9 of the funniest and most brutal comebacks of the week
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Mini Hogwarts built for 9-year-old Harry Potter superfan is still standing 14 YEARS LATER
A Harry Potter superfan who begged her dad to build her own Hogwarts when she was nine still has the castle in the garden - 14 years later. Megan Mackin, 23, reread the books about the boy wizard over and over again as a child and was desperate for her own piece of the magic. Her dad Sean Mackin, 54, spent a whole year recreating the iconic wizarding school in their garden in Belfast, Northern Ireland – complete with a two-floor tower. “I drew a tower and a square coming off it and showed it to my dad, and he made it work!” said Megan Over a decade later, the now-abandoned playhouse acts as a chill out space for the family with a sofa bed, cushions and TV. Despite blocking sunlight from the kitchen, Megan doesn’t think the castle will ever be dismantled. She said: “It’s actually kind of funny too, because you can see it from the street - the tower roof kind of pokes out over our sun room. “Plus it’s a castle in your own garden, even now it’s kind of amazing!” The student even plans to redecorate the interiors when she has finished her degree “I just really want to do a fun project before I graduate and there’s nothing like renovating a castle playhouse!” she said Megan was an avid bookworm as a child, and was obsessed with all things Enid Blyton and Lemony Snicket before a friend recommended her the Harry Potter series. She said: “I was about seven or eight at the time, it started there. “I read all the books that were released at the time - it just became the one series I would read over and over again until I was at least 14.” The architecture student became a superfan, collecting a Gryffindor cloak and tie, Harry Potter wand, Hogwarts train tickets and of course all the books and DVDs of the films. She took her paperbacks everywhere with her and reread them over and over again, and even dressed up as Hermione for Halloween. Megan said: “There’s a photo somewhere of me as a wee child, maybe at ten years old, reading the Half-Blood Prince and it’s just kind of funny because it’s a huge book and I look so small. “I would even try and bring the entire series on holiday to read again, probably took up half the luggage space! “My paperbacks are so worn down from reading and the spine is all wrinkled too from use.” In 2009, when she was nine, she begged her father to build her her very own Hogwarts in their back garden. “As a child, my imagination was definitely a bit wild so I guess there were no limits to what I thought could be done,” she recalled. “My dad …
So Much More Than Nigerian Harry Potter: On Nnedi Okorafor’s “Akata Woman”
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE should one call Nnedi Okorafor’s Nsibidi Scripts series and its new volume, Akata Woman, anything like the “Nigerian Harry …
UK homeowner turns her home into a wizard-themed Airbnb
Harry Potter fans can go on a magical city break of their dreams after a homeowner turned her terraced house into a wizard-themed Airbnb. Hannah Chapman, 29, spent three months renovating the £232,000 two-bed property in York with an interior featuring levitating candles, a potion cabinet, and a cauldron. From £198 a night, visitors can sleep in a set of bunk beds, just like those in Hogwarts boarding houses, which are large enough to fit adults. And Harry Potter fans may find the bathroom has a distinctly “Slytherin” feel, with green tiling and a metallic snake weaving its way up the sink. For the warm summer evenings, guests can also retire to the courtyard, where there is a chiminea fire pit to sit around and tell spooky stories. Hannah, who spent £40,000 converting the house, said it offers guests an “escape from reality”. She said: "Some people might find it a little spooky if they come to stay, but the house generally gives a warm and comfortable feel. “There’s no dark magic. We’ve only got friendly love potions in there – so nothing bad. “And if you’re a Harry Potter fan in particular, or if you like that sort of thing, then you’ll just find it very cosy.” The designer had ambitions to embark on the project several years ago after spending her childhood consumed by magical stories - from Hocus Pocus to Harry Potter. And when she finally got her hands on the keys to the late 1800s property in York, she stripped it back to reveal its “beautiful” original features. Hannah said some guests might find the property a little “spooky” but added there was no “dark magic” to be found in the gothic styled terrace. Hannah moved to York in her 20s to study at Northern College of Costume, and had later hatched a plan to one day create a magic-themed home. Harry Potter fans will also delight at the snug, located just below the staircase, which is equipped with its own potion cabinet and a cauldron. She said: “I’ve always grown up with Harry Potter, Hocus Pocus, The Adams Family, and I’ve always been interested in the magical side of things. “And I just wanted to create something unique that reflected York quite well, because the city has quite a lot of history, and lots to do with Witchcraft as well. “Nearly everything – 85 per cent of the contents of the property – was sourced from charity shops, recycling centres, eBay, and Facebook marketing groups.”
Antiques Roadshow guest floored by value of 'tatty' Harry Potter books
An Antiques Roadshow guest was left speechless after two old Harry Potter books were valued at up to £5,000. The BBC show rolled into Scotland on …
