Lumos! Looks like the magic of the Wizarding World is still alive and well, even in these uncertain times. Via Variety, London’s National Health Service (NSH) workers can now travel between West Herts hospitals for free with the help of branded buses that are usually reserved for Harry Potter fans heading to and from the Warner Bros. Studio Tour at Leavesden Studios, outside of London. It’s like a real-life version of the Knight Bus coming to the rescue of muggles in need.
Amy Ratcliffe
When the Harry Potter Studio Tour closed in mid-March due to COVID-19, the tour buses obviously weren’t being used. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden said: “We couldn’t think of a better way to use the buses at this time. We are delighted to play a part in supporting our local NHS in its time of need.”
The goal of the Golden Tours operated buses is to safely transport key workers between West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust’s three sites. The buses are free for healthcare workers. They’ve been careful to continue observing social distancing rules while medical workers are on the buses.
Paul da Gama, chief people officer at West Herts Hospitals added, “Our workforce has been depleted due to sickness or self-isolation and so it’s really important that those staff who are well but have transport issues can come back. A special shuttle bus, which will have strict social distancing rules, is the perfect solution and we are so grateful to Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and Golden Tours for making this happen. Our staff might not be travelling to exotic locations or seeing behind the scenes of a major movie, but they will be making magic happen in their own way.”
Warner Bros.
Now while the medical workers are not heading to Hogsmeade or Hogwarts, they hopefully still feel a little magic while on board. The buses are meant to somewhat resemble the Knight Bus, which was introduced in Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban. In the books the magical triple-decker bus allows witches and wizards to get into the Wizarding World. In real life, this bus is doing something just as magical: helping workers get to the hospitals safely.
Although we can’t guarantee Knight Bus conductor Stan Shunpike will be on board, these totally free of charge buses operate the hourly service beginning at 6:10 a.m. and ending at 10:40 p.m. daily.
Featured Image: Warner Bros.