Opening soon: Harry Potter Studio Tour in London
Coming soon: a chance to visit the Great Hall at Hogwarts
The set as well as many of the actual costumes and props from the films will be in the tour and one of the highlights is the Great Hall, which I’ve heard is really impressive!
Diagon Alley is antoher of the sets that visitors will be allowed to walk right down and I can imagine, it must be a very magical feel to sstand at the top of the alley. Other sets include the Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore’s office, and part of the Ministry of Magic set, which was the biggest ever built.
Professor Dumbledore’s office
The behind the scenes aspects are being kept so visitors will see the sets just as the cast would have done when they walked off and there are lots of little bits of information to test Harry Potter buffs on the way round. Warner Bros are estimating a dwell time of approximately 3 hours but there is no time limit on how long you can stay in there.
Tickets must be purchased in advance as there are no facilities for buying tickets once you are there.
The Studio is located in Watford, 20 minutes by train from central London / Euston Station and a shuttle service will operate from Watford Junction station. Tickets will be £28 for adults, £21 for kids and £83 for a family.
The tour is scheduled to open on 31 March.
I can’t wait!
-Helene-
A GREAT year to visit Britain!
2012 is finally here! There is so much GREAT to see and do in Britain this year. Olympics of course, but there are more to 2012 than sport!
Here’s a few highlights that hopefully will get you in the mood for a British holiday!
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating 60 years on the throne. Lots of events throughout the year but the but the major weekend is 2-5th June.
London 2012 Festival: This is the biggest festival that UK has ever seen. 10 million opportunities to get involved – for free! 21 June – 9 September 2012.
50 years and 50 cars of James Bond: at the National Motor Museum.
Charles Dickens : 200th anniversary
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The making of Harry Potter : Warner Bros Studio Tour opens in London, Spring 2012.
National Football Museum: opens in Manchester.
We are currently running a promotion with Resfeber/Reisefeber/Rejsefeber and they are offering some great travel deals to Britain for people living in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
And for those of you who live in Sweden (or understand Swedish), don’t miss Resfeberbloggen! They have a special feature on Britain at the moment, where you can get lots of inspiration and valuable holiday ideas around London, Manchester and other places around the country.
-Helene-
Hogmanay – Scottish New Year festival to be streamed online
Fireworks by Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is one of the biggest New Year’s celebrations in the world, and this year you can watch exclusive free live performances online!
So if you like me, can’t make it to Scotland this year, you can log log on and join 80,000 friends as we party the night away. :-)
The streaming will feature exclusive tracks from Scottish headliners Primal Scream, summer Festival favourites, Friendly Fires and the spectacular Midnight Fireworks from Edinburgh Castle.
To join the party, register at www.edinburghshogmanay.com before 31st December. So hurry up!
The programme will last one hour, starting at 23.30 GMT and ending at 00.30 GMT. Spaces are limited and free of charge.
See you at the Edinburgh street party – and Happy New Year to you all!
-Helene-
London in January = SALE
Christmas is over and it’s time to hit the London high streets and look for bargains!
Many of the major, iconic British department stores have started their sale already, and it will continue throughout January. Enjoy, and shop til you drop!
John Lewis: Sale starts 27 Dec
If you live in Sweden you can shop online and get your order delivered to your house. Shipping cost is only £7.50.
Liberty: Sale starts 26 Dec
Up to 50% off
Harvey Nichols: Sale starts 26 Dec
Luxury products at reduced price.
Selfridges: Sale starts 26 Dec
6 floors of sales. Chic – magnifique!
Harrods: Sale starts 26 Dec
Harrods’ winter sales are famous for making impressive reductions on luxury goods. Why not take the chance to buy some Christmas deceorations at half price for next year, for example?
Fortnum & Mason: Sale starts 27 Dec
London’s most luxurious food emporium offers great sales.
Westfield London: Sale starts 26 Dec
Head to Shepherd’s Bush to snap up clothes, shoes, electronics and more at low prices.
Westfield Stratford City: Sale starts 26 Dec
London’s brand new shopping centre boasts more than 200 stores with plenty of bargains to be had.
