This is an advanced look at the 2005 trip report.
The full report will be out soon with all the photos
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HP FAN TRIPS 2005
Jill Patterson
July 31st:
Our trip begins! After an overnight flight, my plane descended through thick, early morning clouds and I could finally see the streets and buildings of London. After a smooth landing and exiting customs, I found Alexandra from Beyond Boundaries, who was smiling and shuffling several HP Fan Trip signs for all the groups to meet. We gathered around and excitedly talked about where we were coming from, which group we were with, and what we were all looking forward to – HP Fan Trip 2005!
From the airport, some of us went on to Oxford where we all were to meet up later, and some of us elected to take a panoramic tour of London. I couldn’t pass this up, having spent a wonderful few days in London on the previous year’s HP Fan Trip Those of us doing the London tour boarded a bus and were quickly on our way. I found my roommate, Cindi, was also on the London tour, which was really great that we got to meet up so soon! Roz was our guide, and showed us many of the sights of London and quite a few of Harry Potter fame. We stopped and were allowed off the bus to check many of these out, including Australia House where the Gringott’s Bank scene was filmed in ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’, the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron for ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’, Leadenhall Market where Harry and Hagrid walked through London in ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’, and the famous King’s Cross Station Platform 9 ¾, just to name a just a few!
We took a lunch break in a park near the Tower of London, which had a great view of Tower Bridge and a wonderful art exhibit to browse. Our tour took a few hours to complete, and then we were off to Oxford. We checked into our hotel – a very quaint, historic hotel located right in the middle of Oxford which was recently remodeled and very comfortable – and still had time for a stroll. Oxford is a beautiful, old city with many spired churches, buildings, and colleges. We wandered across a bridge and watched small boats punting on the river, then walked along the streets looking at the shops and buildings. We could have spent hours, but that night was a special night. We had to prepare for Harry’s birthday banquet! We donned our Hogwart’s robes, went downstairs and met Heather, who was to be our excellent group leader for the trip. Heather led us the short distance to Kebel Hall to the reception area where we could get a cold drink and mingle with the other muggles while we waited for everyone to get there. A few minutes later, we entered the dining hall, which was exactly as a Hogwart’s Great Hall should be! There were long tables with glowing candles, fresh fruit, and sparkling with glass, china, and silver. We met our hosts from Beyond Boundaries, and were entertained by the two storytellers joining our trip. We were served a true Hogwarts feast, and then 16 birthday candles were given out. (Yes! I got one!) They were all lit from one another and put on Harry’s birthday cake. We sang 16th ‘Happy Birthday’ to Harry Potter! It was the most wonderful decadent chocolate birthday cake ever! Yum! It was all too soon over, and we headed back to the hotel knowing we had a really special day coming up. But there was one more surprise for us … each of us had a special Alivan’s magic wand waiting for us in our rooms! They would definitely be put to good use!
August 1st:
Today needed an early start, but that wasn’t a problem knowing what was coming up. Today was THE TRAIN! We were going to ride in the train used as the Hogwarts Express in the filming of the Harry Potter movies, pulled by the authentic steam engine! It was going to be a full day on the train traveling through the Lake District, but we had plenty to do. There was a lunch car for those who preferred lunch on the train, or you could select a snack and drink from the lunch counter . There was the Dragon Hunter, who told us all his experiences with dragons and how to handle them. He gave each of us a foam sword so we could practice (a big hit with the kids!). We had divination lessons and fortune telling. Everyone wandered through the train, looking out the windows, checking out every compartment … just in case! We even drove over a viaduct similar to the one at Glenfinnan’s. Our main stop and turning point was Carlisle. We all converged upon the city, walking to the castle, or grabbing a bite to eat. It’s a very picturesque English town with flowers everywhere. After our break, we all returned to the train for the ride back to Oxford. On the ride back, the sweets cart was soon brought around and we all enjoyed wizard candies like chocolate cauldrons, fizzing whizbees, sherbet lemons, and Bertie Bott’s Beans! We had asked for lunch on the train, so we moved to the dining car and were served sandwich halves, pastries, and tea. I also had my first taste of scones with clotted cream and jam. Our server, Richard, seeing we were uninitiated Americans in the way of scones, kindly demonstrated the correct way to prepare a scone – it was delicious! I highly recommend them! And Richard, if you can get him!
