PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
You'll have to fly south for the winter to kick this duck.....
UK Wanderings - PART 2 - Add a bit of Magic of The Large and Small Screen...
- Thread starter queenie82
- Start date
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
I did....I told you I'm back.....and given it's about 10 degrees outside....
That's Winter enough to me
I assure you...
I'm known for kicking our quacking brethren...
Despite DBF's love for them...he's a pom....what can I say...except that he doesn't like the flying rats
That's Winter enough to me
I assure you...
I'm known for kicking our quacking brethren...
Despite DBF's love for them...he's a pom....what can I say...except that he doesn't like the flying rats
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
Welcome to Part 2 of my UK wanderings 
This time we will be featuring Southern England as well as I bring you Highclere Castle (as featured in the TV show Downton Abbey) and the new "Making of Harry Potter" attraction at the studios where it was made in Leavesden. As well as Warwick castle, and some more from the Ironbridge area.
As always I will begin with my journey as the experience was slightly different this time. The merger of Continental and United has now been completed but the 'perks' of different levels has been a moving target, as has the flight times (a bit) and the price.
I again flew to London Heathrow via San Francisco, but this time with a 2 hour layover in San Fran going over, and the 6 hours coming back. As a Silver member in Mileage Plus my perks had been cut unfortunately, including from booking to when I was checking in. What changed? Well some of you may be aware that the commoner travelling now pays $70 for the second checked bag of 23kg. This is the same now for a Silver member. When I booked I was assured there was a free bag. When I went to check in it was a $70 fee. The lady at Check in at Sydney airport waived the fee. However on the way home the surly British United staff did not. For whatever reason the American crews are so far superior to he British crews on United. The same goes for the ground staff.
What is the irony of this? After my final of the 4 flights I changed to Gold Status. This gives me 3x32kg free checked bags on any United flight and 2x23kg free bags on any Star Alliance carrier. Go figure...
The other difference with Silver is that you DO get free access to Economy Plus...but only at check in 24hrs in advance.
Due to a quirk of aircraft change I managed to score window seats on all flights...although I might have been better off on the wing for the first flight.
That's right....a baby from HELL. Can I please ask all parents that if your child is still one to scream for 5-6 hours non stop (no matter how much nursing and rocking you give it)....do not take them on a 14hour flight. And if you do (but I beg you please don't)...at LEAST ensure you have a bassinet row rather than the last row of economy plus which gives you minimal recline and little space on your lap once the person in front of you reclines.
I have said before that I have sympathy for babies on take off and landing as they have no idea why their ears are hurting. But this was mid flight it became hell. This flight wasn't particularly bumpy or noisy otherwise. The only reason toddlers and other youngsters would fret a bit was because of this screaming machine.
So having had no sleep and now a migraine I proceeded to SFO customs....where I picked the wrong queue (despite hurtling ahead of a flight from Japan and China)...and waited 50mins. (I think the best I'd have done if I'd not scored a slow queue was 35mins though...at best.) I took all of 2 mins at the counter as a frequent visitor... and proceeded briskly to security. After rechecking my bags. Given the wait here too I had no option but to go through the Body scanner 
as I simply didn't have time for a thorough pat down. As it was I was putting my belt back on once I got to the final queue....to board the aircraft.
That's right...the ONE flight that boards on time...the one I got to after boarding commenced despite arriving in a sweaty heap.
It was at this point the result of the aircraft change became truly apparent. You see by changing the layout...window seats 'became' middle seats. This had been spotted when logging into my account so I shifted myself back into a window seat. But those not checking arrived unaware. In anycase...I had my window seat in Economy Plus...and there was noone in the middle
I also found something else on this aircraft...
