to tell anyone starting a Harry Potter business in York that

[chomalungma]

The Shambles was not the inspiration for Diagon Alley.

I mean it's great. The Shambles looks the part. But seriously.

1 Harry Potter shop was good. Then there were 3. Then another one joined in. And now there's a potion shop.

Still, it brings in the tourists. And it's a change from Vikings.

I did the tourist bus tour in York many years ago, the guide pointed out his Mum's house and his old primary school. We all took photos. Best bus tour ever 😂

Ottery St Mary

Inspired by Otters

I used to live in nearby Whimple,

I always used to wonder what it was about St Mary that was so ottery. Perhaps she had a snout? Flippers? Rudder-like tail?

Oh gosh. Today I came back from a weekend trip to York. I went 4/5 years ago and I don't remember there being any HP shops. Maybe 1, but nothing that stood out. The Shambles was FULL of them. And so so claustrophobic. It's a gorgeous street, no doubt about it, but so so crowded.

I love the shambles - the tea shop where you can taste samples, the ghost buying experience was fun and there was a good bakers shop too. We’re not really into Harry Potter, but enjoyed the street anyway. I rather like touristy places.

In geography A level I remember learning about "comparison goods", things that we don't buy often and we like to compare them between shops before purchasing. It makes sense for retailers selling comparisons goods to cluster together. I guess a Harry Potter fake wand is a comparison good???!

@TeenPlusTwenties
I agree and it’s also easier to price fix

I used to have a bookshop in Shambles, before all the HP shops turned up. We used to get people coming in asking if Shambles was the inspiration for Diagon Alley - I would say no, but XH would say yes, and has even signed HP books on the back of it

It pisses me off to hear the tour guides wanging on about Harry Potter down there. York has a rich history of its own, we don’t need to hang off any fictional coat tails.

I guess while there's still fifteen minute long queues outside the current HP shops, there's evidence of demand!

I get what you mean though, I preferred it when it was just the one, it made it seem more special. I have a niffler from The Shop That Must Not Be Named.

I think the studio tour talks about the Shambles being used as inspiration for the film set Diagon Alley. Been a while since my last visit. Leadenhall Market was used in the first film, as the location of the Leaky Cauldron, not Diagon Alley itself.

chomalungma

Inspired by Otters?

Isn't Ottery St Mary on the river Otter? Near Newton OpplePoppleford.

I worked near Leadenhall market, which was used for some exterior Diagon Alley shots. One of the shops (in real life) had a sign above the front door that read ‘Nylons’. (This was around 1993-95.) I’ll have to see if I can capture a still from the film, if anyone’s interested.

I guess for tourists, walking down the shambles is a lovely experience, add HP shops and it's a recipe for success. For us who are from York, know it's got nothing with it lol Tbh they're the most busiest shops in the shambles so if it brings in trade for other shops and the market then that's great

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

If you see a Harry Potter shop not doing very well you’d be bonkers to open another next door. If you see three all turning over £££ with more customers than they can fit in, why would you not?

Re the comment about Pudding Lane etc, I wish we still did that and you could just work your way down Shoe Street instead of having to go all over town.

I think that would be amazing for shoes, but maybe not so useful for puddings.

Tbh they're the most busiest shops in the shambles so if it brings in trade for other shops and the market then that's great

I wonder how tourists choose which one to go into

@chomalungma

Tbh they're the most busiest shops in the shambles so if it brings in trade for other shops and the market then that's great

I wonder how tourists choose which one to go into

They go in all of them!

@chomalungma

JK Rowling on it

www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/18467443.j-k-rowling-speaks-tweet-suggests-shambles-inspiration-harry-potters-diagon-alley/

It might have inspired the film setting....

Oooh burn for York and the Shambles.

As a resident of York, I quite liked the first couple of Harry Potter shops that opened, although didn't quite understand why people would queue for ages in the long lines outside. But now there are so many, particularly in the Shambles, and I'm surprised that they have all lasted. I thought the market would be oversaturated at this point.

Doesn't bother me too much though. What does bother me (or rather did before covid and WFH) was the hoardes of tourists who block the bottom standing around with their cameras, blocking those of us trying to get to and from work or rush on our lunch breaks. I'm a bit impatient and tend to shive my way through though

There has opened one by me (nowhere near York). Opening weekend the queues were apparently insane.
Suspect as we're not a tourist town really and the area it's in isn't affluent it won't last long.

York gets huge numbers of a certain type of US tourist. The fly into London, get on a coach and get taken round London, then York, then Edinburgh.

They want to: have afternoon tea, buy tartan, buy Harry Potter stuff, buy red double decker buses, buy shortcake or find out they might be related to a Lord.

They don't care which of the three theme parks they buy which souvenir in- that's why all three sell the exact same stuff.

I'm in York and never been in them, mainly because of the bloody queues. Not as much of a problem now...

I always thought Whitby had inspired Diagon Alley, the theory being slightly boosted by the fact there’s a hand of glory in Whitby museum, and a massive trunk with other trunks inside...

I'm not sure I think that going there and enjoying that it resembles a similar ambience to Harry Potters Diagon Alley, which millions of people love, means that they also believe Diagon Alley is actually based on it, or that that particularly matters.

I live near a city with some similar aesthetics and we too have the HP shops. Surely it is a bit of fun and enjoyment for people and ultimately doesn't matter what they think, nor does it reflect poorly on them. York, The Shambles and all of its ilk will reel in tourists regardless because people are interested and enjoy those aesthetics. Frankly i just hope any of these businesses are keeping afloat in these times.

I've been to York, went to the Shambles, absolutely did know it was not the 'inspiration' for Harry Potter, if it is so surely is every other vaguely medieval street in the UK. Still loved it in part because it looked like it though, and thought the HP shops were lovely.

I always used to wonder what it was about St Mary that was so ottery. Perhaps she had a snout? Flippers? Rudder-like tail?

St. Mary is the patron saint of Devon, and was famously martyred by being eaten alive by otters. She's always portrayed in pictures absolutely covered in otters.

I'm hoping to go to York next year. It has all the things I love, trains, history and Harry Potter. I'm very excited! If I'm not too busy I might even visit my family there.

I suppose it's a similar thing to any seaside town how many bucket and spade shops do you need, they all seem to do well

Are the otters pictured eating St Mary, or all in heaven together, jnuzzling her affectionately, giving her ottery kisses and occasionally gifts of haddock?