-Helene-
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
…with Christmas around the corner we thought we’d give you some British delights to add to your Scandinavian Christmas tables.
The traditional Roast Turkey with bread sauce, is a must, with roast potatoes and brussels on the side. As well as the Christmas Pudding. For Swedish, similar recipe, click here. Mince pie is another classic of course.
And instead of Swedish glögg, you can always go for the mulled wine ! Personally I actually like the mulled wine better, it’s not as sweat as the glögg.
And don’t forget the Christmas crackers and hats for everyone!
Enjoy and Merry Christmas everyone!
-Helene-
P.S Stay tuned for our January Sales guide to be published soon!
Preparing for London 2012
Swedish team in front of the Olympic arena
Last weekend representatives from the Swedish Olympic Committee with teams visited London, to prepare for the Olympic Games next summer. And we are proud to be able to present some pictures from their visit!
Some 15 countries were invited to compete in fencing and boxing. The boxer Anthony Yigit was the only athlete competing from Sweden. He made it all the way to the final but lost against a boxer from the host nation (UK), by15-14.
The ladies boxing- and fencing teams flew in over the weekend too, to capture the London atmosphere and prepare mentally for next summer.
The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) is encouraging all Swedish athletes to visit London before the games, to familiarise with the location in which they will possibly be competing, and the Olympic village where they will be staying. The intention is also to make sure the athletes have some time to visit attractions, go sightseeing, to get a feel for the city and just be a “tourist” for a day. By doing this, they can focus solely on their sports performance when it’s time for the Olympics.
The girls took the chance to visit Madame Tussauds one day and got to meet the legend within boxing, Mohammed Ali and Swedish boxing lady Anna Laurell even got a “date” with George Clooney. 
Shopping was also on top of the agenda but the girls also supported Anthony and attended all his matches until the final.
The team found the London visit very inspiring and useful in preparing for the 
tough and challenging year ahead. Many of the Swedish athletes will not know if they have qualified to the Olympics until a matter of weeks before the opening ceremony!
For the ladies boxing team, the World Cup in May 2012 that will be the qualifying game. For the ladies fencing team, it has already started but there are still 4 more tournaments to go before we will know who will be qualified for London 2012.
We wish them best of luck and hope to see them back in London next summer!
-Helene-
Whisky tour around Scotland
Micke Nilsson at Akkurat Bar & Restaurant in Stockholm is a dedicated whisky connoisseur and we asked him to share his favourite whisky disitilleries in Scotland and take us on a tour around the country.
Welcome! All aboard for a drink of whisky!
The island of Skye on the west coast is home to one of the more beautifully situated distilleries in Scotland, and one of my favourite ones to visit, Talisker. The fact that the whisky produced here is top class doesn’t make it worse. With some time to spend, probably the nicest way to get to Skye and Carbost, where Talisker is situated, is to take the A 83 from Tarbet, passing Inveraray with the amazing whisky shop Loch Fyne Whiskies, to Lochgilphead. After that go up on the A 816 to Oban, with a quick stop at the distillery of course, 
continue along the coast up to Fort William with the Ben Nevis Distillery. Next the A 82 will take you to Invergarry for a final change to A 87 leading to Skye, with its dramatic mountains. A visit to the impressing Dunvegan castle is recommended and when you are on the island don’t miss the beer from Isle of Skye Brewing Company. If you go in the summer -beware of the bloodthirsty midges!
A less well-known distillery is Glenglassaugh, beautifully situated in Sandend Bay, not far from Portsoy on the Aberdeenshire coast. Although established in 1875 most of the current distillery was built in 1959 – 60, when the then owners Highland Distillers decided to increase production. After being closed down in November 1986 the distillery lay dormant until new owners bought it and started production again in 2008.
