Whenever I imagined London, I imagined Christmas.
Not just the lights and decorations, but that movie-like Christmas magic I grew up watching from my little tropical island in Mauritius. Here, Christmas happens in summer; warm, bright, lovely in its own way, but not the same soft, glowing winter wonderland I always dreamed of. And for someone who loves Christmas more than New Year (yes, that’s me), London felt like the place where everything I loved, the magic, the cosiness, the festive sparkle, truly lived.
Then, of course, there was Harry Potter.
The books shaped my childhood. The films shaped my imagination. My very first Harry Potter book was actually a birthday gift from my aunt, who lives in London, so celebrating my 30th birthday in the same city felt like life completing a full circle.
So when I was planning my Europe trip and realised I would be nearby in November, the decision felt obvious:
I would turn 30 in London in winter, under Christmas lights, and with Harry Potter.
On the morning of my birthday, I woke up ridiculously early, partly because I was excited, partly because London winter is freezing and I needed extra time to mentally prepare myself. My birthday is on the 26th of November, so yes… pure winter.
The cold didn’t matter. I was about to visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour.
If you’ve been on the tour on your birthday, you know:
The birthday guest gets to open the doors first.
So there I was, standing in front of those magical doors, surrounded by other fans, and I had the honour of opening them. For a moment, it felt like I was stepping into my own childhood, the little girl who received her first Harry Potter book was now turning 30 and walking into the Great Hall.
There will be a full post on the studio tour (with photos, videos, and everything I bought from the gift shop), so I won’t spoil it here, but I can say this:
My inner child was beaming. Truly, fully, completely.
After the tour, I headed back to central London to meet one of my favourite travel friends, Kat. We met earlier that year in Barcelona, both solo travelling, both staying in the same co-living space. We clicked instantly and promised we would reunite in London and we actually did. She was there for my birthday, just like we said.
So I got dressed, stepped into my first-ever London Soho night, and we began the birthday celebrations.
Our first stop was The Little Scarlet Door, a cosy and adorable bar that felt like the perfect place for a first birthday toast. We were soon joined by another friend, Becca – someone I also met in Barcelona and suddenly it felt like my Barcelona chapter and my London chapter were blending perfectly.
From there, we headed to Chinatown for dinner, where we ordered dumplings (my favourite). The girls surprised me with a tiny birthday cake, simple, sweet, and full of meaning. Then we continued the night at another bar, laughing, talking, and celebrating.
It wasn’t a traditional birthday with family or a big party.
It was something different.
Something special.
A birthday shaped by travel, friendship, and the joy of being exactly where I always wanted to be.
By the end of the night, I realised something:
This birthday wasn’t accidental.
It was intentional.
I had imagined a London winter birthday for years, and then I created it.
And it was magical.
This is just the first entry in my London Diaries; an introduction to everything that unfolded during those days: the bookstores, the Christmas markets, the cafés, the long walks, the emotions, the new memories.
More London stories (and Harry Potter studio details!) are coming next. ✨