We arrived back at Oxford, and our evening was free to do what we wanted. So, a group of us decided to try out a local pub. We sat outside in the warm summer evening in the pub’s garden, drinking a pint and laughing and talking about our trip so far and what was
yet to come.
August 2nd:
This morning was to begin with a tour of Christchurch after breakfast, but first we had a very special lecture to attend. It was located nearby, so we all walked down the street and up a flight of stairs to a lecture room in All Souls College. Professor Robin Briggs gave an excellent lecture on witchcraft and held a question and answer session for us afterwards. There was great interest on the subject, and we ended up asking so many questions, we had to cut it short so the next group could attend. Heather then took us on a walking tour of Christchurch. This historic college and cathedral dates back to 1546. But more recently, it is one of the main filming locations for Harry Potter! The Great Hall at Hogwarts was designed after the Great Hall in Christchurch, which turned out to be just a little bit small for four house tables (Christchurch’s Great Hall only has three). We saw the grand entrance staircase the students used to get to the Hogwart’s Great Hall; the one where Professor McGonagall stood waiting for the new arrivals, tapping her fingers on the balustrade. We saw cloisters and hallways used in filming interior shots, and the Bodleian Library, which is frequently used for Hogwarts’ hospital scenes. We were also taken to a spot with cloisters and courtyard, and while we weren’t told exactly where in there filming had taken place for the new movie, ‘Goblet of Fire’, we were told it involved a ferret!
That afternoon, we were again given free time to explore as we liked, and there was plenty to do. We grabbed some lunch in the covered market and ate on the steps of the Martyrs Monument with the locals. We decided to go see Tolkien’s grave a short bus ride away at Wolvercoate Cemetery. Others did more sightseeing or shopping in the city, and some went punting in boats on the river. That evening, some of us decided to go to Evensong at Christchurch. The choir sang beautifully and we all agreed what a special place it is. But, by that time we also were hungry! We walked to ‘The Eagle and the Child’, which was once frequented by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. We had made arrangements to meet there with others from HPFanTrips, and we all had a great meal and more great conversation. I think we ran them out of fish and chips that night!
August 3rd:
Today was a travel day. We had breakfast then boarded the bus for the ride north towards Scotland. We stopped at Leeds Armoury and had lunch and a look around the extensive weapons and armor collection, including armor owned by Henry VIII. Later that afternoon, we walked down to the Tiltyard, and were treated to a show of jousting and weaponry on horseback. Very impressive when they speared those heads (of cabbage)! Next, we were treated to a private falconry exhibition. The trainer, Liam, told us all about the history and training of falcons for hunting, and then it came out that he had actually worked on the sets of Harry Potter! He had so many interesting things to tell us about, not only the birds, but other animals on the set and how they were trained to do what they do with the actors. We had a thousand questions, and he answered as many as we had time for. Reluctantly, we had to leave as it was again time for us to board the bus and head north to Newcastle where we would spend the night. We arrived with a few hours of daylight left, so we had dinner, and decided to see a bit of the city. We walked up along the river promenade and saw several sculptures, the Millenium Bridge and a giant Ferris Wheel. The younger members of our group took a ride on the Ferris Wheel and exclaimed over the wonderful view they had from the top. By then it was getting late, so we wandered back toward the hotel, enjoying a quiet evening and each other’s company.
