The EPIC Harry Potter SAGA Filming Locations MUST VISIT!! in UK

Professor Flitwick's Classroom

Location: Harrow School

Hogwarts' tiny Charms professor, Filius Flitwick, instructs his pupils in the art of Wingardium Leviosa in Harrow School's oldest classroom, the Fourth Form Room that dates back to 1615. It's a great place to kick off a Pott-tour of London locations. Harrow has lots in common with Hogwarts: a sport that defies logic (Fives), some natty uniforms and a direct train from King's Cross, albeit on the entirely steam-free Metropolitan Line. Like Hogwarts, it has an entrance exam, although you don't need to do magic to pass it.

Platform 9 3/4

Location: Kings Cross Station...That handy train line will then whisk you straight to Kings Cross, the bustling terminus at which Harry, Hermione, Ron and friends board the Hogwarts' Express. Obviously, Platform 9 3/4 doesn't really exist (sorry kids) but there is a bronze plaque marking the spot where it would stand, and a luggage cart halfway through the wall that's ideal for photo ops. In a parallel world, Harry and co. would have boarded the train just down the road, at the station J.K. Rowling was visualising when she wrote the book ("I was actually thinking of Euston," she told the BBC, "so anyone who's been to the real platforms 9 and 10 in King's Cross will realise they don't bear a great resemblance to the platforms in the book"). The exteriors are different too - Harry and Ron's Ford Anglia ride began next door outside the much more scenic St. Pancras. If they'd boarded the train there, they'd have ended up in Paris.





Reptile HouseLocation: London Zoo

aLike Withnail And I's Withnail - who in another parallel, spent his schooldays at Harrow School - Harry takes a trip to London Zoo in The Philosopher's Stone, although there's a lot less soliloquising to the timber wolves. The scene was filmed in the Reptile House, and you'll find another plaque marking the spot. A 20 minute stroll across Regent's Park will get you there. The Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus), with whom Harry has his close encounter, was shot in a glass case that's normally home to a black mamba (Snakus poisonous holy-shittus). The two aren't difficult to tell apart: the mamba is much more poisonous and much less talkative.



Cafe Attack

Location: Piccadilly Circus/Shaftesbury AveThe cafe where Harry, Hermione and Ron's have their fraught late-night cuppa is buried somewhere on a Leavesden soundstage, but even if it did exist we can't recommend going there - it's crawling with Death Eaters and the service is terrible. It's a simple business to follow in their Deathly Hallows footsteps, though. Just take the tube to Piccadilly Circus, pick the exit marked 'Shaftesbury Avenue' and head that way. If you're travelling by Apparate spell, aim for the Gap outlet.



Ministry Of Magic

Location: Great Scotland Yard, Scotland PlaceAs Rufus Scrimgeour (Bill Nighy) intones at the beginning of The Deathly Hallows, it's a time of murder, disappearances and raids, so it's fitting that the Ministry of Magic's exterior shots were filmed at Great Scotland Yard where such things are all in a day's work. It's an easy trip across the West End, if your flying car is in for a service, follow in the footsteps of Arthur Weasley and take the tube to shiny Westminster Tube Station. From there, it's a short mosey along Whitehall to Scotland Place. Sadly, you won't find the red phonebox that Harry and Mr Weasley use to enter the Ministry in The Order Of The Phoenix, but, as you'll discover in The Deathly Hallows, there's a new route in anyway.



Gringotts Wizarding Bank

Location: Australia House, StrandIt's to the home of London's head Aussie, the Australian High Commissioner, rather than Diagon Alley, that we go next to find Gringotts Bank. The interior shots of the Bank were shot in this grandiose corner of the Strand. We'd like to say that you'll find goblins galore here, but any attempts to exchange the contents of your wallet for wizarding money will probably be meet with polite requests to "rack off". You can, however, request a visa to visit Australia. The Exhibition Room, used for Harry's personal banking scenes, is closed to the public, but the building is well worth a visit anyway. It was built during the First World War, donchaknow, with marble shipped all the way from Australia. Strewthius incrediblus.



