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Exploring The World of Harry Potter

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Becoming Spellbound by Magic

I think everyone has a favourite film or series of films from their childhood.  For me, these have always been the Harry Potter films.  Despite even being 15 when the first film came out.  

I fell instantly in love with the words, and how J.K Rowling transported you into an entirely different world.  I was already beginning to feel different from on account of my symptoms when the first film was released.  It was a time of loneliness and isolation as the so-called friends slowly ostracised me.  And my home became a place where I spent most of my spare time: the books and films of Harry Potter provided me with an escape, one in which I could inhabit a world of magic.  They were a welcome escape from the often frightening symptoms as well as the loneliness that plagued my life. 

I resonated with Harry’s struggles with loneliness and isolation as he lived at 4 Privet Drive.  But, it also gave me hope.  A hope that like Harry, I would eventually find a place of belonging.

Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.

– J.K. Rowlin

As a Harry Potter fan, a visit to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London has been on my list of things to do for quite some time. 

Experiencing Hogwarts

Living with this neurological disorder affects my perception of the world.  For example, high ceilings worsen the dizziness I already experience.  Or can even trigger an episode of vertigo.  As such, it can be overwhelming anxiety-producing going to large places such as this, knowing it can provoke unpleasant symptoms.  However, I decided to defy the fear and anxiety and booked a trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour.  I no longer wanted my symptoms to dictate my life and wanted to experience the magic of Hogwarts for myself.

So on a cold day in late October, we arrived at the magical destination and a mecca for all Harry Potter fans!  We headed to the entrance where there were large wizard chess pieces.  You may remember these from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.  And then we were on our way in (after a swift security check!)

  • Wizard Chess Piece
  • Wizard Chess Piece 2
  • Wizard Chess Piece 3

There is an option to hire a digital guide. In other words, an audio guided tour of the exhibition.  It gives you an extra insight into the film-making process, as well as exciting trivia about these well-loved films.  In the end, I declined, fearing it would worsen the dizziness and vertigo. 

The Studio Tour

The Studio recommends that you arrive 20 minutes before the allocated time on the ticket.  This time, gives you the chance to peruse the public area.  This area contains a cafe, bathrooms, and an extensive shop of Harry Potter merchandise!  After a short look around, Mum and I descended on the Studio Doors and waited in line for the tour to begin…

Before the tour officially starts, a short film plays about the studio and the making of Harry Potter featuring some very familiar faces.  Then as the doors open, the Great Hall appears in front of us, welcoming us into the world of Hogwarts and Harry Potter. As we went the day before Halloween, there was a dark and spooky theme throughout the tour.  The Great Hall had pumpkins strewn up, for example and Death Eaters cropped up every now and then!

  • Hogwarts Great Hall from The Harry Potter Studio Tour
  • Great Hall at Hogwarts
  • Great Hall at Hogwarts 2
  • Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape
  • Dumbledore and Hogwarts Professors

The Great Hall was the only part of the tour that the group was accompanied by a tour guide. As such it was when it felt the most crowded.  After a brief talk, we were left to explore the rest of the studio on our own.  There is still a set route to follow, however, but there is plenty of space, and everyone went off in different directions to see what was of most interest to them.

I found the Great Hall and the adjoining room where a lot of the sets, such as Dumbledore’s office and the Gryffindor Common room was overwhelming.  It was not only the crowds that was burdensome, but also the lights and all of the sets to see.  The dizziness and vertigo, at times, did become too much, but there are so many benches and places to sit during the tour it’s easy to relax and take a break when you need one. 

  • Gryffindor Common Room and Costumes
  • Gryffindor Common Room 2
  • The Burrow and the Weasleys
  • Death Eaters Meeting

I loved the Forbidden Forest, however, with the darkness and the sounds it was incredibly atmospheric.  The sounds of the forest’s various creatures and wolves howling, it felt you were walking through a real forest which made it an immersive experience. 

  • Entering the Forbidden Forest...
  • The Forbidden Forest
  • Aragog and other Spiders
  • Buckbeak
  • Werewolf

After coming out of the Forbidden Forest, you will find another gift shop, full of exclusive forest themed souvenirs.  Another gift shop can also be found when arriving at Station 9¾ where you can even buy some Chocolate Frogs like Harry and friends do on the Hogwarts Express!

