore blue… Anyway, I though that was great! And I loved the way they showed Gatsby's flashbacks… He'd be standing there while two other dancers--young him and young Daisy--were dancing around… It was totally clear what was going on there… The costumes, btw, were amazing-- ballet and 20s flappers were kind of meant to go together. I can honestly say this was the first time I think I really appreciated ballet dancing… They made beautiful shapes with their bodies… and it was so perfectly synchronized…

Coming home from the ballet, I finished HP5 and started HP6… which I am now half way through. I don't know what I'm going to do on the tube once HP is all finished!! I have come to HATE the tube-- in keeping with me hating all forms of commute--whether by car or tube or double decker bus or walking-- I love to travel, and HATE to commute. HP has been magnificent for keeping my mind off the screaming child and coughing stranger right in front of me… Meanwhile, my school readings are NOT so useful… Maybe I'll reread Alice in Wonderland next… That's an old fave and it's been a while… :)

Today--I will work-- I just HAVE to! And I'm supposed to get tickets to a rugby match at Wembley for tomorrow-- (I will report back all about that!)

And so, I'd better start my day… Wish me happy writing! :)

Margate

Margate and Broadstairs turned out to be kind of a let down. Still... even a bad day on the coast is better than a good day off it! I tried to do the Eastern beach towns to balance out the South and West that I love so much… But these towns were a bit dumpy and dated and DEFINITELY not either Bournemouth or Brighton--which remains the favorite of the "local" to London beach towns.

Got my usual early start… and for the first time doing one of these day trips, the weather was decidedly not cooperating. Freezing and crazy windy and overcast all day… even drizzling at times… and sometimes the drizzle was actually the ocean coming up to getcha! (See my photo below.) Fine train ride-- was hoping for some ocean views but no such luck… 

Got into Margate and headed off to the Turner Contemporary Museum… I always try to hit a museum or something and do my bit… It was alright. My favorite piece was this first picture below… A cat self portrait. Excellent!! Of course I got told off after taking this by the museo-nazi, but this shot turned out alright… So I didn't really need another. Typical of contemporary art museums. Half the stuff was kinda interesting and half looked like a deranged kindergartener's work. And I don't care if that makes me sound unsophisticated--I guess perhaps I AM unsophisticated in this way… 

The theme was self-portrait, and it centered around a loaned Van Dyck (made into cupcake decorations, below--my fave element of the museum after the cat self portrait!). Apparently he made it the fashion in Britain to paint self portraits as an artist. There was one of him, Constable and Turner, and even (though probably not surprisingly) Andy Warhol. I also liked seeing lots of 19th century women artists' self portraits… That was cool and felt decidedly modern… :)

Also in keeping with a modern art museum, there was an instillation of cymbals arranged in the front foyer--in front of fabulous windows overlooking the raging gray sea. Visitors were encouraged to gong them and become part of the art…  It was goofy and cool… :) It was beautiful watching the water boil and bubble outside, so I thought later I should go for a bit of a walk on the breakwater… Whoops!!  I got wet! 

Will that teach me, I wonder?? Also while I was at the museum cafe getting "lunch" (and by lunch, I mean a pot of tea and a chocolate Guinness chocolate cake) I finished reading Harry Potter 3 for the billionth time… I brought e-copies with me because I'm JUST that nerdy… (In case you don't already know this, I have the books in old-fashioned American hardcover editions, British editions--so I can read about "jumpers" instead of "sweaters" and that kind of thing, and the e-books. I am now on a quest for cheap versions of the audio books…) It made the time FLY on the way into Margate, and I barely was able to put it down to actually walk around the museum before I basically got lunch for an excuse to sit at the window overlooking the same view as the cymbals piece and finish… :)

(Fun shops around the VERY quiet and half-shuttered Margate downtown area)

 

