Tour for Muggles Presents: WANDerlust

The Merriest of Yulemasses to you all! Welcome to this year’s WANDerlust Christmas special – where our slightly altered guide gang take you through a Potterific Advent Calendar of epic proportions! You say festive and we say Carols! Christmas Jumpers! Cracker jokes! All with the WANDerlust magic you love. There’s even locations – a hidden temple! A non-existent Grimmauld Place! Durmstrang! – alongside terrible puns, some very strange wizarding recipes, and the slandering of Christmas Pudding! Also including: that pesky random dog, a large array of presents, Millicent Bulstrode’s hair, the Romans, the magic volcano school, the Great Percy Weasley Debate We Did Not Have Time For, and an attempt (please forgive us) of ‘The Twelve Days of Harry Pottermas’. So join us round the Christmas feast – make sure to try the chipolatas! – and enjoy this Christmas Special gift, from WANDerlust to you!   Christmas Poem – A Visit from WANDerlust ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when thro’ Hogwarts’ halls, Peeves was making a racket, as he scampered through walls; The House-Elves were prepping the Christmas Day Feast, But no others were stirring, witch, wizard or beast. The muggles too, snuggled, asleep in their beds, Whilst magical wishes danced through their heads: ‘It’s been absolute ages, so much time has passed, Since we last had an episode, of that amazing podcast – The one with the tour guides, stalwart and just, Bantering through London – yes, WANDerlust! How merry would Yule be with a new episode? Full of magical joy, sent to each listener’s abode? If only tomorrow would bring us a new feature, We’d feel goodwill to all (even Umbridge and Kreacher)!’ Well, deep in the bowels of Tour for Muggles HQ, Who should be listening, but the WANDerlust crew!

Merry Christmas! As a festive treat, we’ve released this bonus episode, in which our tour guides whisper the password and give you a leg up past the portrait into the Gryffindor Common Room! Our hosts Nick Longbottom, Will Hagrid, Alex Scamander and Greta Granger are settling into some squashy armchairs, and chatting all things dormitory! Can a round room have corners? How many passwords can you remember? Who on earth are the other Gryffindor girls? Greta Granger can tell you! Is Merlin the real Merlin or a random Merlin? Is the fat lady actually an opera singer? Ask Nick Longbottom! Where does the phrase ‘I’ll take Cadogan’s pony’ come from? Will Hagrid knows! And can Alex Scamander really time travel? All this, and more! Shrinking Gryffindor beds! Moving staircases! Sirius-ly good fireplace chats! The floo network! Deleted scene discussions! Kissing (ooo-err)! And the Hufflepuff showdown of the century. Oh dear… So come celebrate the festive season with us in this one-off Christmas special of WANDerlust! Here’s hoping you don’t get Scamandered at Christmas dinner when you’re telling your best stories you got from the podcast! Subscribe to never miss an episode, and follow us @WANDerlusttfm on social media to be first in the know about any Potterific shenanigans and SEASON 2 in 2021! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from us at WANDerlust, brought to you by Tour for Muggles.

In our season finale, our tour guides take you on a TWO-PART BONANZA of episodes discussing the Great Hall! Our hosts Greta Granger, Nick Longbottom, Will Hagrid and Alex Scamander are jamming that hat on their heads – we’ve got you Sorted! Travel to Oxford with Greta Granger, and listen to her talk about the Yule Ball! Join Nick Longbottom in speculating where Ravenclaw is really from, and whether the duelling club helped Harry or not. Listen to Will Hagrid’s fascination with ceilings, and discover the Gryffinbee with him; and let Alex Scamander test you on your knowledge of which teachers should be sitting at the staff table during Philosopher’s Stone! Also including: Michael Gambon’s dubious acting choices, bats pooing in your pumpkin juice, Ron’s potty mouth, a variety of high-brow puns, Hogwarts Hogwarts Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Peter Pettigrew the evil Gryffindor, who killed whom in the Last Battle, and a special guest appearance by Slytherin Producer Stéph Black on why Salazar is just misunderstood! So settle in for a two-part season finale of WANDerlust, enjoying all the things you’ve grown to love in just over 30 minutes – times two! Subscribe now to never miss an episode and follow us @WANDerlusttfm on social media for sneak peaks and extras, as we continue forging a path through the magical and muggle world of Harry and his friends!

