Bethany In The Big City

18.1.15

A trip to Hogwarts- Part 1

The 22nd December was the best day of my life....for many reasons. Firstly, I had the day off work, secondly, it marked my anniversary with Mr AN and thirdly, I went to Hogwarts! Mama T very kindly gave me two tickets to the Harry Potter studio tour experience almost a year ago, so I finally managed to find a day free to go.

My fellow muggle AN and I hopped aboard the Hogwarts express and made our way toward the most magical place on earth, yes, Watford.

From the moment the doors to the great hall opened I became well and truly immersed in all things Potter. The crowds gasped as the door was pushed open and we were welcomed to Hogwarts, just as Harry Potter was.

The main reason I waited until December to visit was because the great hall was set up for Christmas, with tables loaded with goodies made by the house elves in the kitchen and garlands adorning the statues and mantels. Snow fell from the magical ceiling and fires flicked in the grate, everything was perfect and helped to completely transport me to Hogwarts.

I couldn't stop taking pictures of every little thing, so please excuse the photo overload in this post!

I loved that even the Christmas puddings had been set alight, it really was the minute details that really make this magical world so special and so real to all those who believe in Harry.

We wondered slowly through the maze of sets, props and costumes finding ourselves in the Weasley's kitchen, Dumbledore's office and the Gryffindor corridor.

Every little thing had been remembered, with sweet wrappers littering the common room and Chudley cannon posters in the dorm. This of course meant that I took twice as long as everyone else, trying to take everything in and spotting all the details.

The mound of props was my favourite as I was able to spot bits from each film and even things that were impossible to notice on the films but all helped to fully create this wonderfully believable world. It was a little like being in my own personal heaven, which closely resembled the room of requirement. Perfect.

Just a quick stop in the chamber of secrets....good job I am fluent in Parseltongue.

Archie decided to test the special effects and put his hand in the fire, only to discover it was all a fake! There is no smoke without fire!

Couldn't resist a quick look in the mirror of Erised to see what my heart truly desires! You know what they say, nothing is hotter than a boy who likes Potter!

Of course, any trip to Hogwarts would not be complete without a visit to the main man himself, so we popped into Dumbledore's office for a catch-up and sherbert lemon.

The best start to the most incredible day! More to come soon!

Mood - completely potty for Potter!

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11.1.15

The Table

I love a good brunch. Especially a brunch involving a good friend and my boy. Just before Christmas MW, AN and I decided to check out The Table a cafe in Southwark that uses all fresh ingredients that takes pride in sourcing their ingredients ethically. The cafe also does lots of charity work, so they are basically an all round good bunch serving an all round good brunch!

Open kitchens are amazing and seeing the chefs whipping up tasty dishes makes the whole dining experience that little bit more satisfying.

The atmosphere of the cafe is open and light with brunchers all sitting around long tables, sharing their love for food. Twinkly stars adorn the ceiling and beautiful christmas trees were the perfect finishing touch.

I went for the eggs royale whilst my beautiful date MW chose the eggs benedict. Both were delicious with a rich and creamy hollandaise sauce and light and fluffy muffins.

AN was feeling particularly hungry, as usual, and decided to have a ginormous chocolate milkshake and a bagel, bacon and beans stack. I am told it was tasty, but sadly it didn't stay on the plate long enough for me to sneak a bite.

AN's particular highlight was finding Nicholson Street on the way home.....simple pleasures in life!

Some photos were taken by the wonderful, if a little camera shy, MW! Thanks MW.

If you are in the area I would definitely recommend popping by and enjoying a lazy brunch with friends.

Mood - satisfied.

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5.1.15

Blenheim Palace

Back in the deep dark depths of December AN and I decided that a weekend in the country would be the perfect way to get into a Christmassy mood and banish the winter blues. I have been wanting to visit Blenheim Palace for many years, since studying the Victorian era for my degree and so, we packed up our wellies and jumpers and hit the road to Oxfordshire.

Blenheim is beautiful and dominates the surrounding parkland, creating a truly breathtaking sight when you drive through the expansive gates and catch your first glimpse. We completely underestimated the size of the palace and quickly decided to spend the whole weekend there, one day inside the palace and the second day exploring the expansive grounds and hedge maze.

The inside was magnificent and was made even more impressive by the setting up of a banquet ready for a wedding celebration. We explored the maze of rooms, each more glittering that the last and culminating in a bright and sunny library, packed top to tail with thick hard-back volumes.

The visit was even more special as the palace had been prepared for Christmas, with sparkly lights adorning trees, holly and garlands dressing the mantels and the wonderful smell of Christmas spice wafting throughout.

I couldn't resist a couple of pictures with the trees and lights!

A was fascinated by the Churchill exhibition and by the tour guide who seemed older that the palace itself. I was more then happy to follow behind and play photographer. Preferring to soak it in alone than listen to historical facts.

Following a perfect and exhausting day we checked into a charming B and B (The Bell) in a nearby village called Charlbury, which we can't recommend enough.

We quickly bagged the sofa by the fire and spend the rest of the evening sipping wine, reading papers and toasting our toes by the fire. Later the lovely landlady served us huge bowls of bangers and mash, followed by sticky toffee pudding, which put us into a contented and satisfied trance for the rest of the night.

The next morning after the longest lie in and biggest breakfast we explored the grounds of the palace, starting with the formal gardens and then discovering the maze. The signs told us the maze would take 20 minutes to solve, however 40 minutes later we were no further to the centre!

We finished our visit with a trip to the Harry Potter tree down by the lake. A tree made famous as the tree Snape and Lily lie under in the final film! This may quite possible have been the highlight of my visit....maybe.