ilm, food, music, comedy, street art, theatre, literature, vintage lifestyle and even worm charming are all checked off at English events and festivals. Want to keep it traditional?
England invented the social season and the summer calendar of events in the UK is peppered with opera in gardens and major sporting fixtures including horse racing and rowing.
A guide to Harry Potter filming locations!
From the quirky streets of Diagon Alley to the imposing beauty of Hogwarts Castle, celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by discovering the locations of some of the series’ most iconic scenes and walk in the footsteps of Harry, Hermione and Ron.
There are many festivals, holidays and events in the UK for you to get involved with. Some of these fall on specific dates whilst others fall at some point in a certain month.
1) Play Quidditch at Alnwick Castle
Explore the grounds of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland and imagine you’re part of Madame Hooch’s flying lesson by joining the resident wizarding professors for broomstick training sessions on the very spot where Harry had his first lesson in the first film. (Between March and October)
2) Drink Butterbeer at the Warner Bros Studio Tour
Wizards, squibs and even muggles can discover the magic of Harry Potter on the Warner Bros Studio Tour. The studios were used in the filming of all the Harry Potter films, and many of the fantastic props, mythical items and iconic sets were saved. Take a journey through the famous sets, pose in your favourite scenes, and taste some delicious Butterbeer.
3) Feel the magic at Christ Church College
Wander around the cloisters and quadrangles of Christ Church College where many of the Hogwarts scenes in the first movie were filmed. Book a college room at Christ Church and enjoy breakfast in The Great Hall, which was replicated in the film studios to create the grand Hogwart’s Hall. Don’t forget to take a photo on the 16th-century staircase, where Harry and the new first-years are greeted by Professor McGonagall.
4) Stand in Snape’s classroom at Lacock Abbey
Venture to the quaint English village of Lacock in Wiltshire, where parts of the movie series were filmed. Take trip to the abbey and see if you can recognise Hogwarts’ interiors, including Professor Snape’s classroom. See if you can spot Horace Slughorn’s home from The Half-Blood Prince as you explore the village.
14TH FEBRUARY – VALENTINE’S DAY
Saint Valentine’s Day (also known as Valentine’s Day) is celebrated in many countries around the world, although like England, it is not a public holiday in most of them. The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). Valentine’s Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.