Tourism & Hospitality

Mandrakes and Magical Creatures

arrives at Warner Bros Studio Tour London

A Mandrakes and Magical Creatures special feature is arriving at Warner Bros Studio Tour in Leavesden to shine a spotlight on how favourite creature effects from the Harry Potter films were brought to life on screen. The feature runs from 1st July until 12th September.

Visitors will be welcomed

into the Great Hall to the Frog Choir scene as seen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, featuring the costume of conductor of the choir, Professor Flitwick, as worn by actor Warwick Davis.

At this special event attendees will find their favourite magical creatures as they explore the Studio Tour. There will be Cornish Pixies, Dumbledore’s beloved Fawkes and the animatronic Monster Book of Monsters to spot during the visit. In addition, visitors can learn about how magical creatures such as the Thestrals and Mandrakes were brought to life using a mixture of scale models and CGI in the Creatures Workshop. Also new for 2022, Warner Bros is opening the doors to Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse for the very first time. The greenhouse is a fan-favourite set from the Harry Potter Series where students were taught their Herbology lessons with Professor Pomona Sprout. Built by the original Harry Potter filmmakers, the greenhouse is home to many exotic and magical plants. There will be an interactive display where visitors can stop and pull out a potted Mandrake. Based on the scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, there will be a Venomous Tentacula hanging from the ceiling as visitors walk through the greenhouse. During filming, various techniques were used to achieve the movement of magical plants. The grasping movement of the Tentacula’s tendrils was computer generated. However the movement of the Mandrakes was achieved using animatronic controllers hidden beneath the table. In addition to this brand-new set, the Studio Tour will be expanding the exterior sets in its backlot with new additions including the fountain from the Hogwarts courtyard and a 1:3 scale-version of the Weasleys’ Burrow.

The scale-model of the Weasleys’ burrow is an exciting addition to the backlot area as filmmaking fans will learn the camera trickery behind the external scenes of the family home, seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. During production, the Weasleys’ Burrow took filmmakers 14 weeks to build but only six minutes to burn down in the iconic scene where the Death Eaters set the home ablaze.

Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse, the courtyard fountain and the exterior of the Weasleys’ Burrow will be permanent additions to the Studio Tour.

Moor Park hosts qualifying event for 150th Open

Last month the High Course at Moor Park hosted one of 15 Regional Qualifying events across the UK as players aimed to qualify for The 150th Open at St Andrews.

The course was in exceptional

condition with many players stating that the greens were the best they have played on all year. The club is well placed to host such a tournament given its location to London and Heathrow making it a perfect pick for international players trying to make the prestigious 150th Open to be played in St Andrews in July.

The day started well with many players posting steady scores. Moor Park is known for its undulating greens and well placed bunkers and it certainly offered a tough test of golf for the high quality field. As the day progressed American Erik Flores posted a 5 under par score with three birdies in a row on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes. But it was Englishman Tom Shadbolt who came in with the winning 7 under par score, with no bogeys on his card, Tom had an exceptional round. Ten positions were up for grabs to make Final Qualifying. The quality of the field shone through and the cut was a very high standard 3 under par. Moor Park’s CEO Amy Yeates said “Moor Park has a long history of hosting prestigious events and we are thrilled to continue that history. Moor Park has hosted various European Tour events, the Women’s British Open and many exhibition matches with players such as Walter Hagan, Alf Perry and Henry Cotton. It was a great honour to welcome some of the country’s finest golfers to the club once more. After two years delay due to Covid-19 the Club was eager to impress and did not disappoint.” Moor Park is about to embark on a brand new irrigation system which will improve water efficiency, sustainability and include fairway watering. This builds on prior investment including a complete bunker refurbishment and the opening of a world class short-game facility. Regional Qualifying is set to take place at Moor Park for the next four years.

Hotel Cromwell signs up to The Hoteliers Charter

Hotel Cromwell have announced that they have been accredited by The Hoteliers Charter after finally being back up and running at full capacity for several months.

The Distinct Group, which

owns and operates both Hotel Cromwell in Stevenage and The Bedford Swan in Bedford has become the latest addition, and the first in Stevenage and Bedford, to sign up to The Hoteliers Charter.

The charter exists to help raise the profile of the hospitality industry in the public arena as well as to promote hospitality as a profession of choice to parents, schools, colleges, universities, and careers influencers.

By joining the charter, Hotel Cromwell will be championing commitments such as supporting the ambition to end low pay, providing a positive and nourishing culture and environment for colleagues, being an advocate for diversity, inclusion and equality and supporting industry charities.

Cluster General Manager, Dean Thompson stated: “Lockdown created an opportunity for The Distinct Group to take time to reflect on the type of organisation we are and continue to strive to be. We value ourselves on being absorbed in our community and helping wherever we can, on ensuring our employees have a work life balance and equal pay among many other things. Becoming part of the Hoteliers Charter has just allowed us to be recognised for the work we have done and will continue to do.”