England 2018: King's Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4

I love creating travel itineraries and for my week in London, I spent several weeks carefully crafting a detailed tour chart. I completed everything on my list and even had a little bit of spare time on the final day.

A serendipitous opportunity occurred when I realized that my walk back to my hotel, would take me past King’s Cross Station.

Harry Potter fans know that King’s Cross Station is home to Platform 9 3/4; the magical entry to the Hogwarts Express. A quick phone search showed me that King’s Cross Station does indeed have a Platform 9 3/4, which is prime photo spot.

Another bit of luck, King’s Cross Station was hosting a visitor to promote Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. The whole area was packed and I couldn’t get a clear shot without other people getting in the way, however, I think the picture with the man is hilarious. He’s so nonchalant.

Platform 9 3/4 consists of a trolley photo opportunity and an expansive Harry Potter shop. The line for photos was massive, but I joined it. The wait was about an hour, but it was a delightful experience, because I was surrounded by book lovers, especially kids who were so excited to be there. I was swept up in a wave of enthusiasm.

The photo experience is technically free and you can use your own camera. However, there is also a professional photographer on hand to get the perfect shot. I ended up paying fifteen pounds for two photos.

Did you forget your wand? Your Hufflepuff scarf? No worries. The photographers at Platform 9 3/4, have the right gear to get you to Hogwarts. You can pick your house and be kitted out. I went with my dark side and decided to sort myself into Slytherin.

Next stop, The Hogwarts Express!

No, actually the gift shop to purchase my pictures and other Harry Potter merchandise. Outside of the Universal parks, this was definitely the most extensive Harry Potter shop that I have visited. You don’t need to wait in the trolley queue to enter the store, so don’t be deterred if you see a long queue, it is only for the pictures.

My visit to Platform 9 3/4 and getting a trolley picture, was a worthwhile final London activity. I headed back to my hotel and to a nearby Pizza Express for one last meal in the city. On this trip, I discovered Swedish cider, which next to my Swedish step-kids, is my favorite thing from Sweden! I enjoyed a cider and pizza, while waiting for Dan to return from his business meeting.

No amount of time in London is ever enough, but I was grateful for everything that I was able to experience in this week. Although we were saying goodbye to London, we still had a few more days in England, a final weekend to spend with family.

England 2018- The British Library

The next stop in my epic final day in London, was The British Library. As a literature and history lover, the permanent Treasures of the British Library exhibit, was a must-do.

On my walk there, I found a marketing promo for the 2018 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom film. It was a giant dino transportation crate, with a VR experience set up inside. If the wait had been shorter, I would have jumped at a chance to check this out. As many readers know, Jurassic Park is dear to my heart, as one of my first jobs was a ride operator on The Jurassic Park River Adventure attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. To this day, I remain quite obsessed with anything in the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchise.

I walked past the gorgeous St. Pancras Station. London is such a stunning city with a blend of historic and modern buildings. I love London! At this point, I was already in mourning for my trip coming to an end.

I got slightly lost on my way to the library and discovered a side entrance, before finding the main entrance.

The library opened in 1998 and is a massive, bustling place. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but this was certainly the biggest, most impressive library that I have visited. As soon as I entered, I was overwhelmed by statues and various sets of staircases.

I’m not sure how I would feel if this was my local library, as it was teeming with tourists. I followed the throngs to the Treasures of the British Library, a free exhibition that is the main draw.

The Treasures of the British Library is not an understatement, it included many priceless historical, religious, and literary documents. I saw works from British writers, such as Shakespeare and Jane Austen. To be fair, the literary items captured my interest the most, but the collection also had ancient religious texts and historical documents from all over the world.

One of the stars of the collection is the Magna Carta. There are four remaining pieces of the Magna Carta left in the world and The British Library has one of the pieces. This legal contract from 1215, is one of the most famous documents in the world.

The Treasures of the British Library is not to be missed, however, I have a tip. I visited in the early afternoon and it was uncomfortably busy. I felt like every tourist in London decided to visit at the same time. This made the experience difficult to enjoy. Luckily, photography is forbidden, so people were not clogging up the exhibits in efforts to get the best instagram shot. I would highly recommend visiting first thing in the morning, in hopes that the crowds are lighter.

The Treasures of the British Library was bigger than I anticipated. If I had visited at my leisure, I would have easily spent over an hour. I think it really depends on your interests and how you like to tour museums. I can imagine some visitors spending half a day soaking it all in. I didn’t visit the rest of the library, as the whole building felt chaotic, in a most un-library way imaginable.

England 2018: Charles Dickens Museum

On my final day in London, I headed out early to maximize my final hours in the city. I grabbed a quick latte and muffin at Starbucks and saw this mural. I love her sass and wonder if she is based on a real person? Is she someones grandma?

In front of the Charles Dickens Museum, I found blue markers to honor literary luminaries.

Charles Dickens rented this London residence at 48 Doughty Street from 1837-1839. Dickens and his wife, Catherine, raised their eldest three children here and this is where he wrote three of his most successful novels: Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, and The Pickwick Papers.

I arrived when the museum opened and paid my 9.50 pound entry fee. The museum is small and can be toured in less than an hour. They do have a garden cafe, but I did not visit it. I toured during a quiet morning and I was mostly alone during my visit.

Even if you have zero interest in Dickens, this home is a great example of life during the victorian era. It has been restored and each room showcases the lifestyle of not only the Dickens family, but of how other upper-middle class families of the era would have lived. Dickens lived here during a successful part of his career and loved to throw dinner parties that included artists and thinkers of the time. It was quite the social butterfly!

The first level of the house contains a living room, dining room, kitchen, and wine cellar.

The second floor of the home contains the bedrooms, nursery, parlor/study, and dressing room. During their time here, Dickens’ teenage sister-in-law, Mary, came to live with them. Mary and Dickens were very close and she died in his arms, after a short illness. He struggled after her death and even fell behind on his publishing commitments.

Charles Dickens’ writing desk aka “where the magic happened.”

Various editions of Dickens’ novels.

One room was filled with quotes from Dickens’ stories. How many do you recognize?

The final part of the museum contained additional information about Dickens, such as his passion for learning. Dickens was fascinated by science, mysticism, medicine, and mesmerism. These ideas often found their way into his stories. There was a model of the “Pepper’s Ghost” illusion, which if you’ve been to a Disney park, is used in the Haunted Mansion ballroom scene.

Poverty is at the center of many of Dickens’ novels. He faced this issue as a child, when his father, John, was sent to Marshalsea Prison for being a debtor. This situation forced Dickens to begin working at twelve, including a job at Warren’s Blacking Factory. This trauma influenced not only his writing, but also prompted Dickens to spend his life champion causes to help improve equality with regard to race, sex, and economics. Despite his adulthood success, Dickens was profoundly affected by his childhood.

Lastly, a piece of not only my least favorite Dickens’ novel, but the required reading of my high school years that I detested the most. Truth be told, I enjoyed most of the required reading, but I did not enjoy A Tale of Two Cities, which I read in Mr. Duffield’s 10th grade AP World History class. Oh, how I hated A Tale of Two Cities!

If you’re a Dickens fan, book lover, or just want to see a really beautiful victorian home, I highly recommend a trip to the Charles Dickens Museum. As a bonus, it is located in a lovely neighborhood, which I also recommend taking the time to explore.