Sunday 10 April 2011

H is for… Harry Potter

Does this character need an introduction? I'll attempt one anyway.

Harry Potter is an amazingly successful series of books that capture the imagination of children and adults alike. The idea was thought up by author JK Rowling when she was delayed for four hours on a train. Considering the resulting phenomenon that swept the world, gave hundreds of people employment on film sets, launched acting careers, and brought people back to reading - I can only conclude that sometimes it is good when British transport breaks down. You'll probably never hear me being that kind to our transport system ever again.

Harry Potter and the... x 7
Published: 1997 - 2007
Author: J K Rowling

Pottering fact one: To celebrate the launch of one of the books the local shopping centre had owl demonstrations. That was rather cool.
Pottering fact two: I love the word ‘pottering’. To potter around the garden is to do nothing functional – it is to tweak and dally to the heart’s content.
Pottering fact three: Today I pottered around a vintage fair, dallied to my heart’s content, and then decided my heart would be happiest if I bought a 1940s tea dress.
Pottering fact four: I also pottered around the Chelsea Physic Garden and saw herbs that could ‘quell the coldeth and quash the cougheth.’ In old English, it seems every ailment basically has the letters ‘eth’ after it.
Pottering fact five: Am so tired. This post almost didn’t make it!

19 comments:

Old Kitty said...

I love the Chelsea Physic Garden!! One of my all time fave visits - well worth the long trip!!!!

Yay for Harry Potter!!! What else can be said about this amazing character - cept: YAY!!!!!!

Glad you had a brilliant day pottering around!! Enjoy the rest of your evening! Take care
x

Laura S. said...

In the U.S. we say "puttering." I like that word, too!

LOVE Harry Potter! I remember reading the first one when I was in 7th grade. I was enchanted and introduced it to everyone in my family. I thought everyone in the world should read it...and pretty much everyone in the world has, lol!

Wendy@FabNouveau said...

I'm collecting Harry for my girls. they should be ready in a decade or so.

Wendy@FabNouveau said...

I'm collecting Harry for my girls. they should be ready in a decade or so.

Deniz Bevan said...

Ooh, a vintage fair sounds lovely! I avoided the Harry Potter books until the fourth one because I thought they were just a fad - I'm so glad I did read them in the end!

Happy Frog and I said...

I am really enjoying your whole take on the A-Z April challenge. You keep giving me new information and facts which are great, thanks :-)

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Oh! I almost did Harry Potter for the challenge too. But I didn't. Pottering and dallying sound like excellent activities to me. Drop by and potter around my blog sometime. You can even dally if you like!

catdownunder said...

It was my father who brought home the first Harry Potter.(He is a now-retired "magician" and former headmaster.) Even now he will stand there with something from the garden and say, "Can you mix a potion with this?"

Kittie Howard said...

What a loss we would have suffered if the train had been on time. Harry Potter turned into a reader's awakening.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

You would no doubt look lovely in a 1940's tea dress. I do hope you bought it.

And I can't even imagine a world without Harry Potter now!

Charmaine Clancy said...

Harry Potter taught me to make individual characters. If you spotted a boy on a train with dark hair, broken glasses and a lightening shaped scar on his forehead - you'd know who it was. I need to work on making my characters stand out more.
Wagging Tales - Blog for Writers

Unknown said...

One of the best group of books to be written in the last 50 years... Harry Potter was great.

D.J.Kirkby said...

I am quite fond of pottering too. A little too fond of pottering around with novel number two though....

Louise said...

I think my heart would be happiest after buying a 1940's tea dress too-totally understand that :)

I found your blog through the surprise me button, and what a nice surprise it was. New follower :)

Eliza said...

Love the Harry Potter series, I only read them to see what all the hype was about, I was instantly hooked.

Beth said...

The Harry Potter books are true classics. I read and enjoyed them with my daughters.

Unknown said...

Thank goodness that train was delayed.
I love the way JKR and Harry Potter have taught so many children the joy of reading.

Kim said...

For literally 2 years my friend told me to read Harry and I said no no I wasn't a child and didn't read children's books. Then one Saturday at University I was ill and everyone else had gone out and she'd left me Harry out saying try it it might make you feel a bit better- and I read it in one sitting and a love affair (of a sort) began.

From then I've devoured them, I think in many ways the quality peaked at book 3 or 4 but I don't really care because I love them all, I love the detail and the slightly different but still recognisable world.

Kim said...

and oh I've posted in my real name- but this Rose!