Having grown up reading Harry Potter, and having jealously admired the online photos of British fans engaging in all sorts of promotional activities overseas; when I finally had a ticket to go to London, my starving artist self immediately put Platform 9 3/4 on my list.
It’s one of the few fan locations you can visit without spending a dollar or a pound, though there are plenty of opportunities and temptations. From what I understood through internet research; you stood in line, you took your appropriately posed photo, then you shopped (or longingly stared) at the themed shop right next door.
Since the internet didn’t specify location other than “King’s Cross and Granary Square Station”, my brilliant plan was simple; ask an official looking somebody where Platform 10 was. Yeah, that didn’t work. The station agent just kept asking what train I wanted before I sheepishly admitted my true goal.
Just ask your geeky question. They might respond with bored indifference, but you can be excited enough for two.
With directions, it wasn’t difficult to spot. There was an employee taking high quality photos you could buy, but when they noticed I was by myself, they offered to take my photo with my own camera. For free!
So I ended up with an official shot with unofficial prices. Best combo ever.
The store was fun! Pricey, but still fun to walk around. You were even encouraged to play with the merchandise! There was a barker out front drumming up business from passerbys (as if the spot wasn’t already popular enough) with a microphone headset casting spells.
I told her I appreciated her enthusiasm and asked if I could take a photo of her. She said absolutely, but I had to be in it too. When I gave my phone/camera to her colleague, she gave me a wand.
Yeah, she should have expected what came next.
Not pictured was the giant group of foreign tourists who had happened to be passing by and stopped to take photos of our duel. I was so in the moment, I hadn’t even realized we had been surrounded.
I still consider that realization the highest of compliments.
Kaitlin’s Adventure in London was from April 14-28, 2015