August 4th:
This was a day we were all waiting for: Alnwick Castle! We left Newcastle early and were entertained on the way by Heather’s great stories of Henry VIII . We arrived at Alnwick around opening time. It was a beautiful, clear day and the castle was awe-inspiring in the near distance. We were all entranced by a small replica of Hagrid’s Hut along the walkway to the entrance… great photo spot! After entering the castle courtyard, we were led to tour the Alnwick Poison Garden. Our guide showed us many poisonous plants, including nightshade and mandrake plants, though we left them safely planted in the ground. After the garden tour, we had the day to enjoy the vast expanse of the castle grounds. Our first guided tour led us around the castle. Our castle guide pointed out the many places where Harry Potter scenes were filmed. We saw where the flying lesson was filmed for ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’, and where Neville supposedly hung after falling off his broom. We saw the courtyard where the Weasley’s flying car landed and the tunnel it drove through as it escaped to the Dark Forest, and the grounds where Hagrid brought in the immense Christmas tree to Hogwarts. Many exterior shots of Hogwarts were filmed here, and it looked vaguely familiar as we walked around, though most of us had never been there before. There were also tours available for inside the castle. The entrance to the dungeons (a locked door in a cellar floor where ‘persons out of favor’ were kept) was first, followed by the chapel, and the family staterooms. This castle is the actual home to the Duke of Northumberland, his wife, 4 children, and 7 dogs. They stay elsewhere during the summer, but return to the castle in the winter. It was really interesting to see the very old castle furnishings and heirlooms along with a modern flat screen television in the corner and family pictures interspersed throughout it all.
That afternoon, it was time for Quidditch! This was played on a nearby school sports field in the town. The buses took us there or we could walk as it was fairly close by. There was time to play 3 exciting games before a short downpour chased us back to the castle. There was still much to see! There was a court jester entertaining children with magic tricks, dancers, a bagpiper and drummer playing in the courtyard, a stable area with crafts for children and an extremely large chessboard - for a quick game of wizard chess of course! And the castle gift shop featured all kinds of goods, including some Harry Potter items and one large black and white castle cat (not for sale).
At 6pm, the castle closed to the public, and we had the place to ourselves! We entered a large side building where the walls were decorated from top to bottom with tapestries, game trophies, and hunting items. We had an excellent feast here, and were again entertained by the stories and legends told by our storytellers. We even did a little activity where we were given small, polished stones and told to draw our favorite rune on them. I think it is safe to say many drew a lightning bolt to remind us of our favorite wizard! After dessert, we again boarded the bus for the evening ride to Scotland. We were tired and it was great just to relax and watch the scenery. Our bus driver, ‘Super’ Dave even put in a movie for us to watch. We made a quick stop at the border for Scotland, and rushed out so we could jump from one country to the other, than back on the bus! It didn’t seem long at all before we arrived at our hotel in Edinburgh. It was night and we had a beautiful view of Edinburgh castle on the hill high above us. It was lit with red and blue lights and looked absolutely magical! But, we needed to get to bed so we could start out fresh in the morning and explore Edinburgh.
August 5th:
The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel, and Heather took us on a short walking tour of Edinburgh. She pointed out Deacon Brodie’s Tavern (Edinburgh’s Jekyll and Hyde), the Scottish Low Courts (even got us a brief glimpse inside of that!), the Scotland Museum, and The Elephant House, a tea room where JKR had written parts of her HP books! We ended up at the castle entrance, where we were turned loose on Edinburgh! I think most all of us toured the castle first. It is high on top of an old volcanic hill and has a great view of the city of Edinburgh. Our guide was a very informative and we all liked his kilt, too! He explained to us the different parts of the castle, and pointed out where the Crown Jewels of Scotland where, and the Great Hall where JKR had done a reading for children on the night ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ was released. Afterwards, we ventured into the city of Edinburgh and did a little shopping then had lunch at the Elephant House of course! We chatted with the manager who was very happy to talk to us about JKR and even tell us where she usually sat to write. Afterwards, we went to the Scotland Museum and looked specifically for the Lewis Chess pieces - the chess pieces in HP were modeled after them. It’s a fantastic place and we could have spent hours in there. However, we had tickets for a tour of Mary King’s Close, so off we went. If you don’t know what that is, look it up. Very, very historic and really worth seeing, but not if you’re claustrophobic! We then walked down High Street to HolyRood House where the Queen stays when in Scotland, then to the