The magnificent day is finally here! And Harry Potter too.

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The much-anticipated day had FINALLY arrived. Sleep was in short supply overnight and the day eventually dawned. How were we going to wait until 4.00 to embark on this life-changing adventure?!? How could we ensure the excitement, the anticipation and the overwhelming jitteriness?!

We had a grand solution - depart for Arundel Castle and leave her at home with Aunty Mel and Charlotte! Winning!! So off we set towards the castle and the medieval festival.

Lots to see at the castle, as indicated by the massive number of people in the car park. Luckily there were plenty of activities scattered amongst the grounds to keep everyone occupied so it never felt particularly crowded. First stop was a mock battle, followed by the gardens, full of beautiful flowers. A quick visit to the castle keep (but not inside, in case of naked pictures again) and a falconry display on the lawn (not very obedient birds) and we decided we’d had enough.

Thought we’d make the most of the beautiful day and head towards the coast, so we drove to West Wittering. The sun was shining and it was relatively hot but there was a brisk wind coming off the water…and the sight of bikini-clad English women was too much for our Aussie beach kid to understand…”what are we doing here?”. To complete the authenticity of the experience, we rounded things off with a proper fish and chip dinner.

Headed home to greet the weary Potter heads and hear about the day…many hours of joy spent in Harry Potter World, skulling butter beer, boarding the Hogwart’s Express and generally immersing themselves in ATH (all things Harry). Almost as many hours of non-joy spent in the gift shop, reversing the months of dishwasher stacking and washing up. At least now she can die happy!!

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