Thoughts on The Tour

The studio tour is incredible, and the attention to detail is awe-inspiring and makes you appreciate the hard work and talent of all those who work behind the scenes of these magical and captivating films.  

  • Diagon Alley
  • Owls for Sale!
  • Joke Shop at Diagon Alley

The tour highlights the stunning costumes, enchanting sets and thousands of spectacular props set amongst two sound stages and a backlot.  All of what you see seem so familiar.  The tour includes everything you’d ever want to see from the Harry Potter films, which includes:

  • Hogwarts
  • Forbidden Forest
  • Hogwarts Express
  • 4 Privet Drive 
  • Hogwarts Bridge
  • Knight Bus 
  • Costumes 
  • And more!

After visiting the Backlot in which you will find the Knight Bus and 4 Privet Drive amongst others, you can find more about the special and visual effects.  They provide information on how they brought to life the magic to the big screen.  And also discussed the creative development of the magical creatures such as Buckbeak the Hippogriff and everybody’s favourite house elf, Dobby. 

No Magic Needed for Accessibility 

The accessibility of the Harry Potter Studio Tour was impressive.  On arrival to collect tickets, there is a lower window for those in wheelchairs, like myself.  There is also step-free access to the tour, which may not seem like much but is surprising how many popular attractions seem to forget such matters. 

And the majority of the tour itself was fully accessible.  The Great Hall and Diagon Alley was a challenge to navigate because of its slate floor and cobblestone street respectively.  The only sets that were not accessible because they had steps were the Knight Bus and the Hogwarts Bridge.  However, as they are both on the back lot, it is possible to take exterior photographs of them instead.

  • The Knight Bus
  • Harry's parents house

I was at first disappointed as I thought I would not be able to experience the thrill of being on the Hogwarts Express, but fortunately found that the last carriage on the iconic steam train is wheelchair accessible, and thus didn’t have to miss out! 

  • It's the Hogwarts Express
  • Hogwarts Express

I was most awestruck however by the incredible detailed model of Hogwarts, the last stop before leaving the tour.  It was incredible, able to walk around the entirety and see every little detail of the castle and its surroundings.  Definitely the highlight of the tour, in my opinion. 

  • The Hogwarts Castle
  • Hogwarts Castle 2
  • Hogwarts Castle 3
  • Hogwarts Castle 4

After we concluded the tour, we had time for a delicious bite to eat in the cafe located in the main foyer and a peruse of the shop.  We then sadly had to say goodbye to the tour and get back on the bus to head back to South Wales. 

I cannot recommend the Harry Potter Studio Tour highly enough, especially for those who are fans of the books, and films.  It’s the most brilliant way to spend three and a half hours.  The magic truly comes alive, casting its spell upon all that enters.  There, I forgot about my worries, and troubles that were plaguing my mind.  Unfortunately, the pain was severe and so not something I could forget, but during the hours I was there though I was not a girl with a neurological condition, but was just another Harry Potter fan. 

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Have you made a visit to the Harry Potter Studio Tour?  What was your favourite part? 

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A Spoonie Norwegian Adventure

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At the end of May came the time that my parents and I have been looking forward to – our annual cruise.  And this year, I have been particularly excited as this year we booked a cruise around the beautiful scenery of the Norwegian Fjords.

As the symptoms associated with my neurological condition had worsened somewhat over the past few months, it did incite some anxiety.  However, after the successful trip to Hay-On-Wye the week before our departure did lessen this somewhat; in fact, I almost felt like Stella after getting her groove back!

The excitement for the trip returned, and the Queen hit ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ became my new anthem as I had an unfathomable determination that nothing was going to stop me from enjoying this much-anticipated cruise, not even pesky symptoms such as trembling legs.

Time to be monkeying around! (one of our amazing towel animals during our stay created by our lovely state room attendant
Time to be monkeying around! (one of our fantastic towel animals during our stay created by our lovely state-room attendant

Of course, as much as a holiday is a brief escape from the realities of our everyday life, and our enduring physical surroundings, there is no break however when living with a long-term health condition however and all of its accompanying symptoms.