Finally, I finished the story I've basically got down by heart already, and decided to head over to Broadstairs--Dickens country… Ironically, I still have to visit the Dickens Museum here in London--but I do much of the OTHER Dickens stuff! I never did get quite to Ramsgate--the third in the trio of Margate-Broadstairs-Ramsgate and mentioned in a sketch in Sketches By Boz… But I passed through on the train, and I figured that was good enough for now. There was even less to do in Ramsgate than the other two towns…

Broadstairs actually had two Dickens museums. Both were open, though no one I asked knew that. But I just wandered over to check for myself… and there they were. The first, called the Dickens House, was not ever lived in by Dickens…which is ironic as it's named after him and he lived all over the town! I counted at least three other plaques around the other parts of town… He did visit, and a friend/aunt did live there and she became a character in David Copperfield… The museum was cheap… and I was really trying to give some of my money to the locals… SO I looked at lots of Victorian era stuff… Glove stretchers and an old wedding dress and baby clothes and that kind of stuff. A man's chair from the era and one for women… The difference seemed to be in the arms… The man's chair had arms, and the woman's chair didn't. I assume it had something to do with big dresses…

Then I went up to Bleak House--which EVERYONE said would be closed. But it was partly open--and partly a B&B-- and partly a pirate museum… So THAT was fun!! Actually, the rather cheap pirate cave museum under the house was pretty fun… A lot like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney. And that's not faint praise. It was cool to check out some of that history of the area, in fact… Yo ho! Yo ho! And a bottle of rum… ;)

Then I got to see something actually connected to Dickens for the first time today. His study, his writing desk, and a few chairs that had belonged to him. Oddly enough, they encouraged photography here--maybe they realized that they were fighting a losing battle to NOT let us take all the pictures we wanted… Check out Dickens's view out the window as he wrote!! Swoon and sigh!! Yep--I signed the guest book… And check his (non period) green bank lamp-- I love those things!!

Next, I took a picture of a bleak house (what this museum is called, and what Dickens named on of his books) on an appropriately bleak day… :)

After this, which was perfectly entertaining if strangely organized and laid out… I wandered around the town… I REALLY tried to stay in the area all day. I ALWAYS stay in the towns I visit the WHOLE day-- get into town sometime between 10-12, and leave around 7 or 8pm… I was HOME by 7pm today, though… There was just nothing else to do. I went into antique shops--then realized I didn't want to buy old tea cups and deal with packing them. I tried several used book thrift stores, to decided against their large supply of romance novels and nothing else… I DID get a gelato--in keeping with my theme of eating apparently NOTHING healthy today. I don't know if you remember Brighton having more veggie restaurants than I could visit in a day?? Margate and Broadstairs were NOT like that!! But there were some cute photo ops, and it was kind of nice getting home in time to do laundry--especially as my jeans had crusty salt water on them!! And I was oddly knackered still. I fell asleep on the train on the way back and had to nap for a bit at the flat before I could deal with doing my laundry…

And I have no out of town or theatrical plans for tomorrow. And the weather is still supposed to be pretty crappy. Maybe I'll attempt the Dickens Museum… or return to one of my stand by museums… (tho Sundays there tend to be CHAOTIC--especially on a "let's do indoor stuff" kind of day)… We'll see-- I'm 1/3 of the way through Harry Potter 4, btw. So there is always THAT to finish… ;)

SOAS ends and Happy Days

Today was my last day auditing a seminar at University of London SOAS... A food forum. I didn't really participate in the class... that's kind of the deal with auditing... But I only missed one class (when I had the plague) and I would sit and feel the crackling energy of the group and try to harness it into my book project. I'd write frantically the whole time.

That lasted almost my whole time here...and now it's over. The grad students will now write and study for their exams. And I have given myself a week to see if I can get anything drafted as well.

My project has changed a *ton* this semester. I'm trying to keep primary authors and texts as much as I can. But I want a much more *global* focus now. It won't be global authors or texts, so it has to be global foods. All food items in the lit that aren't native to the US. No corn or squash or what have you... Rather non native, global foods that became very influential to the US. And got written about by some of the biggest authors... And why...

