The Elephant House...do you know about it?

I must admit, I am not a big Harry Potter fan, but I wanted to post this for those of you who may be fans.  Friday night we went to dinner at the Elephant House in Edinburgh. 

Now if you were a real fan of Harry Potter, you would know that this coffee house is where J.K. Rowling wrote the first few Harry Potter books.  This for sure would be a good trivia question about Harry Potter.   (I have walked by this place a number of times but had no idea about its historical value until this week.)  It is just down the street from Greyfriars Bobby and the cemetery.  (But that is a different story...this picture was taken this last summer.  We are not yet seeing too many blue skies in February.  I think I have already posted a story about Greyfriars Bobby so I won't get sidetracked.)

 

 

One of the missionaries who is scheduled to go home this week is a big Harry Potter fan and wanted to go the Elephant House before she left.  As I indicated, I was unaware of the significance of this Coffee House.  We went there for dinner Friday evening and learned all about the history of the place.  I have attached a picture from their website that gives some of the history.

 

Their fame has caused them to be a bit lax in the upkeep of the place...you can tell from the burned out light over the name in the first picture above.  Granted, it is intended to be a rustic type Coffee House, but it's appearance is a bit run down (I guess that  means that it is rustic) and the food leaves a lot to be desired.  We were sitting near the table used by J.K. Rowling and below is the view of what she saw for the inspiration for her story...looking out the window and seeing the Edinburgh Castle. 

 

 

 

If you go to the website for the Elephant House there is a interesting video interview about the beginning of the Harry Potter series.

 

From Wikipedia:  Rowling has led a "rags to riches" life story, in which she progressed from living on state benefits to multi-millionaire status within five years. She is the United Kingdom's best-selling author since records began, with sales in excess of £238m.^[12] The 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £560 million ($798 million), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in the United Kingdom.^[13] Forbes ranked Rowling as the forty-eighth most powerful celebrity of 2007,^[14] and TIME magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fans.^[15] In October 2010, Rowling was named the "Most Influential Woman in Britain" by leading magazine editors.^[16] She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Lumos (formerly the Children's High Level Group).