I don't think I have to say anymore...other than that as good as this was. It will never cause me to choose an airline. I will choose on price, baggage allowance, route and timing. The guy in the aisle used it sometimes, but used his ipad the rest of the time. Me?? I wished and hoped for sleep. But after screaming baby and the rush for this flight...it was hopeless. It was also a very bumpy flight. So I did use the screen for a bit...including watching the final Harry Potter film (part 2 of book 7)...but especially for a film such as HP which is visually very dark. The colour rendering (as I've found with other airlines with in seat screens) is so poor the film is difficult to see.
The best part was an American crew. Quick and efficient as always.
Amusingly when I changed over to viewing the map of where we were...we flew straight over Birmingham (which is near where I was to be based).............before our holding pattern over a foggy Heathrow.
In the conversing between the captains and air traffic control it became clear the weather was a clear issue, exacerbating delays. However as I was arriving a bit after 5am...this wasn't a huge delay. I was happy for our captain to join the queue and hear reports back from other landing aircraft about the degrees of wind shear being experienced.
What was ours?
Although a bit rocky passing through the last few hundred metres of air...it was a perfect landing. As always with United in my experience.
Some of you might have been hearing about delays at Heathrow in Customs? Not for me. Took all of ten mins from queue to baggage carousel. Of course....we arrived at Terminal 1...bright and early...
Not even the armed police were in the baggage area.
I don't doubt terminals 4 and 5 have and will experience delays during the olympics though...
My priority tagged bags arrived at the carousel quickly...and I was straight through to my waiting hug
This time we will be featuring Southern England as well as I bring you Highclere Castle (as featured in the TV show Downton Abbey) and the new "Making of Harry Potter" attraction at the studios where it was made in Leavesden. As well as Warwick castle, and some more from the Ironbridge area.
As always I will begin with my journey as the experience was slightly different this time. The merger of Continental and United has now been completed but the 'perks' of different levels has been a moving target, as has the flight times (a bit) and the price.
I again flew to London Heathrow via San Francisco, but this time with a 2 hour layover in San Fran going over, and the 6 hours coming back. As a Silver member in Mileage Plus my perks had been cut unfortunately, including from booking to when I was checking in. What changed? Well some of you may be aware that the commoner travelling now pays $70 for the second checked bag of 23kg. This is the same now for a Silver member. When I booked I was assured there was a free bag. When I went to check in it was a $70 fee. The lady at Check in at Sydney airport waived the fee. However on the way home the surly British United staff did not. For whatever reason the American crews are so far superior to he British crews on United. The same goes for the ground staff.
What is the irony of this? After my final of the 4 flights I changed to Gold Status. This gives me 3x32kg free checked bags on any United flight and 2x23kg free bags on any Star Alliance carrier. Go figure...
The other difference with Silver is that you DO get free access to Economy Plus...but only at check in 24hrs in advance.
Due to a quirk of aircraft change I managed to score window seats on all flights...although I might have been better off on the wing for the first flight.
That's right....a baby from HELL. Can I please ask all parents that if your child is still one to scream for 5-6 hours non stop (no matter how much nursing and rocking you give it)....do not take them on a 14hour flight. And if you do (but I beg you please don't)...at LEAST ensure you have a bassinet row rather than the last row of economy plus which gives you minimal recline and little space on your lap once the person in front of you reclines.
I have said before that I have sympathy for babies on take off and landing as they have no idea why their ears are hurting. But this was mid flight it became hell. This flight wasn't particularly bumpy or noisy otherwise. The only reason toddlers and other youngsters would fret a bit was because of this screaming machine.
So having had no sleep and now a migraine I proceeded to SFO customs....where I picked the wrong queue (despite hurtling ahead of a flight from Japan and China)...and waited 50mins. (I think the best I'd have done if I'd not scored a slow queue was 35mins though...at best.) I took all of 2 mins at the counter as a frequent visitor...
and proceeded briskly to security. After rechecking my bags. Given the wait here too I had no option but to go through the Body scanner as I simply didn't have time for a thorough pat down. As it was I was putting my belt back on once I got to the final queue....to board the aircraft.That's right...the ONE flight that boards on time...the one I got to after boarding commenced
despite arriving in a sweaty heap.It was at this point the result of the aircraft change became truly apparent. You see by changing the layout...window seats 'became' middle seats. This had been spotted when logging into my account so I shifted myself back into a window seat. But those not checking arrived unaware. In anycase...I had my window seat in Economy Plus...and there was noone in the middle
I also found something else on this aircraft...