I always enjoyed the feeling at SOAS. Very uni... Kids in jeans and such. I would grab lunch in the student center from a woman who set up shop there selling Caribbean food. Or the Hare Krishnas outside. All veggie of course... One time I stopped on my way and had lunch in a converted public toilet... That was weird!! That kind of stuff I'm gonna miss!

Because that's over now... and I feel a bit misty nostalgic about it. Indeed I found myself wanting a souvenir of some kind. So would you believe they were out of almost everything? But they did have a student created global cookbook fundraiser. Not veggie...but still... done and done!

And here's a pic...

This evening I saw Happy Days...a Beckett play... with Juliet Stevenson (one off those British actors in absolutely everything). She is buried in sand the whole time and trying to convince herself that it's a *Happy Day* while getting buried further throughout the play... And it's just her and occasionally one other actor on the stage the whole time. So basically we watched her talk... And it was fabulous! And I swear the director made it so the ending was ambiguous enough to have a possible happy ending reading to it. Which is amazing in a Beckett play! (Of course it could also be read tragically... it's absurd like that!) I have to read the play now and see if that was his idea or the director's.

I'm glad to see a play with a woman lead when I can. There's not much. It might be worse than Hollywood movies per capita. So this was great!! Ditto people of color btw. Which is why I'm trying to see what I can with some inclusion!

That was last evening... Now I'm off to Margate. Beach town with some Dickens connections. Let's hope the weather cooperates!!

Quiet, mellow, broke week

Which is appropriate, I suppose, after all the Shakespeare and Harry Potter shenanigans… ;)

I have done fantastically little this week--and I'm being as cheap as humanly possible--because what I HAVE been doing is buying all the tickets to all the shows… Sheesh! I might honestly have a problem… and not just with my budget! I made this goal back in January to see 25 shows while I was in London--this after hearing at CAPA that another professor who is here every other semester doing study abroad sees some 50+ shows during her time here. That's 2-3 shows a week, btw! In my usual way, I saw this comment as not JUST a comment, but also a goal. Quickly realizing that there was NO WAY I could do 50 shows while actually doing anything else (I'm out of town most weekends)… I shifted the number to 25. Which is 1-2 shows a week… And totally doable… And actually REALLY fun!!

Of course, no one knows that I've made this goal--and there is no award/punishment for hitting or missing this goal… but that's not how my head works, apparently! It has turned into a bit of a hobby for me to see what's being reviewed, what's got a big discount. What has standing room cheap seats or day-of discount tickets… I pass what info I find along to my students, too… (For example, we're going to be gone before Benedict Cumberbatch comes to do a run of Hamlet… but he WILL be here for another smaller show for just one weekend-- I have a student who is a BIG fan--so I sent her that link. Because we look out for each other here!!)

So--Monday I bought several--and today (Friday) I just grabbed a couple more… After telling myself I wasn't allowed and I had to seek help! In my defense, of course, they were good prices, I never know how long cheap seats will last, YOLO, and especially YOLO in London!!

The list: Romeo and Juliet is coming for one weekend in April to the Globe--so I got standing room tickets for that (the best way--believe it or not--to see stuff at the Globe).
Chiwetel Ejioror (12 Years a Slave, Serenity) in Everyman--I like this guy! And this is the day before I leave, so probably the last thing I see in London.
Great Gatsby Ballet--because-- GREAT GATSBY BALLET!!!
American Buffalo the Monday before I go--press night--and (nosebleeds, but still) I could find tickets for L20!! This show, btw, has John Goodman… and the main guy in Homeland (which I don't watch so this means nothing to me… but JOHN GOODMAN!)
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime… there was this random block of L15 tickets for the front row--otherwise that price was REALLY restricted seating AND legroom (whimper) and it's just solidly rave reviews… so I got that, too…