Millennium Bridge

Location: St. PaulsIt took a really long time to stop the Millennium footbridge wobbling, and what do the Death Eaters do but turn up and knock it down. Boo! Happily, it's standing again now and you can walk across it without (much) fear of a watery death plunge a la Half-Blood Prince. From the bridge you can just spy the Gothic spires of the Houses of Parliament, past which Harry and his fellow members of Dumbledore's army whizz on broomsticks in The Order Of The Phoenix. Lambeth Bridge, across which the Knight Bus squeezes in The Prisoner Of Azkaban, is only a bend in the river away upstream.



Diagon Alley

Location: Borough MarketThat hair-rising Knight Bus ride ends up at the secret entrance of Diagon Alley, known more commonly as gastro-paradise Borough Market and the perfect spot for lunch on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. You're more likely to pick up a skinny latte than a foaming tankard of butterbeer, but a pumpkin pastie is not out of the question. Harry's Knight Bus screams to halt here, via Palmers Green, Lambeth and that inconveniently parked car, to drop him at The Leaky Cauldron. Along with Leadenhall Market, Great Newport St and Smithfields (which are, confusingly, not even slightly close together), Borough is one of the labyrinthine surrogates for Diagon Alley, although the most magical thing you can buy here is a piece of Roquefort, a single sniff of which will reduce a grown adult to tears.



The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley

Location: Leadenhall MarketJust across London Bridge you'll find Leadenhall Market, an ornate Victorian emporium of all things fruit, veg and meat. It's a second home to Diagon Alley, with exterior shots of the market appearing in The Philosopher's Stone. Hagrid and Harry enter the fantastical thoroughfare via Glass House Opticians, which you can still find at 42 Bull's Head Passage. You can even buy a broomstick at Leadenhall, although it probably won't be a Nimbus 2000. From Leadenhall, Potter completists will want to head up to Lincoln's Inn Fields to find the home of Sirius Black, 12 Grimauld Place, which is not as unplottable as all that.





The Forbidden Forest

Location: Black Park, IverThe Dark Forest is nearly as scary in real life. Black Park, a 530-acre reserve a short amble from Pinewood Studios, was used for The Wolfman, Sleepy Hollow and Eden Lake, as well as Hogwart's sinister, out-of-bounds woodland. It's basically crawling in movie beasties and probably has some Na'vi in there if you venture far enough inside. The park was used in the first four Potter films, and was home to Hagrid's hut and the spot where Harry tamed the Hippogriff. Disappointingly, there are no Hippogriffs to be found there, or Thestrals, Bowtruckles or Grawps for that matter, although you may stumble across a hedgehog or two.



Hogwarts Great Hall

Location: Christ Church College, OxfordOxford stood in for Hogwarts's gothic halls and stairways, giving Rupert Grint and co. the chance to squeeze in a little punting, the odd Radiohead gig and a pint of two of foaming non-alcholic ale between takes (all that Dark Art-battling beneath the dreaming spires is thirsty work). Christ Church was used for many of Hogwarts' interiors and stairways, while its ancient dining hall was recreated at Leavesden as Hogwarts' Great Hall. If you're looking for the spot where Malfoy was turned into a ferret, that's down the road at New College.



Hogwarts Library

Location: Bodleian Library, OxfordJust a short cobbled stroll away across Radcliffe Square is Oxford University's ancient book depository, the Bodleian, which you'll recognise as the place where Harry and co. get down to the serious business of swotting for their N.E.W.T.s., Hogwarts Library. Next door is the Divinity School, a medieval edifice that doubled up as Hogwarts' sanatorium in the first four movies. Its Gothic ceiling boasts enough beasts and creatures to make even Hagrid leap from his skin. It's open to the public all year round. Dress code: Scholars' gowns rather than invisibility cloaks. Sub fusc optional.



Hogwarts/Godric's Hollow

Location: Lacock Abbey, WiltshireOften used for telly costume dramas, the Abbey at Lacock, just down the road from Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, appeared in The Philosopher's Stone and The Half-Blood Prince. Not only are Quirinus Quirrel's classroom and Severus Snape's laboratory found here, but the cloisters - dating all the way back to 1232 - were stalked by Argus Filch and his scrawny cat, Mrs. Norris. The neighbouring village of Lacock was the inspiration for Godric's Hollow and was used for filming The Half-Blood Prince, although for The Deathly Hallows production shifted to Lavenham in Suffolk (presumably it was easier for Nagini to get to).