[Tweet “As much as a holiday is a brief escape from our lives, there is no break from chronic illness.”]

There were many times during the cruise that I was overwhelmed by the painful sensations flowing throughout my legs, as well as fatigue dragging me under into its grasps.  As a result, I ended up crashing in our cabin after dinner; curled up in bed in comfortable pyjamas and binge-watching a comforting television programme via Netflix.

And one of the many reasons why I love to cruise is that sleep is much more straightforward to come by then when I’m at home, consumed by chronic pain, with the gentle (sometimes not so gentle) rocking of the ship.

Our cabin on Navigator of the Seas
The view from our room!

At first, there was the inevitable FOMO (fear of missing out) on all the evening entertainment on offer (as well as the embarrassment of knowing that there were young children out longer than myself!).  I  could push through the fatigue, pain and other symptoms to stay on and party through the night.   Then, however, I inevitably will end up missing out on more by being too unwell enough to venture off the ship and explore the beauty of Norway for myself (although granted I was able to enjoy some of the stunning scenery from our cabin with its panoramic ocean view).

[Tweet “I could push through to party throughout the night… but then I would miss out the next day.”]

Also bearing in mind, however, that one of the significant benefits of cruising, especially with Royal Caribbean is that some of its entertainment can be enjoyed from the comfort of your cabin through its broadcasting channel on the TV.  So, I wasn’t always even missing out on the fun, and best of all I could do it in the comfort of my PJ’s!

Every spoonie’s dream!

I did manage to take in one show during our week long-stay on Navigator of the Seas; the ice-show with fantastic ice dancers, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The flashing of the strobe lights did trigger some episodes of vertigo, however, but with the new mindfulness and meditation exercises I have been practicing, I was able to keep the anxiety under control and not react, i.e., panic when these symptoms arose.

I have written about the benefits of cruising when living with a chronic illness or disability previously so I won’t repeat the points that I have already made.  What I will say however is that Norway is hands down the best cruise destination that I have experienced.  Not only does it offer the most amazingly beautiful scenery but found the style of living in this spectacular country to be incredibly relaxing.

We are so used to observe people rushing around here in the UK, busy and in a hurry to get to somewhere, so it was refreshing to be in a country which appears to be much more laid-back and where life runs at a slower pace.  As someone with a body that is continually weakened and tired by constant and incessant symptoms; always trying to keep up with the fast pace of the world around me, I welcomed and embraced this different lifestyle to our own.

In my opinion, I also believe that the Norwegian Fjord itinerary is the ideal choice for those considering their first cruise, or those travelling with a disability.  As many of the ports are within the centre of the city or town, therefore, when disembarking the ship, you are to explore the area at your leisure as all the local amenities are within easy walking distance.

[Tweet “A Norwegian Cruise is ideal, as the local amenities are within easy walking distance. “]

For me, I found this much less stressful than some of the other places we have visited on other cruises, especially those which require a shuttle bus to transport you from the port, which demanded some waiting around in large and claustrophobic crowds.

Bergen, the first port of call we visited, did require shuttle bus transport from the port. However, the minibus for those with wheelchairs was ready waiting for us as we departed the ship which took the stress out. As fatigue descended upon all of us and we were ready to wave goodbye to Bergen, the minibus was again primed and waiting for us right where it dropped us off.

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Bergen on a grey and damp day

The second port of call, Olden which greeted us straight away with its majestic and beautiful views is often a favourite for those who love to hike, but as someone with mobility problems, I am unable to pursue such adventurous pursuits.  I was not to miss out, however, as a little land-train greeted us from the parking area where the ship was moored, which took us around one side of its lake before travelling down the other and back to the ship.  A must for anyone who wishes to take in the beauty of Olden but has mobility difficulties or is in a wheelchair.

[Tweet “The land-train…a must for anyone wanting to see the beauty of Olden but has mobility difficulties.”]

Unfortunately, when we arrived at the third port of call, I was too unwell to be able to venture off the ship to explore the cosmopolitan town of Alesund.  But instead of dwelling on that what I could not do, I instead focused on everything that I had achieved during the holiday despite the wobbly legs and other symptoms that I was continuously fighting.  Thankfully, the day of rest was exactly what the doctor ordered, and I found myself fit enough to go off the ship and enjoy the wondrous city of Stavanger.