hotel for a rest. Back at the hotel, there were long lines for the Wizard Virtual Reality game. This is always a popular event and a guaranteed fun time! But this evening we had another fun event to attend! We rested up a bit, donned our wizard robes and headed out for Edinburgh Vaults. We entered a street level restaurant and were directed down stairs into two old stone rooms with arched stone ceilings and decorated with fiber optic lights and candles. We sat at trestle tables and enjoyed a wonderful buffet. There was much mingling, talking, laughing, and pictures being taken. After our meal, we lined up to a small door in a corner that no one seemed to notice before. Through that door was the Edinburgh Vaults. These are underground stone arched rooms with dirt and stone floors that are centuries old. It was dark, a little wet and very, very quiet. We had a guide who took us through the rooms and told us of ghost sightings. It seemed just the place to have ghosts. The guide even seemed a little nervous. But then she would let out a scream just to keep us on our toes, I guess. It worked. In one room, she told us of the ghost of a woman in black that has frequently been seen crying and crouching in a corner. Just happened to be the corner I was standing near, too. While she was talking, we all heard a stone drop in that corner. Utter silence. Well, it’s an old stone room. Stones could drop. She started talking again, but again a stone dropped. Well this time we knew why! Super Dave, our bus driver was having his little joke on us, and tossing pebbles! Well, he almost got tossed! No, really, we all laughed and teased him and it was a fun time. Although, I don’t think I’d ever want to be down there alone. We then went back into the banquet room and Amy, our storyteller, told us the story of ‘The Hand of Glory.’ That’s kind of a creepy story, but it was perfect for the place! We were all having such a great time we hated to call it a night, but we had one more big day ahead of us!
August 6th:
This was the day I was really looking forward to: a trip to the Scotland Highlands to see Glenfinnan Viaduct! THE viaduct the train rides over in about every HP movie! And I will say this: anyone who hasn’t been to the Scotland Highlands, you have to go! Beautiful! I was in such awe as we rode through the Scottish Highlands. Heather was blooming here and there, and sometimes it would be misty rain, but this is Scotland! It was a long ride to Glenfinnan, and we made a few stops to get out and stretch our legs and get a snack. One stop was Glencoe. This was where the scenes for Hagrid’s Hut were shot for ‘Prisoner of Azkaban.’ Hagrid’s Hut isn’t there anymore, but it is still such a gorgeous place. You could almost expect to see Hagrid walking about. We finally reached Glenfinnan, and it was absolutely breathtaking! The loch stretches out for miles before the Highlander statue high on a column, and if you walk up the peaty path to the lookout, turn around, and there in the distance is Glenfinnan Viaduct! You couldn’t ask for a prettier place! The ferns were nearly waist high – just like in ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ when Sirius heads down the hill for the lake and the dementors. There was black peat all around and huge black slugs that would make Ron Weasley proud! It was wet from that day’s misty rain, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. After we had lunch, we headed back to Edinburgh. Tonight was the Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. We arrived back in plenty of time to freshen up and have dinner at one of the local pubs. The Tattoo is world famous, and tickets sell out quickly, but Jeannie from Beyond Boundaries came through for us! At dark, we joined the throngs of people waiting to enter and finally cleared security. We all ran for our seats as the show was already starting. The castle was again spotlighted in changing colors, and an immense marching band of bagpipers entered the arena, which was right in front of the castle. It was so impressive! There were bagpipers and marching bands, Scottish and Russian dancers and a performing children’s motorcycle club. There was also a enactment of a military maneuver with soldiers trying to recover the Scottish Crown Jewels from would-be thieves … trucks speeding around the arena, soldiers shooting and rappelling down from the castle ramparts. But when the lone bagpiper played from the top of the castle everyone become very quiet. It brought on an intense feeling of being in Scotland and experiencing part of a great history – definitely brought chills. All in all, it was very entertaining and exciting and ended all too soon. And so did our trip.
Most of us were leaving early in the morning to go home, so we said our sad goodbyes to new and old friends that night, with promises to keep in touch and exchange pictures. We had all been brought together by a common love of stories about a boy wizard named Harry Potter. I have met the most wonderful people and made such happy memories on this trip that I will keep forever. Thanks so much, Jeannie and Beyond Boundaries for bringing us all together.
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HP Fan Trips™
Oxford/Scotland
(July 3-11, 2006)
London/Scotland
(July 3-11, 2006)
Location Location Location
(July 3-11, 2006)
Scotland Only
(July 6-11 2006)
Mini-Week
(July 7-11 2006)
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