“Potter” stars start the holiday season in Watford

Although Halloween has just ended, and Christmas is well over a month away, the Christmas shopping season was officially opened in Watford, UK.

The lighting of the Harlequin Shopping Centre’s Christmas decorations were given some extra magic as James and Oliver Phelps – who portrayed Fred and George Weasley in the Potter films – turned on the illuminations for the season.

Although it may seem a bit odd to turn on the Christmas lights so early in the season, the General Manager of Harlequin told the Watford Observer that, “For 20 years we have turned the lights on on the first Thursday in November and it’s become a tradition.”

James and Oliver have spent quite a bit of time in Watford, which is just outside the home of Harry Potter at Leavesden Studios. James said:

“When we were filming we were based in St. Albans or at the Grove hotel down the road so we have a lot of good friends in Kings Langley and Watford.”