The Art Shop in the Shambles is due to close soon due to the retirement of the owners and plans are currently with the City of York Council seeking permission to convert the property into The World Of Wizardry. The renovations sound substantial as the new owners are seeking to create an authentic olde worlde experience. The new wizard shop is expected to sell Harry Potter gifts and souvenirs with displays of props from the Potter films helping to add to the atmosphere.
York is becoming a shopping haven for Potter fans. The Shop That Must Not Be Named opened in the Shambles earlier this year and has proved to be extremely popular with customers often having to queue to get in. There are also plans to convert two other shops in the Shambles into one and rename it The Boy Wizard while the local café The Flax and Twine is offering a menu inspired by Harry Potter that is proving to be a great hit.
It may seem unusual to have so many shops selling Harry Potter merchandise in such a small area but fans of the films will be aware of the close link that The Shambles has with the franchise. It was apparently the inspiration for the portrayal of Diagon Alley in the films. As this is the place for wizards to do all their shopping in the film, perhaps it is appropriate for the Shambles to also now be the place in York to shop for all of your wizarding needs .
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