And that's the list-- looking at it I do feel a LITTLE silly… A twinge of buyer's remorse, possibly… But in the spirit of YOLO, I think I'll forgive myself my buying spree. Some people buy shoes…

Then, I have a ticket tonight for Happy Days--a Beckett play about a woman going about her mundane life as best she can while being buried alive in sand… It stars Juliet Stevenson--one of those British actors who shows up in everything… and I'm really excited about it. It should be interesting!! I'll let you know about that one tonight… :)

OK--so amidst all this quiet and frantic shopping for shows, I also had my two classes and the run-through walk Monday. (That's where I trace out the walking tour so I don't get us all lost the day of…) Wednesday's class was great and will be remembered because I had a friend of Anne's--named Mary Bly--visit the class to talk about the writing process. It was a bit forced--she's a Shakespeare scholar who writes Regency period romance novels on the side… But the other classes pretty much all have visiting speakers--and I felt really bad that neither of my classes really lend themselves to that. Let's face it, when it comes to dealing with food in Twain in London--I really AM the expert! But Mary has been researching the history of pineapples in the US and the UK during her time period--so she was absolutely perfect! The students asked some fun questions, and were just kind of in awe of the Manhattan professor and THAT LIFE. (Let's face it--so was I!!) Both classes came to this part of the class--held at Giraffe, a local chain that was on my list of places I wanted to try, Tall Blondes and all. Then my Thursday students peeled off and the rest of the class was a walking tour of the Bloomsbury area. Where Woolf, Dickens, and Harry Potter all overlap. That highlight is always the Kings Library--I showed its move from the British Museum to the British Library then gave them some (too little--I always overplan these classes) time to visit the Library Treasures room--see the Shakespeare and Jane Austen's writing desk and Beatles lyrics and all that delightful stuff on display. THEN off to Platform 9 3/4 at the end of class. Those who wanted could stay and have their pictures taken, otherwise they could take off.

Then Thursday I brought those students back to the British Library--where earlier we'd registered as readers and done a little research, and I introduced them to the music archives there. I have a student interested in music, so I tracked down Twain's favorite music--black gospel-- and found some old tracks we could listen to. Of course everything was nine times more complicated than they appeared at first, and I got in a little trouble with a perfectly nice (I felt bad when he got all frowny-face at me) librarian (also, the BL is ALWAYS nine times more complicated than I can ever imagine--every time I go). But in the end, we spent half our time listening to recordings of the Jubilee Singers, and then I let them just use the archive for whatever they might want to listen to… Practice on research and such!! Then WE went to Platform 9 3/4. They're not reading HP in class, but come on!, everyone else is getting their picture taken. And it's ok--because Twain was on a train--so it's all connected!!

I'm always surprised how exhausted I am after these classes, but reading it right now--I'm not that surprised after all. They're just exhausting to plan, organize, and then make actually happen in the moment!

I've also read the Harry Potter 1 that is our last reading… I read it (again) in one sitting, because it is itself! I thought-- this is great, I'll reread the rest when I get home… Right!! I have now read book 2 and am well into 3… These will be finished before the month is out! Good thing I have nothing else planned!! ;)

So not a lot of pics in this post--but I will be going to Margate Saturday (tomorrow), so there should be some stuff then! :)

Harry Potter!

Sunday (it's now Monday morning) was all about the one-and-only boy who lived... Squee!! There are moments in our lives when we sign up for something completely tourist-y and obvious… when we know that we're just filing through with the gajillions of others and not having a very authentic/special/individual/whatever experience. Both days this weekend have been exactly that!