I don't think I have to say anymore...other than that as good as this was. It will never cause me to choose an airline. I will choose on price, baggage allowance, route and timing. The guy in the aisle used it sometimes, but used his ipad the rest of the time. Me?? I wished and hoped for sleep. But after screaming baby and the rush for this flight...it was hopeless. It was also a very bumpy flight. So I did use the screen for a bit...including watching the final Harry Potter film (part 2 of book 7)...but especially for a film such as HP which is visually very dark. The colour rendering (as I've found with other airlines with in seat screens) is so poor the film is difficult to see.
The best part was an American crew. Quick and efficient as always.
Amusingly when I changed over to viewing the map of where we were...we flew straight over Birmingham (which is near where I was to be based).............before our holding pattern over a foggy Heathrow.
In the conversing between the captains and air traffic control it became clear the weather was a clear issue, exacerbating delays. However as I was arriving a bit after 5am...this wasn't a huge delay. I was happy for our captain to join the queue and hear reports back from other landing aircraft about the degrees of wind shear being experienced.
What was ours?
Although a bit rocky passing through the last few hundred metres of air...it was a perfect landing. As always with United in my experience.
Some of you might have been hearing about delays at Heathrow in Customs? Not for me. Took all of ten mins from queue to baggage carousel. Of course....we arrived at Terminal 1...bright and early...
Not even the armed police were in the baggage area.
I don't doubt terminals 4 and 5 have and will experience delays during the olympics though...
My priority tagged bags arrived at the carousel quickly...and I was straight through to my waiting hug
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
As always I was based in Shropshire. This did call for some long days then as I would be travelling south...and no matter when you travel (except about 3am) you WILL encounter traffic. In part due to the "finish by the Olympics" roadworks.
Having arrived on the Sunday. I booked Harry for Tuesday morning...at 10am. This attraction has timed ticketing whereby you choose a time to join the queue to enter. This is found at many places these days. Once you're "in" you can stay as long as you like. Only the first part is "guided". But you can't enter BEFORE your time.
The weather and traffic were terrible. We allowed for 2.5hours to arriving at the suggested 20-30mins before your time (as you have to pick your tickets up after bringing your confirmation) But we arrived bang at 10am. To say it was a stressful drive as I didn't know what to expect (given the warning of "NO GUARANTEED ENTRY IF LATE") is an understatement...but...here is what happened....and I would EXPECT it to be the case at least in the first few hours of the day.
If you are late it isn't a HUGE drama. It is in essence an "enter after" ticket. So especially given the weather the odds were lots would be late. And once I got to the guy who assisted me in retrieving my tickets. He said...just go in and join the queue when you're ready. So I joined the queue for the audio guide pick up (which I barely used. Honestly. Unless you REALLY like these things. Don't bother.) Before joining the 'main queue' about 10:30.
The advantage of arriving early is that BECAUSE it is "stay as long as you like" there is a cumulative effect. So if you want to move freely and photograph. The earlier the better.
So without further ado...I welcome you to "The Making of Harry Potter"
The BEST "experience" I've been to in a LONG time. I swear this thing is AWESOME. Even if you aren't a Harry Potter nut you should still appreciate this. At least if you appreaciate set design and the artistry of creating a set and props.
DBF isn't a Harry nut but he really enjoyed it...and took some AWESOME photos for me. Which is why this will have LOTS of photos. I've gone through and found it hard to reduce the quantity....
Yep..
You're getting that AWESOME word out of me. I can't more highly recommend this attraction.
This is the Entry area
The displays are in studios J and K. Isn't.that.funny....
You begin at the cupboard under the stairs. I really loved this.
