A magical day for Harry Potter fans (From Swindon Advertiser)

A magical day for Harry Potter fans

7:50pm Monday 13th July 2009 in News By Ben Perrin

HARRY Potter fans in Swindon rejoiced as a day of magic acted as the perfect build-up event to a new blockbuster movie.

Scores of budding wizards gathered together at the Brunel Shopping Centre on Saturday afternoon.

Five spellbinding 30-minute workshops were run as part of the celebrations with card tricks and levitation from Magic Mike.

The event ties in with the UK premier of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, shown in London tomorrow night.

A beautiful European eagle owl called Boo, similar to those seen in the movies, was also at the event to wow Potter fans.

Rahul Sapre, 13, from the town centre, kept going back to the workshops as he enjoyed them so much.

He said: “I really like the magic tricks. It’s interesting how they are done.”

“I really like Harry Potter,” said David Holmes, six, of Haydon End in north Swindon.

“It’s very good and Harry is my favourite character.”

Peter Goodwin, six, from Covingham, east Swindon, said: “I had a really good time at the workshop. It was fun. I’m looking forward to seeing the new movie when it comes out. I hope my daddy takes me.”

Emily Walters, eight, from Eldene, added: “I have read the books and they are the best books I have ever read.

“The movies are good too.”

Johnathan Kinder, Rahul Sapre and Tanay Naveena-Hegmantha were all given prizes for winning the Harry Potter lookalike competition. Rhian Baynham scooped top prize for the entrant most looking like Hermione Granger.

Prizes included DVDs of the movies and tickets for two at Swindon’s Empire Cinema in Greenbridge.

Mark Martin, deputy manager of the shopping centre, said: “The Harry Potter movies have become a bit of a phenomenon, so we decided to kick off celebrations in Swindon with some themed events.

“Budding wizards of all ages came along and joined in.”

The new movie sees Harry Potter discovering an old book intriguingly marked “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince” after he begins his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.