Saturday was Stratford Upon Avon, so Shakespeare and his millions of fans making pilgrimages… And Sunday was Harry Potter Studios Tour. It's a kind of frightening concept for a tourist trap: They just recycle the old sets and props and such, and then make people actually pay to see stuff. They have an actual cash cow on their hands, as we are doing it in droves. There were almost no cars in their parking lot-- just rows and rows of tour buses--then there are the shuttle buses that bring people up from the city itself… It was amazing how busy the place was, and it was just as busy when I left--which was getting on towards evening… And they regularly book up/sell out…

It's not exactly the normal kind of amusement park experience. It is really a tour--some guided and some individually paced. First the guided part: we wait in a Disney-styled queue until they let us into a big waiting room--this whole part is reminiscent of a show at Disney-- then they showed a teaser film as we stood there about the global phenomena that was Harry Potter. A kind of introduction to the movies and how the producer decided to make the movie (they know money when they see it). It got us revved up nicely… Actually the best part was seeing the posters in all the different languages. It made me remember the buzz-y movie out when I was in Europe previously (oh so long ago) Titanic. I went around and took pictures of the Titanic movie poster in Hungarian, Spanish, whatever. Same kind of thing with these posters… Seeing Harry Potter spelled out on a Russian movie poster. That's definitely the coolest. The other fun part about these posters is seeing the little kids grow up. That's just amazing!

Beyond film one--about six minutes--is film two. This one was narrated by the trio themselves and introduced us to the concept of the park. That we were running around on the set that THEY ran around on when making the movies. That we'd see Ron's hideous winter formal robes, Hagrid's hut, Dumbledore's office. We could ride the broom against a green screen, walk down Diagon Alley, check out the Knight Bus… all the sets… AND we could see the random way they were laid out: boy's dormitory at Hogwarts right next door to Dumbledore's office…that kind of thing. AND there would be other rooms and areas that would be focused on the different elements of making the movies. Set designers, special effects, CG, models, the whole nine… 

Now that I've done the tour, I've gotta say, it's a heckuva concept for an amusement park. I'd pay to see the same kind of thing for the Lord of the Rings movies, for example… 

Second film sorted, we were guided into the Great Hall… the dining room, with the tables all laid out and mannequins (always so oddly creepy) dressed in the actual costumes of the various actors. So they showed us the differences in the school uniforms over the years as different costume designers got involved with the movies… The ceiling that we all love so is, of course, CGI… this ceiling is just massive lights and structure… we're seeing behind the curtain here!

And that ended the guided portion of the tour… the rest is self-guided, and pretty massive. They recommend all over their website to allow three hours for the tour, and that's just what the group I went with Sunday gave us… And it was really not enough time. Or, rather, it was just enough time, but I felt rushed by the end… So that just gives a sense. They told us at the beginning that the record of someone staying is 13 hours. I'd have no desire to stay THAT long… but I probably could have easily stayed four… 

As it was, I took a very short lunch break--but I had to take SOME break to refuel a bit and have that butter beer-- and also VERY little time at the gift shop in the end… which is a flaw in someone's plan, surely. Though I still managed to spend all my money--so maybe it was just as well that I didn't stay longer there… 

The sets are separated roughly into two halves: the interior sets, then the cafe at about the midpoint (convenient, that), then the exterior sets, then the conceptual rooms: prosthetics, models, animatronics, those kinds of things.

I spent two of my three hours in the interior sets room AND that's without lining up for the green screen experience of riding the broom (all reports say it's totally uncomfortable). I took pictures of all the world… but I'll only put a few up here… serious there were a ton! I loved the boy's dormitory, and I really want Ron's homemade knitted quilt! Hagrid's hut had a display about the various animals involved in the films… and so I got to see a line up of all the Fangs and the Hedwigs, Crookshanks, etc… So cute!! I did really get a kick out of seeing their prom clothes lined up… Other highlights were the Gryffindor common room (I'd always loved those tapestries--and the furniture did look awfully comfortable), a display of the horcruxes, the cat-plate wall of Umbridge's (there but by the grace of god…), a display of the various decrees that Delores instituted--those are always a fun read, and the set of the death eater's scene where Nagini kills the Muggle Studies professor with Snape looking on… Big model snake alerts! :) 