In our season finale, our tour guides take you on a TWO-PART BONANZA of episodes discussing the Great Hall! Our hosts Greta Granger, Nick Longbottom, Will Hagrid and Alex Scamander are jamming that hat on their heads – we’ve got you Sorted! Travel to Oxford with Greta Granger, and listen to her talk about the Yule Ball! Join Nick Longbottom in speculating where Ravenclaw is really from, and whether the duelling club helped Harry or not. Listen to Will Hagrid’s fascination with ceilings, and discover the Gryffinbee with him; and let Alex Scamander test you on your knowledge of which teachers should be sitting at the staff table during Philosopher’s Stone! Also including: Michael Gambon’s dubious acting choices, bats pooing in your pumpkin juice, Ron’s potty mouth, a variety of high-brow puns, Hogwarts Hogwarts Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Peter Pettigrew the evil Gryffindor, who killed whom in the Last Battle, and a special guest appearance by Slytherin Producer Stéph Black on why Salazar is just misunderstood! So settle in for a two-part season finale of WANDerlust, enjoying all the things you’ve grown to love in just over 30 minutes – times two! Subscribe now to never miss an episode and follow us @WANDerlusttfm on social media for sneak peaks and extras, as we continue forging a path through the magical and muggle world of Harry and his friends!

In episode ten, our tour guides are bounding up to the threshold of Hogwarts Castle! Our hosts Alex Scamander, Greta Granger, Nick Longbottom and Will Hagrid are inching closer to stepping inside a real life magical castle – mind that ‘Danger, Keep Out’ sign! (Not that it would deter some of us!) Would you have attended Hogwarts if Snape had delivered your letter? What is the tallest Hogwarts tower? Who is the Hogwarts Architect…and what did he use to build the castle? Is Hogwarts really in Mumbai? No? How about Exeter? How safe is the castle really, and how secure is the Room of Requirement? Is Hogwarts sentient and is that really her voice? Can Hermione be wrong? Is Duffman a wizard? Which of our tour guides would be the last line of defence? Why do we care about windows in this episode? And, finally, how on earth did we arrive at the Parthenon in Athens? Find out the answers to all these questions, and more, in just over 30 minutes, as we get nearer and nearer to stepping inside the majesty of Hogwarts! Subscribe now to never miss an episode and follow us @WANDerlusttfm on social media for sneak peaks and extras, as we continue forging a path through the magical and muggle world of Harry and his friends!    

For our ninth episode, our tour guides must brave the Great Lake – or is it the Black Lake? Spoiler: it’s the same lake! Our hosts Will Hagrid, Alex Scamander, Greta Granger and Nick Longbottom are getting their feet wet, diving right in, and holding their breath for some truly fascinating underwater content! Encounter the cephalopod (posh word for a squid) – potentially the wizarding world’s BIGGEST animagus. Sail underwater with the Durmstrang ship, and discover a possible Viking inspiration for it! Try and pronounce the various Lochs used for filming, and meet the creatures that lurk in their depths. Also including: The Black Lake – your next diving holiday? Merpeople: Beasts or Beings? A variety of Health and Safety concerns about the Second Task; a daring rescue by Hagrid that never happened, and a Hufflepuff standoff that almost sinks the episode! So no more’n four to a boat, swashbucklers, as we spend just over 30 minutes trying to row our way across the Great Lake to dock at Hogwarts Castle! Subscribe now to never miss an episode and follow us @WANDerlusttfm on social media for sneak peaks and extras, as we continue forging a path through the magical and muggle world of Harry and his friends!

In episode 8, our tour guides have finally boarded the Hogwarts Express! Our hosts Nick Longbottom, Will Hagrid, Alex Scamander and Greta Granger will be seated three doors down from the Prefect’s carriage…or potentially exploring the buffet car! Travel along train lines with Will Hagrid as he attempts to plot the route of the Express, learn about Alex Scamander’s Hogsmeade Station discoveries, join Greta Granger in working out how the Ministry of Magic got its hands on an actual train, and see if you can remember all the events on the Hogwarts Express that Nick Longbottom has collected! Plus: meet the Crewe crew from Crewe, name the – slightly sinister! – trolley lady, and see if you can figure out what Remus Lupin is really doing on the train! So all aboard the Hogwarts Express, as we spend just over 30 minutes trying to crowbar in Every. Single. Train. Pun. Ever. Subscribe now to never miss an episode – Next Stop: Hogwarts Castle! – and follow us @WANDerlusttfm on social media for sneak peaks and extras, as we continue forging a path through the magical and muggle world of Harry and his friends!

For episode 7, our tour guides are taking a closer look at King’s Cross/St. Pancras! Our hosts Greta Granger, Nick Longbottom, Will Hagrid and Alex Scamander attempt to figure out where the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ really is…and also, what it actually is. Is Boudicca really buried under King’s Cross? And does she share her name with a Harry Potter villain? Why does Harry end up at King’s Cross when he’s dead – is he dead? Is Dumbledore Death? Where do ghost trains go? How did David Yates manage to film in such a busy station – and which of our guides have actually tried on invisibility cloaks? Finally, listen to a romantic story or two, whilst searching for the magical Eurostar! So get ready to burst through barriers, as we tackle familiar train guards, owl cage accidents, and miss seeing JK by a smidge as she sneaks past us, all in just over 30 minutes. Subscribe now to keep up to date with our episodes, and to continue following our wizarding journey through the muggle and magical world of JK Rowling!

