A spring in your step

Spring thoughts from a sign in the garden of the Elizabeth Gaskell House in Manchester. Well worth a visit - great guides, fascinating history and extremely good cake.

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. 

 

 

Gorgeous Gaskell house

If you live anywhere near Manchester, get down to the Elizabeth Gaskell house, recently restored and open to the public. The house is shown as a home, as if Elizabeth had just left the room to write a quick chapter or to welcome another guest. As well as displays on Gaskell and Victorian Manchester, there is a great library full of titles the family read - and you’re actually allowed to touch things. They also do a nice line in quotes on the wall and really excellent cake. Check it out here.