[Tweet “I chose to focus on everything I achieved despite chronic illness instead on what I couldn’t do.”]

Mum and I enjoyed the time to walk around this fantastic city and take in some of the more familiar shops such as H and M, Zara as well as observing the all-too-familiar sights of McDonald’s and Starbucks!

My favourite part of the day was taking a wander up to the old town of Stavanger to appreciate the quaintness of its old cobblestones and the cities old homes. It was on this day that my stubborn streak regarding the use of the wheelchair, insisting that I didn’t need it and pushed through the pain.

Of course, by the end of the day, the pain was excruciating, and I was in need of a long soak in one of the whirlpools aboard the ship, which only seemed to ease the pain for a short time.  That would be a piece of advice for fellow cruisers – a mobility aid is there for a reason – to be used, so don’t become a martyr to the pain or other symptoms that may require you to use the chair.

By doing so, you will be able to do and enjoy much more than if you didn’t use it!

To conclude the adventure of exploring the gorgeousness of the Norwegian Fjords, I would have to affirm that this has to be one of my all-time favourite holiday destinations and that I am now a tiny little bit in love with Norway!

[Tweet “I am now a tiny little bit in love with Norway! “]

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Back in the driving seat…

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As I have been enervated by symptoms, almost leading to the feeling of being trapped in a prison surrounded by invisible tormentors.

However, I was not only trapped inside my own body; a metaphorical prison whilst enduring persistent and unrelenting symptoms but these were also keeping me inside my home due to their severity as well as the fear of the possibility suffering another fall in public.  It was as if the symptoms were acting as prison guards, keeping me imprisoned in my home and the same four walls in which I already spent the majority of my time, to begin with.  I longed for adventure, to experience activity and excitement, like the characters in the books that had become my constant companion as I convalesced in my bedroom.

Adventure. Spontaneity.  Two words that are not synonymous with life with a neurological condition.  Going on an adventure when living with any chronic illness requires planning with almost military precision, and is reliant on a number of factors such as how you are feeling on the day that has been set out for the planned adventure.

Personally, for me, big adventures are also dependent on whether or not my legs are being cooperative on the day, and if they are somewhat weak and the wheelchair is needed then it needs to be a mild dizzy day so the motion sickness does not present itself!  Spontaneity is near possible when living with a chronic illness!

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During a short reprieve from my condition and its accompanying symptoms, I made the decision to make a trip to Hay-on-Wye with my carer on a sunny afternoon in late May.  I say that it was a reprieve, but the symptoms were very much there but the severity of them was not as bad as it had been, so it did feel somewhat of a reprieve but at this point it felt that my condition and its symptoms had been very much in the driving seat dictating everything, from how I was feeling to what I could and could not do and I, was tired.   I was ready to finally take back control and be the one in the driving seat instead of being the passenger on my own ride.

Hay-On-Wye is a small market town located in Powys, West Wales is a place that I had been before, but have desperately wanting to return to since.  It’s most famous as being the town of books with an impressive number of bookshops adorning the streets of the quaint little town.  As a massive bookworm myself, this beautiful place is like a little piece of heaven for me, and I was really excited to make a return to this mecca of literature.

The many wonderful bookshops of Hay-on-Wye
The many wonderful bookshops of Hay-on-Wye

The day itself was beautiful with majestic blue skies with a warm gentle breeze.  It was a beautiful start, the only problem being my extremely trembling legs, as unfortunately the place being somewhat unsuitable for a wheelchair, meant that I had to rely on what felt like incredibly unreliable legs.  But even that wasn’t going to stop me as somehow despite how tough things have been, I finally found my sparkle again.  And despite wobbly legs, several near falls and major fatigue I had a great time in this wonderful little town.  I  was able to browse the many quaint and unique bookshops, treated myself to lunch and just sat down and soaked in the sights and a little vitamin D.  It was a great day; probably the best I’ve experienced for a long while.