In episode 6, join our tour guides in deciding whether Gringotts is as safe as it seems! Our hosts Alex Scamander, Greta Granger, Nick Longbottom and Will Hagrid discuss the ins and outs of filming at Gringotts – all the way to Vault 713. Find out why Hagrid is apparently a communist, which goblin has the first name Goblin, why Gandalf is looking to hide his ring in Gringotts, and the proper pronunciation of the word ‘knut’. Learn whether Daniel Radcliffe actually stopped a mugger, how much gold is in the Bank of England, and the case of the mysteriously vanishing galleons. Then stick around for a round or two of Where’s Warwick! So jump in the cart – one speed only! – and delve into the depths of Gringotts in just over 30 minutes. But watch out – here there be dragons! Don’t miss out on an episode; subscribe now to keep following our wizarding journey through the muggle and magical world of JK Rowling!

In episode 5, our tour guides have finally made it to Diagon Alley! Our hosts Will Hagrid, Alex Scamander, Greta Granger and Nick Longbottom debate back and forth about where the real-life inspiration might be – which mostly depends on who went to uni where! Join Alex in lamenting the fact there was no 80’s movie montage as Hagrid and Harry wandered through the shops; walk with Will through Edinburgh’s contenders and cafés; amble with Nick, who has a very suspect quote from JK herself, and follow Greta, as she theorises about Flourish and Blotts, and puts Florean Fortescue in the spotlight! Find out why our guides are obsessed with parrots this episode, why you should always end on your weakest fact, and listen to some very bad accents, all in just over 30 minutes. So tap those bricks and join us in Diagon Alley! Don’t miss out on an episode; subscribe now to keep following our wizarding journey through the muggle and magical world of JK Rowling!

In our fourth episode, our tour guides are thirsting for a butterbeer! Our hosts Nicholas Longbottom, Will Hagrid, Alex Scamander and Greta Granger chat about the Leaky Cauldron and its filming locations – one which we go to on our tour! – and speak to BeBe Barry about peeking from her bedroom window one night in March 2003. Debate some book conundrums that meeting Quirrel brings up, explore a smidge of the speakeasy culture, find out what happened to Tom the Bartender, and finally get the answer to the all-consuming question: is Stephen Hawking a wizard, or not? Drink along with our guides – mead or tea both accepted – as we posit our favourite pubs (is the Leaky Cauldron is actually in Limerick?!) and pour over the many facets of the Leaky Cauldron, all in just over 30 minutes. Don’t miss out on an episode; subscribe now to keep following our magical journey through the muggle and wizarding world of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter!  

In our third episode, our tour guides are aiming for The-Hut-On-Rock! Our hosts Greta Granger, Nicholas Longbottom, Will Hagrid and Alex Scamander tackle a shortlist of potential locations to find out if we can narrow down the moment where Harry’s life changes! Could it Blackwater Estuary, because Hagrid likes dolphins? Or maybe it’s in the North Sea, so Hagrid can drop past Azkaban? Does Uncle Vernon actually have a gun license? How tall is Harry and why does it matter? Are four packets of crisps really enough for rations? And is it physically possible for a pack of Thestrals to carry Hagrid’s weight? With plenty of logistical conundrums to answer – how did the Dursleys get off that island anyway? – explore the many aspects of the Hut-On-The-Rock in just over 30 minutes! Debate with us as we adventure onward – ‘yer a wizard, Harry!’ – and subscribe to keep following our magical journey through the muggle and wizarding world of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter!

In our second episode, join our tour guides as we take a trip to the zoo! Our hosts Alex Scamander, Greta Granger, Nicholas Longbottom and Will Hagrid take a stab at which zoo the Dursleys really went to, and welcome Holly Bestley, fellow Harry Potter fan and learning officer at Zoological Society London to chat all things reptile, with even a small exclusive! Did you know snakes don’t have eyelids, so they can’t actually wink? What happened to that boa constrictor after he escaped? Or was it actually a Burmese Python? Did you know there was a band called Parcelmouth? And which one of our guides once fell into a stingray basin? All of the above – plus the Yak-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named will be explored in just over 30 minutes! So come take a trip to the zoo with us as we adventure forward in Harry’s footsteps, and subscribe to keep following our magical journey through the muggle and wizarding world of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter!

In our inaugural episode, join our tour guides as we explore the nitty-gritty of the most muggle location ever: Privet Drive! Our hosts Will Hagrid, Greta Granger, Alex Scamander, and Nicholas Longbottom strive to discover the real location – and there are a few contenders! We talk about where the filming was done (several spots, actually!), and one or two behind the scenes stories. Did you know Privet was a type of plant? And did JK Rowling really base Privet Drive on her house in Winterbourne, where she lived when she was little? Is Dursley really as boring as it was made out to be? And what is Potter or Notter? All these questions – plus some logistical conundrums will be explored in a mere 30 minutes! So come and visit suburbia with us, join us at the start of Harry’s journey, and subscribe to keep following our magical journey through the muggle and wizarding world of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter!