Sunday 24 April 2016

Pottering




You don't need to be a wizard to guess where I went this weekend. I had a magical time at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour of the Harry Potter film sets. And it was wonderful, for all kinds of reasons, not least because I got a picture of the Privet Drive street sign. 


The first sign of good times was the customer experience - every member of staff was clearly on a mission to ensure you enjoyed the visit. We felt welcomed. Everything was spotless, in working order and well organised. 

It was also full of delights and surprises. I won't spoil it for you by giving it all away, but they stuck to their brand and offered a cinematic experience for visitors. 



And it was emotional. The Harry Potter stories deal with the big topics of life. Love and death, good versus evil, choice and destiny, individual and state. Yes, it's a tourist attraction, and yes it's expensive, but above all the tour is a celebration of innovation, creativity and ingenuity. The sheer pleasure J K Rowling brought to so many people with the Harry Potter books was evident everywhere. 

 



 

Saturday 9 April 2016

Bury nice

I went to Bury market for the first time today and it's rather splendid. It's been voted best market in Britain several times, and no wonder: you can buy pretty much anything, from black pudding to gravestones. You're welcomed by this pretty sign, and in you go, greeted by smells of fresh food, fish, bread, pastries and puddings. There's been a market in Bury since 1444, and it's so popular, it's even got its own coach stop.

Sunday 3 April 2016

Think inside the box

I saw this sign outside a bar in Manchester last year and the message made me smile. The sun has been out today, so I will be thinking inside the box again soon, aiming to get some herbs and salad leaves growing.