Above all, I learned just how much control I allowed my condition to have on my life, yes, some of this was because I had no physical control over this such as the severe weakness and trembling in my legs.  However, I let myself believe that because of the severe symptoms I was not able to do anything at all.  I thought this was my reality, when in fact it was only my perception of the situation.  On the day I discovered determination and strength I never knew I possessed. It felt like pain had my legs trapped in its vice-like grip, but determined to seek out lots of books, I carried on.

Yes, my legs were weak and uncooperative, ready to give way in a blink of an eye, but there are plenty of ways to still an enjoy a day out.  The use of a wheelchair, for example, or by taking regular breaks as we did in Hay (and the perfect excuse to enjoy a hot chocolate!). We may not be able to enjoy a long day out, or a day out like we used to but with appropriate accommodations, we can still enjoy a day out somewhere special.  Are there any perceptions regarding your condition that you think to be a reality?

Admittedly, I perhaps overdone things that day given the fatigue and amount of pain I experienced days after but even that cannot tarnish the memories and the experience of the day.  And above all, it felt brilliant to be back in the car, even if I’m not always in control…

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Life on autopilot…

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I realise that I have been deathly quiet in regards to my writing recently but unfortunately I have been really struggling with well, everything.

I have been finding that the trembling in the legs is becoming increasingly worse.  Standing is becoming extremely uncomfortable and impossible to do for very long as I am feeling the severity of the tremors and the buckling of them whilst queueing or whilst completing the washing-up for example.  With regards to standing, it has been evoking anxiety as I am always afraid that they will suddenly give way, which has been happening to much embarrassment.  It was not until I was speaking to a person who has similar problems to myself, that using two crutches maybe more beneficial for myself than using just the one as it offers increased stability when standing and walking and reducing the risk of falls.  I loved the idea of being able to save myself from falls as because I have been experiencing so many of them my bruises have bruises!

The owner of the gym even kindly let me borrow a couple of the crutches that have been donated to the Feelgood Factory.  Unfortunately, after using them for a few days around the house and even once whilst out with my carer, I have decided that this option is not for me as not only have I found using two incredibly awkward and uncomfortable, they have also proved to be inconvenient.  For example, whilst in the house on my own, I was unable to carry my lunch from the kitchen to the living room as I had no free hands to spare!  It has also been found to be inconvenient when out shopping as I am left unable to pick items from the shelves or racks and therefore offers me less independent than using the one crutch as I am reliant on other people to do my shopping for me.  In addition, because of the dizziness I have always found that holding onto someone for support, such as linking arms gives me comfort and confidence when out and about and so using two crutches also prevents me from having the support of another person.

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So, I now have to make a decision to make whether to start using the wheelchair on a more permanent basis; although I do not always feel comfortable in using one because of the dizziness and vertigo, it has been put to me that because of the increasing severity of the trembling as I have stated above and the increased number of incidents of falls then it may be the time that I need to start thinking of using it for the majority of the time when I am outside of the house.  This is not only to keep me safe from further injuries, but also prevents my falls from injuring others or even from falling and damaging items that are on display in the stores that I visit.  It is not an easy to decision to make; for anyone it is difficult to admit weakness and further to admit that you need help.  It’s difficult to accept that my legs are getting worse and further that I may need further support such as the wheelchair to be able to get around when out of the house.

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Fatigue has also been a big problem for me also.  As the pain and trembling have been bad during the nights, sleep as a result has been limited and thus leaving me exhausted through the day.  Naps has been my best friend lately and have found myself falling asleep during the afternoons.  These naps are more frequent and last longer after days where I am out and about I have also noticed.  Fatigue not only leaves you feeling absolutely exhausted but also leaves you with little energy (or in our case ‘spoons’) to be able to do things that we would ordinarily do with ease.  Completing one circuit of the gym has been extremely challenging, whereas before I could complete two with ease.  Chores has left me unable to function for hours.  Not only it has had an effect on my energy levels either.  It has also had an effect on my mood – not only have I been snapping with very little provocation but I have also been feeling very low.  I would not say it’s depression but am just generally low in mood.

