Before I get to the spectacular day that was my Wednesday, I have to play some catch-up. Tuesday morning we got up early in order to see the torch run by Kingston University. I honestly thought it was a little anti-climactic. Don’t get me wrong, it was still extremely cool to see the torch, but I thought there would be a bigger parade or something that went with it. So I guess I’d say it didn’t match my expectations. But it was still something that I probably won’t get to do again, so it was still pretty cool. After that, I went back to finish my final paper for my Shakespeare class before heading out to see Richard III. Thankfully it wasn’t raining for this performance! It actually hasn’t rained at all this week, which is pretty spectacular. The play itself was really good, all of the actors did an amazing job. Roger Lloyd-Pack who played Barty Crouch Sr. in Harry Potter played Buckingham, and Mark Rylance played Richard, who was the first Art Director at the Globe. Pretty cool, and they both did a fantastic job. After the play, we walked around London a little, to take in the view of London at night, which is absolutely gorgeous.
Now we’re to Wednesday, one of the best days, if not the best day, I’ve had since I came to London! It all started off with leaving bright and early in order to make it to Middlesex University to see Rupert Grint carry the torch. Of course, it was the hottest day London has seen all year, which made standing on the side of the street a little difficult, but it was worth it! Diana Gould, the oldest person to carry the torch, took it into the University for lunch, and Rupert was the one to carry it out. So cool! And all the while they had music playing, people handing out things, and people taking pictures. The atmosphere was so energetic, despite it being really hot. It’s definitely something I’m going to remember forever.
After seeing Rupert carry the torch, I made my way to Leavesden Studios, for the Making of Harry Potter tour! I had to take a train and a bus to get there, but it was so amazing! I couldn’t stop smiling on the way to the Studios, and once we got there, I was just in awe. This is where so much of Harry Potter was filmed! It definitely was the highlight of my trip. I got there a little early, so I grabbed a bite to eat, then looked around the shop, where I could have spent sooooooo much money. There were so many things I wanted, but they were all so expensive! Anyway, I got in early, and the amazement began! I had goosebumps when we were sitting and waiting to be let into the actual studios. I was kind of amazed at how many younger kids were there, and I have to say, I felt a little sorry for them because they will never experience the true excitement of Harry Potter. They won’t have grown up with it, like so much of our generation has. They won’t feel the excitement in the air at a midnight book or movie release, won’t grow up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I’m glad that our generation got to experience this, that we got to grow up with Harry. It’s something that will probably make an impression on us for the rest of our lives.
Anyway, seeing all the props and stuff made me realize how much time and effort went into making this amazing book series come to life. I mean, I knew there were a lot of people that worked on it, but seeing it all in person is just amazing! There’s so much detail put into every little prop, and I love it. It shows how dedicated they were to making JK Rowling’s books come to life. I could definitely go back there again and again.
Now we’ve come to Thursday, the last day of class. I can’t believe this experience is almost over already! It seems like I just got there. But in a little less than 2 days, I will be saying goodbye to London and hello to Holland. But for now, I will enjoy it while I’m here. The next time you hear from me, I’ll probably be back in the good old state of Michigan. Until then, happy reading! 🙂