Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

“Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

I’m sure that most of you will recognise that opening line; even if you haven’t actually read the books, there are a few clues there.

It is the opening line of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first of the now highly acclaimed series of Harry Potter books by J K Rowling.  Known and loved worldwide, Harry Potter has become a phenomenon and the books and films have touched so many people.  For me, they were an inspiration for a child who was starting to find the books on offer to be lacklustre and uninspiring.  At the time, O was at the age when he was free reading and really needed something fresh and new and someone recommended Harry Potter to me.  I started to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to him and he loved it.  There was something so real about it yet the story was beyond his wildest imagination.  After a few nights, I took the book away and read ahead by myself and that was it we were both hooked.

We read the books together and went to see most of the films together.  At the end of the last film, we both sat there in silence almost with an air of sadness that it was all over.  The end of the Harry Potter era.

Of course, that isn’t really true as one day I will reread all of the books and from time to time I watch the films, but it isn’t quite the same as the first time.

The teen doesn’t often get excited about things but when I told him that we had been invited to the Warner Bros Studio Tour The Making of Harry Potter, he was really pleased, actually visibly pleased and when we arrived today, we both looked at each other and knew that today was going to be a good day.

Recognising the huge popularity of Harry Potter, Warner Brothers have opened the doors to the studios where for nearly a decade the seven films were made.  Offering a unique chance to see first hand the detailed sets, props, costumes and even animatronics that were used in the making of the films.

As soon as you arrive, you know that this is something special and a brief film narrated by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint introducing you to the tour and reminding you that a lot of the younger actors pretty much grew up in these very studios and you feel a real sense of nostalgia watching clips of them on set over the years.

Then it begins.  You are in the Great Hall.  It is just as you would imagine with the tables and crockery set out ready for the next meal. An added bonus is a range of costumes around the room; the robes for each of the four houses, ghostly costumes and at the front the staff costumes from the tiny Professor Flitwick up to the gigantic Hagrid.  It is almost like you are actually entering Hogwarts yourself for the very first time.

Once out of the Great Hall, you are able to follow the tour and take your time strolling past the endless sets and props, taking it all in.  It is not a guided tour (although you can pay for a headset to have a guided tour if you want to) so it is really up to you how long you want to spend there.  The average is three hours, but apparently, the record is thirteen!

For me, it was like revisiting an old friend.  Every set, every prop, every costume reminded you of a scene or a character.  You feel as though you know the Gryffindor Dormitory and Dumbledore’s office. But what soon becomes apparent is the real attention to detail.  Everything is so detailed it is amazing. The wand boxes from Ollivanders are a good example as every box has a proper wand with its own label and there are a lot of them.

As you walk around, there are also lots of videos that you can watch and these give you more of an insight into how some of the special effects were achieved.  I would have liked to have spent more time watching these but having a three-year-old with us meant that didn’t happen.  Maybe next time.

What were the highlights for me?  I am a huge Harry Potter fan and I have to be honest and say that I loved the whole experience from start to finish but when you turn a corner into Diagon Alley, it takes your breath away.  It is really amazing as you walk up the street and peer into the fascinating shop windows just as Harry did that first time.  At the top looking down at you is the ostentatious Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes with the very realistic model showing how the puking pastilles do their thing.

There is also a model of Hogwarts which is just breathtaking.  It is a 1:24 scale model that was constructed for the making of the first film and altered as the other films were made and it has to be seen to be believed. The boys and I just stood and looked opened mouthed at the beauty and the detail and I can only begin to imagine the work that went into creating it.  You can walk all the way around the model and the lighting gently changes to really show the model off to its full beauty.