Hogwarts School Corridors

Location: Gloucester CathedralFilming at Scotland's most magical seat of learning, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, involved some sleight-of-hand of its own. Eight different locations were used, of which Gloucester Cathedral, built in Norman times, was a suitably ornate setting for Hogwarts' cloisters and the Gryffindor dormitory scenes. Warner Bros.' crews last filmed there at the end of 2008, and fans still descend to try to sneak a glimpse of Moaning Myrtle. "Suddenly you'll get an influx people in cloaks," says Barbara Lloyd, the Cathedral's Operations and Marketing Manager tells Empire. "Children will bring their families to see it. It's been great news for the Cathedral."



Hogsmeade Station

Location: Goathland Station, North YorkshireThe Hogwart's Express finishes its journey not in Scotland but North Yorkshire. "I'm reasonably up to speed on Harry Potter now," says John Bruce, Station Master of Goathland, the real Hogsmeade Station, which can be found near Whitby. "People do recognise the station. We get quite a lot of visitors, many of them are French or Japanese youngsters." Steam trains run through Goathland every day during the summer. Despite leaving from the same terminus, getting there is a trickier business than Harry's journey to Hogsmeade, explains Bruce: "You have to go from Kings Cross to Darlington, Middlesbrough and then down Whitby line, with one change."



Hogwarts School - Mrs. McGonagall's Office

Location: Durham CathedralNext stop is Minerva McGonagall's (Maggie Smith) classroom, located in the depths of Durham Cathedral's Chapter House. Dating back to Norman times, the cathedral was a suitably ancient surrogate for Harry's 9th century secondary school, with cast, crew, owls and baboons descending on it for The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber Of Secrets. The Chapter House itself isn't open to the public, so unless you can Animagus yourself in, the Cathedral cloisters are the next best thing. It was here that Harry took Hedwig the owl for a spin.



Hogwarts School - Broomstick Flying And Quidditch ScenesLocation: Alnwick Castle

This stone edifice has been home to Earls and Dukes of Northumberland since the 1300s, and home to Quidditch since the first Golden Snitch was released in The Philosopher's Stone. Alnwick (it's pronounced "Annick", if you're asking for directions) is the second biggest inhabited castle in England, and even has its own ghost. The castle makes a suitably grand backdrop for all that wizzing around on broomsticks and was extensively used during the first two films in particular. It's open to Muggles between April and October. Flying cars discouraged.



That Long Bridge Thing In The Chamber Of Secrets

Location: Glenfinnan ViaductThe magnificent Glenfinnan Viaduct, 20 miles west of Fort William on the edge of Loch Shiel, is the suitably towering edifice upon which the Hogwarts Express wends its magical way north. At 1000 feet across and 100 feet up, the local train that still crosses it is not for the faint of heart, but is still totally preferable to tearing past, clinging to the door of a Ford Anglia. The viaduct also appeared in Monarch of the Glen, which gives us an idea for a screen face-off we'd pay quite a lot to see: Voldemort versus Richard Briers.



4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging

Location: Picket Post Close, BerkshireBerkshire, not Surrey, is the home of the cumudgeonly Dursleys and their appalling son Dudley. The worst place in Muggledom is actually named after a small town in Gloucestershire that J.K. Rowling visited as a child, and while there's no record of her being locked in a cupboard under the stairs, she obviously didn't enjoy it that much. The Dursley family home, complete with the under-the-stairs cupboard once occupied by Harry Potter (we like to think), can be found near Bracknell - although the interior scenes were, in reality, shot on a soundstage at Leavesden Studios.