You then see a small film about 'what you'll see' before being ushered before the doors to the Great Hall.
Now the thing I will say at this point is you have to appreciate how cool the sets are...and remember these ARE the real sets. They aren't all located the way they were when they filmed. So they would have been surrounded differently and differently lit. However, you ALSO have to appreciate how simple some are...how complex some are...and yet they produced such magic in filming.
Welcome to the Great Hall
We did photographing as we all wandered around listening to the 'guide' describing things. And then once the other doors were opened and we were released into the self guided rest of the displays and people walked out. We took some more with less people.
Come with me...
Having arrived on the Sunday. I booked Harry for Tuesday morning...at 10am. This attraction has timed ticketing whereby you choose a time to join the queue to enter. This is found at many places these days. Once you're "in" you can stay as long as you like. Only the first part is "guided". But you can't enter BEFORE your time.
The weather and traffic were terrible. We allowed for 2.5hours to arriving at the suggested 20-30mins before your time (as you have to pick your tickets up after bringing your confirmation) But we arrived bang at 10am. To say it was a stressful drive as I didn't know what to expect (given the warning of "NO GUARANTEED ENTRY IF LATE") is an understatement...but...here is what happened....and I would EXPECT it to be the case at least in the first few hours of the day.
If you are late it isn't a HUGE drama. It is in essence an "enter after" ticket. So especially given the weather the odds were lots would be late. And once I got to the guy who assisted me in retrieving my tickets. He said...just go in and join the queue when you're ready. So I joined the queue for the audio guide pick up (which I barely used. Honestly. Unless you REALLY like these things. Don't bother.) Before joining the 'main queue' about 10:30.
The advantage of arriving early is that BECAUSE it is "stay as long as you like" there is a cumulative effect. So if you want to move freely and photograph. The earlier the better.
So without further ado...I welcome you to "The Making of Harry Potter"
The BEST "experience" I've been to in a LONG time. I swear this thing is AWESOME. Even if you aren't a Harry Potter nut you should still appreciate this. At least if you appreaciate set design and the artistry of creating a set and props.
DBF isn't a Harry nut but he really enjoyed it...and took some AWESOME photos for me. Which is why this will have LOTS of photos. I've gone through and found it hard to reduce the quantity....
Yep..
You're getting that AWESOME word out of me. I can't more highly recommend this attraction.
This is the Entry area
The displays are in studios J and K. Isn't.that.funny....
You begin at the cupboard under the stairs. I really loved this.
You then see a small film about 'what you'll see' before being ushered before the doors to the Great Hall.
Now the thing I will say at this point is you have to appreciate how cool the sets are...and remember these ARE the real sets. They aren't all located the way they were when they filmed. So they would have been surrounded differently and differently lit. However, you ALSO have to appreciate how simple some are...how complex some are...and yet they produced such magic in filming.
Welcome to the Great Hall
We did photographing as we all wandered around listening to the 'guide' describing things. And then once the other doors were opened and we were released into the self guided rest of the displays and people walked out. We took some more with less people.
Come with me...
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
The other side of the door....
The Fireplace
More costumes about the room
Yep....I really was here...
The Front of the Great Hall
Some Final shots of the Great Hall before being ushered along...
___________________________
The rest of the displays I think I'll let to speak for itself although I will label things as I go.
Enjoy!
The Fireplace
More costumes about the room
Yep....I really was here...
The Front of the Great Hall
Some Final shots of the Great Hall before being ushered along...
___________________________
The rest of the displays I think I'll let to speak for itself although I will label things as I go.
Enjoy!
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
First up was a working model of the hall. I really loved the small card models they had. Most of the rest were at the end.
A bit of Twilight Zone…
A slightly bigger roof prop…
The Yule Ball (Book 4)
Hermione, Victor, Harry and Cho
Some Chocolate…
A bit of Twilight Zone…
A slightly bigger roof prop…
The Yule Ball (Book 4)
Hermione, Victor, Harry and Cho
Some Chocolate…
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
Hermione, Victor, Harry and Cho
So glad to see that Ron's costume didn't make the best dressed list.....