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In other news, I finally have had an appointment with the neurology consultant for early next month so I am hoping that all of the test results that I have had done over the past few months have found something, or there are ways in which they can help me and improve my overall quality of life.  When things are bad such as what I am experiencing at the moment, it can often seem as if we are just existing rather than living; if we are just going through the motions or living on autopilot but I am determined to continue to fight my way through the bad patch and find my silver lining…

Tweet: When things are bad it can often seem as if we are just existing rather than living http://ctt.ec/b30e0+ via @serenebutterfly #spoonie

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Sometimes we need to throw out the rule book…

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These past couple of days, I have been experiencing the severe trembling sensations in my legs.  Well, I have these sensations all of the time, of course, however the trembling has been somewhat more severe recently.  It is not just these sensations which I have found to be particularly troublesome of late; the fatigue, and the pain associated with the spastic paraparesis have also been bothersome.  At times, living with all these symptoms as well as the constant dizziness has been increasingly difficult and miserable.  Everyone reading this who also experiences chronic illness, will know that when experiencing a relapse, or a bad flare regarding our symptoms, you need to balance the amount of physical activity whether it be exercising, going out or doing chores around the house, with resting your body and taking a break from activity that may exacerbate symptoms.

And I have been doing this; I have listened to my body and took a break from attending the gym, as the trembling in the legs on the day I usually visit was particularly bad.  I even had to cut short my day out with my carer as I felt too unwell and tired to go anywhere else, on that particular day.  However, I have also found that whilst I was balancing the amount of physical activity I was doing and resting; the symptoms were still not improving.  So, when Thursday arrived, and as I hadn’t been out for a few days, and felt miserable as a result, I decided to thrown the rule book out of the window and enjoy the day without worrying about symptoms or maintaining that balance of physical activity with resting.  Of course, on the day I needed to take my wheelchair because of the severity of the trembling in the legs, but was determined that despite all this I was going to enjoy the glorious weather and spend the day away from my bed and the same four walls that I had been cooped up in for several days.

I am so glad that I went out despite not feeling my best and whilst battling severe symptoms.

I had a really enjoyable day out; the weather was gloriously warm and it felt so lovely to be out of the house and feeling the warm sunshine on my skin.  The symptoms, and especially the trembling in my legs were still so bothersome that I was unable to go to the gym, so we decided that instead we would spend the day visiting a little town near to where I live called Cowbridge. I had previously only been there once, and not for very long so thought it would make a change to visit somewhere relatively new and going into little shops and boutiques that I had never experienced before.  I even managed to treat myself to a gorgeous ring that I had seen online by one of my favourite jewellery designers Annie Haak, but had been unsure of purchasing as I was worried that it would not fit my very small fingers!  However, whilst browsing the shop windows in Cowbridge, we came across a little jewellery store that stocked these very same rings!  And after trying on the ring and found that it did fit my fingers, I bought it.  I am so pleased with my purchase and is a lovely reminder of our day out and triumphing over my symptoms.

The gorgeous Annie Haak adjustable ring that I bought for myself
The gorgeous Annie Haak adjustable ring that I bought for myself

“When we are experiencing more bad days then good, we need to make the most of those good days” (Click to Tweet)

The day was not just spent shopping; part of the day was spent relaxing in this pretty and scenic gardens that my carer came across on a previous visit to Cowbridge.  It was so nice just to sit and relax amongst the beautiful and colourful flowers.  It also created the perfect time to take some photographs to commemorate this splendid day out that I enjoyed so much.  In my experience of living with chronic illness, is that when we are experiencing more bad days than good, we therefore need to really make the most of those good days.  Living with a chronic illness, it is so wonderful to make lovely memories that we can look back on during the bad days and reflect upon.

The past couple of days after this day out has been very bad; the trembling in the legs were once again very severe, more so than before, and left unable to fully function.  Do I regret the day out now?  No, absolutely not.  As I said before, living a life with illness, where you experience more bad days than good, we therefore have to take full advantage of the days which are good.  Although it was not a particularly good day health-wise on this day, I felt that I could physically do more than previous days and so took full advantage.  I may be suffering after, however but I still have those lovely, positive memories to look back on and a gorgeous ring to admire.

So, although rest is vital and important when living a life with chronic illness, sometimes however it is just as important to sometimes throw the rule book out of the window and go and make memories to cherish and look back on when illness prevents us from doing anything else.  Let’s go out and live our lives, and take full advantage of the rare good days and make glorious memories in the process…

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