Probably with all the setting-up portions, I was only in this area for a little over an hour, in fact. But it was at about 2:50 that the panic started to set in, time-wise…

So I got my butter beer and a muffin and noshed… The foam wasn't as foamy as the butter beer in Florida… And it's sweet as ever… But it's the kind of thing that one HAS to do. I have a thing about souvenir mugs at all such places, but I was able to withstand it, as I already got one in Florida. :)

At 3pm I was at the outside sets--in a drizzly rain, of course. The Knight Bus, 4 Privet Dr, some Tudor-style shop fronts from Hogsmeade, the bridge where Harry talks with Remus… and trying not to get too wet! Back indoors then for the series of special effects rooms. The animals one was a lot of fun, and got the bulk of my time/attention, I think. :) Animatronic hippogryff alert! The room that got the short shrift, it being about 2:20 by this time (and I was trying to leave 20 minutes for the gift shop) was the concept artist's room… I'm sure it's fascinating… The secret surprise at the end was the Hogwarts model… OM Frigging G!!! It's a great set-up. You walk in, and there's a model. So you take a couple of photos, and think that you're done… But oh-no, you've just started. There is a ramp that goes 360 degrees around the model and down a slope. And the whole time, the model goes with you… you go from one part of the castle to another… then some woods… then an intricate and tiny bridge… then a big front door. Lights turn on and off… and everything could be walked right into--it's all excellently crafted. I don't think I blinked in the 10-15 minutes or so I walked around the thing. I LOVE these kinds of scale models!! What it reminded me of most was the Storybook Island ride at Disneyland… a personal favorite… I love the tiny and perfect element--and it was the same. Just a lot bigger--and you walked around this one, you don't get moved about on a boat like a ride… Anyway, if you ever can't find me, just guess that I've moved here!! :)

AND--I'd done it-- I think it was something ridiculous like 3:40 or 3:45--and I was in the gift shop and had to be to the tour bus by 4pm… so I had planned to be out of the shop by 3:50. Sigh/whimper! And I had a budget of L60 or something like that--and my goal was to spend every pound. Then came the real challenge. Apparently every other tourist in London had the same idea. It was a mosh pit! And I hate crowds like that… But what can I do?? I tried to make a loop/survey of the space and make intelligent choices for people. (Just think of all the gifts to buy for everyone!) Really, though, there was also a frantic quality of just grab whatever comes first. So I didn't even look at t-shirts. No time. I tried to look at key chains and magnets, but there was such a line around them that even *I* couldn't see the pillars or reach in to grab something. I *did* get myself a lovely Ravenclaw keychain (SO ridiculously overpriced--but it was lovely). I won't use it as a keychain, of course, it's crazy heavy. But I have a bit of a collection going, so this will get added in… Got a magnet, a couple of small gifts… and *poof* in five minutes, my money was all gone! Magic!!! Things I thought of but did not buy for myself or others: house design throw pillows (oddly awesome, but how the hell would I pack that home?), mugs (same reason, really, packability), tea towels (I love this idea for souvenirs for people--easy to pack, don't have to worry about sizes--but these were actually pretty ugly), more keychains/magnets (eek! L10 each!!!), and stuffed animals (same reason as pillows). I can always go back… I DID get something for myself and for a few gifts… I'm calling it a success!

Plus, there is always Kings Cross Station right here in London. The tour I took gave us a bit of a coach tour of London-specific sites of the films AND a visit to the (totally FREE) special display of the half-in-half-out trolley into a wall at Platform 9 3/4. They have a queue and everything, and they pose you and toss your scarf to get the effect that you're running to catch your train. It's great and something everyone should definitely do… AND there's conveniently a souvenir shop right next door. So IF I missed anything/anyone at Leavesden Studios, there is always here!!

Overall, the day is a definite must for any fan!! Right up there with Orlando or something similar! And now I have to go back to this thing called the "real world." Sigh!!