The magic of the Harry Potter universe is coming to Yorkshire after fans voted in their thousands for a gigantic display of magic wands to travel to the region as part of a UK tour.
A week-long light display will bring nine 15ft tall wands from the fantasy world of witches and wizards to Hull later this year.
Originally, they should have arrived in the city last November as part of the Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them launch, but the display was delayed by the pandemic.
Now, a new date has been confirmed creating excitement amongst Harry Potter stands across the region.
They will appear in Hull's Queen Victoria Square from 2 March as part of a week-long light show, accompanied by thrilling music from both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series.
Image: Wizarding World
Created in support of Harry Potter creator and author J K Rowling's Lumos Foundation, which works to reunite children in institutions with their families, the giant wands previously appeared in London in 2019.
Illuminated near St Paul's Cathedral, they lit up the walkway between the historic house of worship and Millennium Bridge every night from 6.45pm.
Now, they'll be coming to Hull as part of a new UK tour that will also take the glowing magic sticks to Birmingham, Stoke on Trent and Reading later this year.
Hull reportedly had more votes than any other city in the UK, and as such as been chosen as the first city for them to visit outside of London.
Image: Wizarding World
The wands' arrival has been timed to coincide with the launch of the newest Fantastic Beasts film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which will land in cinemas on 8 April.
Towering up high at 15ft tall, they'll be held in place in concrete bases and light up the sky every night to create a magical spectacle that's sure to appeal to fans of all ages.
Polly Cochrane, Country Manager WarnerMedia UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted that this stunning installation will be touring for the first time next month and the magic will be shared with even more fans.
“Following a nationwide vote, it’s exciting to know that we’re bringing the wands to the biggest Wizarding World fans across the UK as we celebrate the upcoming release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.”
A renowned brewery have announced that they will be taking over the reigns of a popular craft beer bottle shop in Ilkley.
Fuggle & Golding opened in 2015 on Leeds road in Ilkley and quickly grew a loyal following with locals and visitors alike.
Sadly they announced last month that their last day of trading would be Saturday 28 February, news which was met with huge disappointment.
However this is no longer the case, as Horsforth Brewery is set to reopen the venue on Wednesday. Hooray!
Announcing the welcomed news to Instagram, Horsforth Brewery wrote: "When we saw they were going to close we were determined to not lose another great venue from the local beer scene.
"We owe a massive thank you to George and the landlord for getting a deal across the line in quick order.
"We’re going to take a few days to put our stamp on the place and then we will be open on Wednesday!"
"Obviously we will be stocking our beers here but as anyone who knows will know, we love the beer scene so we will continue to have a good amount of guest beer on as well. We’ll even been joining in with the biggest beer launches from around the country.
"Want to know the best news? We’re doing this solo. No outside interests, no investors, no debt. In the current climate being able to organically grow like this is so so hard and it’s thanks to all our team that we’ve been able to do this.
"We’ve always been determined to grow our business in a healthy and sustainable way; it may have (absolutely has) been tough over the years but we’ve got ourselves in a position to take us to the next level in a sustainable way."
Beloved late night Leeds cocktail bar The Maven announces permanent closure
Clementine Hall
"After years of late nights, strong cocktails, and incredible stories; The Maven will close its doors"
It's a sad day for the Leeds night life scene, as a beloved speakeasy bar has today announced that it will be closing its doors for good.
The Maven has been a firm favourite for many years with those looking to enjoy some experimental and expertly made cocktails.
Hidden behind an unassuming door at the top of Call Lane, it was a great spot to visit if you were looking for something that little bit special.
Announcing the news to their social media, The Maven said: "From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for being our guests over the years and promise that until then, we'll do our best to give you the best nights out on Call Lane."
Georgina Pellant -
9th February 2022 