There are still casks in the warehouses from before the closure in 1986, but this rare (and slightly expensive) whisky will quickly run out of stock. Since the law requires whisky to be matured for at least three years, there is not yet any whisky available from the new owners production. The extremely fresh and fragrant spirit is however very promising and I’m sure we will hear a lot from Glenglassaugh in the future. You can also buy your very own octave cask, containing about 50 litres, which will mature quicker than an ordinary cask (so you won’t have to wait 10 – 15 years to enjoy the stuff)
A great way for the “whisky buff” to see some distilleries and, at the same time, get some fresh air and exercise, is to walk the Speyside Way. It runs all the way from Buckie on the Moray Firth coast to Aviemore. This route follows the valley of the river Spey and most of it is what used to be the Strathspey Railway. You’ll pass closely, among others, the distilleries: Knockando, Cragganmore, Tamdhu, Dailuaine and Aberlour. It’s an easy walk and if you are lucky the shy Scottish sun will shine on you as you pass through fields and forests. There are also some excellent pubs along the way for the tired and thirsty walker; my favourite is the Highlander Inn in Craigellachie, with cask ales and a great selection of whiskies. There is also plenty of accommodation in the towns along the way.
Useful links:
-Helene-
Get a taste of Scotland – in Stockholm
Isle of Skye
If you don’t have the time to visit Scotland – you can get a taste at home! Every year, Akkurat Restaurant & Bar on Södermalm in Stockholm is running “Scottish Weeks” and this year it runs from 15-30 November.
Micke Nilsson at Akkurat tells us all about it:
-We will be serving beers from two great Orkney breweries; the “Orkney Brewery” located close to the Neolithic site Skara Brae and the “Highland Brewing co.” in Evie. Also from the excellent “Cairngorm Brewery” in Aviemore, and from the young and inventive lads at “Brew Dog” in Fraserburgh.
- But that is not all! We also serve Swedish “Scottish” beers from local breweries, Oppigårds Brewery with Tartan Ale and Skebo Brewery with an, as yet, unnamed real ale.
Micke Nilsson, Akkurat
Micke continues:
-Some very special whisky tastings are on the menu. We will, for instance, try all the whiskies of Islay – something that Swedes tend to appreciate very much. One tasting will contain whiskies from the lesser-known eastern Highlands region and another will focus entirely on the Ardbeg Distillery.
Micke has also prepared a great itinerary only for you, our dear readers, where he shares his favourite whisky distilleries around Scotland! So stay tuned, and in the meantime (if you live or will be visiting Stockholm) make sure you enjoy “mini Scotland” at Akkurat before the end of the month.
slàinte mhath!
-Helene-
Win a trip to Aberdeen!
Aberdeen at night
Christmas is coming closer so why not enjoy a short break to Scotland, or even better: Why not take the chance to win a trip to Aberdeen?
Norwegian airline Widerøe flies directly to Aberdeen from Stavanger, and together with VisitScotland, they are running a competition in Norway where you can win two flight tickets, accommodation at Meldrum House Hotel and a hire car to explore the surrounding area.
Besides shopping and enjoying the city of Aberdeen, you may want to visit Balmoral Castle for example. 85,000 people from all over the world visit Balmoral Castle each year!!
Or if you are a fan of the film Local Hero, you may wish to make a phone call from the famous red phone box in Pennan.
The area is excellent for golf too. Royal Aberdeen is the sixth oldest golf club in the world and Fraserburgh is the seventh oldest golf club in the world!
For more information about the competition and how to enter, click here.
Good luck!
-Helene-
Louboutin’s shoes on display
Christian Louboutin
Watch out all shoe lovers! Here’s a date for you diary: 28 March 2012
That’s the opening date for a new exhibition at the The Design Museum in London: the work of shoe designer Christian Louboutin.
The glossy red soles are probably the most famous trademark for Louboutin’s shoes. But his designs range from razor-sharp stilettos to lace-up boots and studded sneakers.
'Shoes like jewellery'
He launched his first label in 1991 and his original aim was ‘to make shoes that are like jewels’. And it’s still is! Just look at these pics!
The exhibition will explore how Christian Louboutin has transformed the design of the shoe over the past 20 years,. His creative approach will be profiled, together with the influences behind his work. These include the Parisian music hall, travel, art, landscape architecture and film.
-Helene-
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