SOURCE- http://www.empireonline.com/features/harry-potter-travel-guide/2.asp

Prejudice towards "STREETKIDS" and their Deviance

A global issue that is affecting our Canadian society as well as developing countries is the intolerance towards deviant social behaviour in street kids. Deviant behaviours are socially unacceptable behaviours; behaviours that violate the norms of society. In this case, street kids panhandle, and engage in other activities in order to survive. People tend to stigmatize street youth rather than understanding their problems. Street kids are victims of several social, economic factors that influence them to act against the norm of society. Unawareness, prejudice, the lack of outreaching facilities are reasons due to which street kids in Canada and around the globe are involved in crimes, deviant behaviours. Effective measures to globally eradicate this issue can be taken by decreasing intolerance towards stigmatized street kids.
The article focuses on the deteriorating conditions of Iraqi street children. In Iraq, street kids are unable to gain daily necessities; food, shelter, water, security. Developing countries have higher amounts of street kids than developed countries. In these countries youths suffer from higher amounts of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and abusive parents. Youth institutions that industrialized countries have are rarely available in these countries. Many children on the street resort to illicit drugs in an effort to forget the traumas they face daily. “You just have to smell this powder and you feel much better. You don’t remember you’re hungry or that you have to go back home.” said 14 year-old Bassel Malek, who takes a daily dose of heroin to get by. (IRIN News, 26 December 2005. “Street children face hunger and abuse”). Only a few youth aid programmes are available by the Ministry of Public Work and Social Affairs in Iraq. A recent statistics conducted by the Iraq Ministry of Planning reveal that the number of Iraqi street children has reached to 5 million. Several street kids’ at the age of 11 who are supposed to be at school are selling sweets, goods at traffic lights. Their parents are unable to support them, many are abusive, and force them to work for many hours in a day to provide for their family. According to the article, many street kids are sexually abused while they work in streets. Most cases are not reported to the police because their parents are afraid of being penalised for permitting their children to work on streets. Unfortunately, their hard work does not pay off, they face malnutrition and long for the meals that they see on television. The health workers state that most of these children face regular malnourishment. Inadequate government funds, and educational programs makes it impossible to change the poor living conditions of street kids. Their parents cannot afford to provide them with proper education as their country does not have free secondary education. These factors affect the lifestyle of street kids, without proper education, they are unable to rise above their poor living conditions and prosperity. Intergenerational mobility; that is the changes in social position of a child relative to their parents is impossible as well. Many street kids’ parents live in either slums or on the streets, if proper education was provided, chances of street kids becoming into a clerk or a teacher would be possible, they would not live on street as their parents did. But, the expensive educational programs are unaffordable to parents to educate millions of street kids. In addition, their society is intolerant towards their daily behaviours for survival. “I hate it when children come over to my car selling candy with their dirty hands,” said Najida Hadi, a resident of the capital. “I wish all of them would be put in a separate place from the rest of society.” (IRIN News, 26 December 2005. “Street children face hunger and abuse”). Some people use violence to avoid the children, by hitting them through the car window when they approach them. They lack empathy towards these kids, some even use extreme violence. The article reports that Amir was hit with a penknife by a driver. This kind of prejudice and stereotyping makes it hard for street children to survive. As a result, street kids are deprived of life chances; their opportunities to provide themselves with positive living conditions and favourable life experiences. They continue to act against the norms of society to survive.
On the other hand, North America has several facilities that aid street kids. In Canada, Toronto has institutions and programs such as Covenant House, Youth Pathways Project. But, many street youths may not have the motivation to take their help. Many youths may not be aware of these programs. In Canada, only 17% of street kids have paid employment, the rest may be involved in crime or are still looking for support. Employing them is an issue as most of them have no fixed address. They lack work experience, most have no way of communication (email, phone), many have no money for transportation; limited for job search. Employers may not hire them because of they are not impressed by the way they appear, they do not have the right clothing, and the right literacy skills. About 25% of street youth in Canada have several legal problems which makes them less trustworthy in the eyes of managers. Even if some of them may be very skilled and talented, employers would regard the spoiled identity of homelessness as a good reason to not hire them. These problems make them unfit to earn and survive. Many street kids rely on drug trafficking, robbery to survive. With the growing taxes and high unemployment rates, street youth are unable to survive. This has significantly increased the amount of crimes that street kids take part in. The Shout Clinic, Toronto, statistics concluded that 36% of street youth earn money by panhandling (begging) or squeegeeing (window washing), 19% do break and enters or sell drugs, only 18% receive social assistance, and 10% are involved in sex trade work. A few obtain food by rummaging through garbage cans, stealing from grocery stores, or tricking fast-food restaurants to replace a meal they claimed to have bought and lost. Many street youths conform