Monday 31st July

Day 3 – Today we head off to Victoria to get on the bus to
the Harry Potter Studio. As many of you know Miss O does not travel well as a
passenger so we needed to make sure we were at the front of the queue so we
could sit at the front. The tube journey was the shortest and most humorous to
date as the very funny announcer tells us we are being held at a signal as they
are being too efficient as we are ahead of schedule, so therefore we are now
being delayed!!

We are about fourth in line so quite happy we will be near
the front. As we board the magnificent Harry Potter double decker bus we chat
about other possible tickets we may be able to get and also the issue of empty
seats at venues as sponsors etc don’t seem to be using them.

The boxing was actually very full and there was one chunk of
seating not being used while we were at Wimbledon. We think too many were
allocated but how do you decide how to give them away or re-sell them at the
last minute. We will try and fill the few gaps we have in our schedule and tried
for woman’s trampoline but they had gone, we will keep a check as and when we
can.

Anyway the journey was not too long and we arrive and get
our audio guide and queue to get in. If there were medals for queuing we would
be multiple gold medallists.

Once in I am in awe, Miss O is in camera heaven. I feel I missed out as a child not going to
Hogwarts. Obviously my owl went to the wrong address. The great hall is
something to behold, the sets and attention to detail are amazing.

We stop half way round for butterbeer which I would say is
an acquired taste and at £9.80 for two makes me realise just how much they
needed all that gold. With a mass of photos taken we move into Diagon Alley and
then onto the pinnacle which is a huge model of Hogwarts, a real WOW moment. Julie manages to resist buying anymore memorabilia
already owning a wand and Gryffindor scarf.

We head back get on the return bus, we chat to a couple of
scousers about the ticket issue. We also encourage a couple of ladies to go to
the back of the queue as they decide they are going to the back but joining
half way with us!!!! (mmmmm we don’t think so, as we all say together “the end
of the queue is that way,” they give us bit of a look and then wander to the
end of the queue).

We don’t make the first bus, but that means we are front of
the queue for bus two, which means Miss O is ok on the way back as well,
pleased to say no sick bag was required for Miss O!!!!

Once back we pop in to the Shakespeare pub for something to
eat and a pint, we catch up on the Olympic coverage and see the men’s gymnastics
team win Silver, oh no it’s Bronze, what a magnificent achievement though.

We head back to the apartment and watch the other coverage,
a few fourths and fifths in diving and swimming but we are doing ok.

Tomorrow we are off to see woman’s football ,
Team GB versus Brazil at Wembley, we also need to sort our route for travel the
following day to the rowing which will be a very early start