Great pics and what a fantastic....er....AWESOME experience.
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
Bubble….bubble…
A rather large gate…
Some perspective…
We couldn’t work out a great way to get a shot of this so it’s just from a distance…
Remember all the rules from Little Miss Pink??
This is some of them hanging on the walls
Welcome to the Gryffindor Dormitory
And the Common Room
A rather large gate…
Some perspective…
We couldn’t work out a great way to get a shot of this so it’s just from a distance…
Remember all the rules from Little Miss Pink??
This is some of them hanging on the walls
Welcome to the Gryffindor Dormitory
And the Common Room
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
Some more of the common room and some costumes…
A bit of invisibility anyone?
Another larger prop…or is it??
One of the many creatures…
A very special mirror….
Pick a wand any wand…
Some smaller props…
A much much much larger clock!!!
Tonks and Lupin
Sirius Black
The Troublesome Trio
Another roof!
The Triwizard Cup
Do we remember where this leads? We’ll go there in a bit…
A bit of invisibility anyone?
Another larger prop…or is it??
One of the many creatures…
A very special mirror….
Pick a wand any wand…
Some smaller props…
A much much much larger clock!!!
Tonks and Lupin
Sirius Black
The Troublesome Trio
Another roof!
The Triwizard Cup
Do we remember where this leads? We’ll go there in a bit…
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
7 minutes later.....is that "a bit" long enough???
I want to see the room with the Pensieve....and the phoenix.
I want to see the room with the Pensieve....and the phoenix.
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
Ooohhh Potions! Love that too! I can wait. 
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
Dumbledore’s office
The Sorting Hat
The Sword of Gryffindor
The Pensieve
Hagrid’s Hut
That very cool door…
And Another shot of the Chamber of Secrets door
The Ultimate Travelling chest
Some of the cool vehicles…
The Gringotts vault car
The “Hero” Hagrids bike
The Broom
The Sorting Hat
The Sword of Gryffindor
The Pensieve
Hagrid’s Hut
That very cool door…
And Another shot of the Chamber of Secrets door
The Ultimate Travelling chest
Some of the cool vehicles…
The Gringotts vault car
The “Hero” Hagrids bike
The Broom
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
Really really cool....er.....AWESOME props until the pink powderpuff stuff.
That's a great collection of props there.
That's a great collection of props there.
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
Now there is a beverage station out here with the big stuff. So my first stop was for a Butterbeer.
There WAS Starbucks on offer too
But Butterbeer was the order of the day…
I was also most pleased to see the rain had ceased
Now…
I saw a bus…
Tom Riddle’s Grave
Good old Privet Drive…
The Potter’s house…complete with blown out roof from when Harry’s parents were killed…
A Part of the Bridge blown up at the end of the last film
And something I didn’t really expect but was THRILLED to see…
THE CHESS PIECES
There WAS Starbucks on offer too
But Butterbeer was the order of the day…
I was also most pleased to see the rain had ceased
Now…
I saw a bus…
Tom Riddle’s Grave
Good old Privet Drive…
The Potter’s house…complete with blown out roof from when Harry’s parents were killed…
A Part of the Bridge blown up at the end of the last film
And something I didn’t really expect but was THRILLED to see…
THE CHESS PIECES
queenie82
Queen of the 5 Castles
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2008
The last part is the creature shop, DIAGON ALLEY!!! plus a walk past some of the white card models...and finally the ULTIMATE model…
This part doesn’t take that long so if you’re at the glass cabinets and want to loop back around before going outside, then do. Because you can’t go back in there, and the next part doesn’t take too long. Depending how long you spend at the beverage station
This part doesn’t take that long so if you’re at the glass cabinets and want to loop back around before going outside, then do. Because you can’t go back in there, and the next part doesn’t take too long. Depending how long you spend at the beverage station
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