Here is the latest blog from our student and graduate journalists. 

 

Julie McLaughlin juggles her time between student life at Caledonian University and attempts to teach her dog to dance.

TWO words emerging through a wall of clouds on a stormy night, as a tune that can spark both fear and excitement plays eerily, luring you in to perhaps the best few hours of your life.  Harry Potter.

That same memorable tune acted as a welcome mat to the Harry Potter studios in London last weekend, when all my childhood dreams came true.

What is there not to love about a world of magic, where teenagers are flying brooms and getting up to absolute mischief, all the while fighting a bald guy with no nose?

So when the opportunity presented itself and I was finally able to see behind the scenes of my childhood I had to jump at the chance.

Whilst people say don’t meet your heroes and there was a chance that seeing behind the scenes may in fact take the magical element away from the books and films, it was a chance I was willing to take.

As we were ushered in to a room with the advertisements for each film displayed on the wall, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the reality of the situations and as a video played explaining the beginning of the story, with the score playing of the top; I felt my eyes fill up. Each part of it reminded me of my childhood.

The vast array of props, costumes and sets each displayed in a way that made you feel like you were in fact a student at the school. I became quickly mesmerised by the whole experience, my eyes alight as I struggled to take everything in; without entering in to fan girl mode and becoming a blubbering mess.

Not to mention the fact that it had carrots chopping themselves, scarves magically were being knitted and pots stirring themselves. Then of course if the films props and sets where not enough to absorb there was the opportunity to fly a broom and hop in the flying car. That lets be honest, harry potter fan or not, everyone would love to do. I was only just able to contain myself as I put on the Slytherin robe and watched myself flying over Hogwarts on a broom.

I could have spent all day in the studio, marvelling over the wonders of the wizarding world. However when the time came to leave I was assured that I could mark it as one of the most overwhelmingly perfect days of my life.