Harry Potter 25th Anniversary

 

On May 7th Warner Brothers Studios - Leavesden, will introduce a new program celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Philosipher's Stone.

Enjoy a new show explaining the secrets of sound effects, as well as demonstrations of the magic used to film quiddich matches and other flying scenes in the series. You'll also be able to experience Wizard's Chess on the same scale that Harry, Ron, and Hermione played before Quirrel met his demise.

As I've previously reported, this tour is one of the best entertainment-based presentations I've ever experienced. If you have plans to be anywhere close to the metro London area, I strongly suggest making time to catch a train to Watford Junction to visit the studios at Leavesden.

Reminder - tickets must be booked prior to your arrival!

Full details on the First Year at Hogwarts can be found here.

Upcoming Trip

 I'm reasonably sure my wife doesn't read my blog unless I tell her there's something I'd like her to take a look at, so here's a sneak peak at our upcoming trip, that I'm almost certain she has forgotten about.

When we took our cruise from Bayonne last November we spent an extra night in New York, the first time we visited that amazing city since our daughter's 16th birthday, in 2012. If you'd like to review the details of that adventure it's right here. (It will open in a new window, so you won't lose your place.)

As luck would have it, just prior to that trip it was announced that Tom Felton would be joining the cast of Cursed Child to reprise his role as Draco Malfoy - the week AFTER we had tickets for the show.

UGH!

While waiting for our flight home at the end of the cruise I thought it would be an epic surprise to go back to New York in the spring and see Mr. Felton.

Then I discovered that Daniel Radcliffe would be on Broadway in Every Brilliant Thing.

The wheels started turning.

Tickets, showtimes, dates, hotel, flights, restaurants; a mass of Venn diagrams. Maybe we visit during our anniversary? Nope - that won't work. Two sequential evening shows? Hmm, those tickets were a bit pricey. Ah, Brilliant Thing has a Wednesday matinee, we can make that work! Tickets for Cursed Child Thursday evening? A bit better than Friday or Saturday.

We had our dates.

Convenient hotel - procured. Rates are decent for New York, location is good. 

Flights booked (again, flying on a Tuesday tends to be a more economical choice.)

The big reach - dinner reservations at a bucket-list restaurant.

Reservations for April opened up this morning, and we now have a table at Le Bernardin. If Eric Ripert makes an appearance during our visit I may just keel over on the spot.

We haven't done a trip of this nature in a very long time, so I'm looking forward to this getaway.

More for Harry Potter Fans

WB Studio Tours in Leavesden (Watford Junction) have announced a new offering for fans of Harry, Ron, Hermione, et al. Currently planned for a limited run, beginning the end of March, 2026 and going through mid-April. Guests who choose this option participate in a behind-the-scenes tour featuring costume design and hands-on creative activities in addition to the studio tour. Guests also receive a collectible enamel-pin badge commemorating their participation.

Workshops are at 15:00 on the days offered, and access to pre-sale registration has just opened.

Check out the Mastering the Magic web page for complete details.

Unless the program is extended I'll unfortunately not be able to enjoy this activity, so let me know what you think.

Not a Vlogger

 The title says it all. We enjoy watching vlog content, and have a few that we follow on a semi-regular basis, but that's not us.

Copenhagen

We like the traditional blog methodology. 

It allows us to make notes as things happen, then assemble those notes into a post and add photos (almost always our original photos) then get the post online in short order. If we're cruising we can do this while sitting at a bar sipping umbrella drinks. If we're staying in a hotel we can type things in the evening while relaxing, or in the morning while others are getting ready for the day. No cumbersome video editing, no concerns with being intrusive or disturbing anyone else's vacation, no need for additional equipment, no concerns about licensing issues associated with random music playing in the background.

It's just simpler.

It also fits my slight neurodivergence. I'm a reader more than a listener, and I tend to get annoyed when vloggers are redundant at any level. I prefer to read, so I prefer to write for others with the same preference. 

This means Google downgrades my ratings because I don't have videos to keep people entertained and tells me I have "low quality" content - even though it's 100% original, doesn't promote partner links, and contains exactly zero links that earn commission on anything. We link to the services and products we use and find useful. That's all.

Our goal is, and has always been, to share our experiences and, hopefully, inspire others to seek out and enjoy their own experiences.

So, if you find something you enjoy, please share it with others and help spread the word. In the meantime, if you're looking for some vlog content, some friends have been working on getting their YouTube channel established along with their FaceBook presence. Art and I trace our connection back to Silicon Valley during the emergence of Linux as a market force back in the late 1990's. He has upgraded his preferred form of transportation from freelance rail travel to the luxury of a modern cruise ship.

You can find Team Tyde on YouTube and on Facebook

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