437+16. Awning and shed

Holyport

Awning

Our awning has proven not up to the job in the endless drizzle that has welcomed us back to the UK. The original ceiling is now in tatters and a fine mist blows through the new ceiling that I used. I have been in contact with the outfit that sold us the awning for six months and a week ago suggested that they were prevaricating and got the immediate reply 

This Luna awning was purchased in May 2017. It is not an all seasons awning and it would appear that it has been used constantly since you purchased it.   The awning is simply suffering from wear and tear and this is not covered by warranty.

To which I replied

I am not surprised, I expected this response after you spun me for so long. The walls and Perspex are in perfect condition the roof material is a different, faulty material. 

I too own a distribution company here in the UK with three permanent staff and have experienced fantastic growth to the point where the UK is now our biggest market. Much of this is due to our product support in a market where our competitors have similar attitudes to you. 

Your lack of moral integrity disgusts me.

And immediately got the following offer to buy a new awning at a sixty six percent discount which was a huge surprise.

We forwarded your highly critical email to them with our suggestions, and they have agreed to sell you a 280 Samoa - which has an improved specification - at £215, instead of the list price of £645 

I immediately accepted, of course, and apologised for disparaging them. I happily did so, amazed that my correspondence had had this welcome outcome.

Harry Potter Studio Tour

Booked months ago, the children counted down to today ever since we arrived in the UK sixteen days ago. We were booked in from three and it being only half an hour away round the M25. We arrived to face a freezing cold wind, fluffed around with the automatic ticket machines without success then headed to the short window queue and watched the other arrivals do the same. Jacqueline thinks that the lady in our kiosk had forgotten her glasses as the next kiosk processed everybody else while we froze for ten minutes waiting while she peered at the screen, her eyes straining and the computer mouse in her hand motionless. Eventually she sought help from the man who had processed everyone else and he appeared to push one key on her computer and the printer rattled off six passes. When we finally had the tickets I committed the unspeakable of walking straight from the kiosk to the entrance without wending my way through the queuing tapes, us being the only ones there. I was too cold to hear the official shouting at me to go back. The others dutifully wound their way back and forth while I waited inside in the warm vestibule. 

Elizabeth has gushed enthusiastically about this place since visiting with Mother and we were also delighted. We didn't even bother collecting the audio guides I had paid for on booking as she said there is too much to see and they had given up on the audio guides. After the first hour virtually all the visitors had abandoned the audio guides though they were excellent.

Amazing to think of the cast and crew spending almost ten years here.

They actually built all the chess pieces

Love the groomed carpet and dusty cupboard

The Great Hall 

Yule ball sculpture

The floor is stone for the correct sound

There are a lot of house points in there 

Love Ron's dress robes

The candles were floating, gently rising and falling

Even Daniel Radcliff had his hair pulled through a wig 

Mr Filch had been busy 

The boy's dormitory

This is only 5m long
Upstairs, 3 Broomsticks

The Fat Lady
Griffendor common room behind 

The Mirror of Erised 

The wonderful Gryffindor Common Room

Lupin, Tonks & Black

Even the ceiling of the common room was detailed

Non working
Apparently, the working one was the most complicated machine built
and that is saying something!

The memories gently rotated different directions
Spotted one of Mr Filch's from 1978 

Harry and Rons very different books
in the Potions Room 

Tables covered in lead, as they would be,
to give the right sound

Hagrid's Hut

The Burrow

Mrs Weasley's wonderful clock
Glad my Mum doesn't have one!

Vanishing cabinet

Audrey is growing up...

...as is Roman 

Perspective removed

This set is creepy

The Riddle Tomb 

The Floo Network
Hard to believe it is painted MDF 

Huge, up on a wall
Very convincing

Fyfe was angry just looking at this set
Dorris' outfit grew pinker as her power grew

Magic is Might
These are almost life size muggles

All four sides sculpted
A distressing image for us muggles 

Ministry of Magic 

I told him he was forbidden!
The forest path is flat wide and accessible.
No real detail, more like Disneyland.
Later discovered it has just opened,  not from the set, but built for
what may rapidly become a theme park. 

Aragog

Fyfe

Iris
Had to follow her through

A real GWR 1937 train used 

Went back to help Audrey

The compartments were done in different scenes

One compartment was the final scene clothes.
Also the last scene shot 

This is a member of the public.
Kept out of his way
Brillant!

Little salad, four butter beers, two hot dogs and a water.
£35 ($NZ70), should have paid in sickles 

Couldn't see Stan
Did he get released?

Harry, long gone

5m swim, well done Diddykins 

See, I told you every kid gets one 

Surprised that they built Lilly and James' house full size
Even more surprised that we could see it.
Roman wasn't surprised he could see it 

Monkey see - monkey do

More beautiful chess pieces

Surprised they didn't spot Bathilda's rotting flesh when they smelt it 

Mandrakes

Falkes 

Surprising dead Dobby standing
Poor little chap 

The Book of Monsters was snarling and snapping,
eyes looking around 

Everyone's favourite street 

I wouldn't venture down this...

... or this 

We spend ages looking at the original cardboard
mock ups

The castle model had a team of fifty building and maintaining it.
It is huge, maybe half a tennis court?

Beaubatton's flying past

Audrey's favourite, Luna

"They are only £70 and you are going to have to
by them anyway when I turn eleven"
He is confident he is a Hufflepuff

Me in the gift shop

Ron, Harry and Fyfe