to their peers to form groups that are involved in activities such as drug trafficking, robbery, violence. Illicit drug use rates in Vancouver, Canada is very high. The municipal government of Vancouver spends more money per capita to deal with illicit drugs than any other Canadian province due to the high rates of street kid unemployment. Therefore, these factors contribute to their disobedience towards the authority (police, institutions). This not only creates a more dysfunctional society, but it also makes it hard for them to conform back into society. If our government would give them proper training for jobs instead of just providing them with necessities, then there could be a development. In a recent survey by the Shout Clinic, Toronto, 51.8% of street youth felt that any job was better than welfare. As welfare can only provide them with sufficient money to cover rent and the rest of their necessities could go uncovered. Street kids want to work because need extra money to gain life chances, that is, good living conditions, living conditions, and material goods just as a normal teenager does.
Similar to Iraq, in our Canadian society street kids also suffer from intolerance. Several youngsters are runaways due to abusive parents or neglecting parents. It could also be because of family tensions, such as their parents getting divorce, or them being sent to foster care. Increasing amounts of teenage pregnancies is a significant factor as well. Several teen mothers are unable to attend school and rear a child when their parents are unwilling to help. Many motels and apartments disagree with the idea of renting rooms to teen females who are pregnant. Studies have found that the managers have a problem with renting rooms to teen mothers as they think that teen females may not be able to pay the rent. Employers do not think of young pregnant mothers as a good candidate for the jobs as they think that they are physically not that useful, and there would be too many issues to deal with if they hired them (issues such as pregnancy leaves, health problems). The government should provide more support to teen mothers by helping with daycare, and jobs that may help them sustain. They should train young female mothers with skills that would be useful in various jobs. This could make their lives much easier. Unemployed teen mothers are more prone to being involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities to support herself and her child. Studies have shown that Canadian youth generally leave home around the age of 15. 64% of homeless young men are under 25 years old and 72% of females are between the ages of 19 and 25. Street youth who may want to fit back into society find a hard time doing so because of the levels of stigmatism that exists in our society. Stigma is a label that is used to devalue members of deviant social groups, in this case; street kids are stigmatized as “bad”. Street youth are labelled for their bad reputations and are not given a chance to fit back into society. For instance, if a street youth were to apply for a job at a fast food restaurant and had a history in illegal activities, then the employer may not consider her/him to be suitable for the job. Street kids are not given a chance to start a new life. They are being stigmatized to be involved in criminal activities that they no longer engage in. As a result they cannot receive jobs, are unable to survive and are ultimately forced to be involved in criminal activities again. I think that society should focus more on preventing and supporting deviance of street kids instead of having prejudicial feeling against them. Conflict theorists argue that the criminal justice system disregards the white collar crimes and focuses on crimes committed by the poor. Similarly, many people in our society disregard the conditions of street kids and focus more on the nuisance that deviant street youth cause.
I personally think that the class difference between the high/ middle class; us and the lower class; street kids is a major factor for intolerance toward street kids. We are so immersed in our petty problems (such as: maintain our garden, taking care of our pets) that we are unable to open up our eyes and see the poor living conditions of street kids. As shown in the article, “The burden of stuff”, by Gord Henderson, we are so immersed in our selfish lives, that we think only we have the biggest problems. Whereas, street kids with major problems, around the globe are struggling for daily bread. People who close windows on street kids that sell goods for a living, we see them as nuisance instead of understanding their situation. While living in India, I have seen the poor living conditions of street kids. Many street kids in India have live in slums near drains. Their parents earn low wages by working as servants for abusive managers. Their parents cannot afford to give them education due to the lack of jobs. Indian ministers misuse funds for personal purposes instead of creating programs to aid street kids. As a result, street kids in India continue to sell goods on streets for a living, for the rest of their lives. This experience has made me more tolerant towards street kids. So, without seeing or having knowledge about street kids, people cannot understand towards their deviant behaviours. I think that the government of every country should initiate awareness about street kids to citizens. This way, more people would have knowledge about street kids. Street youth need more help of government with funds and programs in order to reduce the evolving problem. This could help them become more tolerant towards street kids, giving street kids a chance to conform back into society. This will help us achieve a more functional society.
In conclusion, deviant behaviour of street kids in developing and developing countries are often seen through prejudicial eyes. Many people in society are unable to understand the terrible conditions of street youth. Street kids are deprived of life chances and are forced to act against the norms of society. Educational programs for the people in society and for teens could promote open mindedness and empathy towards street kids. More government funds and programs could significantly reduce street kid rates in developing countries.