Why there'll never be a plaque to Harry Potter quidditch team Tutshill Tornadoes in JK Rowling's 'homeland'

By Nick Craven for The Mail on Sunday
Updated: 19:05 EST, 25 December 2010

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The dramatic gorges and native woodlands of the Wye Valley where J K Rowling grew up cast a lifelong spell on the multi-millionaire Harry Potter author.

Various landmarks are mentioned in her books and key scenes in the film adaptations have been shot in the area.

She even named a quidditch team – The Tutshill Tornadoes – after Tutshill, near Chepstow, the village where she spent many happy years as a child at Church Cottage.

Snub: Emma Watson in the new film, set partly in the Forest of Dean where Harry Potter author JK Rowling grew up

But when locals sought to exploit their association with 45-year-old Rowling and her characters to help draw more visitors to the area, they were met with an abrupt refusal by her literary agents.

Now angry councillors in Monmouthshire have urged the Christopher Little agency in London to reconsider – pointing out that while there is a £170 million Potter theme park 3,000 miles away in Florida, the ‘homeland’ from which Rowling drew much of her inspiration is left out in the cold.

Chepstow councillor Armand Watts said: ‘J K Rowling lived here for a long time. Why should you have to go to Orlando to see the Harry Potter theme park? Why not come here and see a continual reference point to what is, if you like, the homeland of Harry Potter on the Wye border?

Inspiration: Church Cottage in Tutshill, where Rowling lived from the age of nine

‘We wouldn’t look to exploit the link in a distasteful way and both parties could benefit from a more formal association.

'I don’t know how much J K Rowling has to do with this, and I’m sure the agents feel they’re doing their job to the best of their ability, but they need to reconsider their position.

‘It would do a lot for this area if we could use the Potter connection.’

Joanne Kathleen Rowling was nine when her family moved to Tutshill, just across the River Wye from Chepstow.

Row: The author's literary agents have refused to allow Tutshill locals to cash in on their Harry Potter association

The area certainly left its mark in the Harry Potter books, the first of which was published in 1997.

So it was hardly surprising when Monmouthshire County Council asked to join those capitalising on their links with the fictional boy wizard and his real-life creator.

But unlike firms running unofficial Harry Potter ‘location’ tours in London, Oxford, Gloucestershire and Edinburgh – where Rowling wrote the books and now lives – Monmouthshire’s principal tourism officer Nicola Smith did the honourable thing and approached Rowling’s agent, asking for permission.

‘J K Rowling makes several references to this area in her Harry Potter books,’ she wrote, ‘including the Knight Bus in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban which stops in Abergavenny and the Tutshill Tornadoes, a quidditch team mentioned in Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix.

‘And in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the forest pool Harry dives into to retrieve Gryffindor’s sword is in the Forest of Dean.

‘We would love to promote the author’s association with this area.’

But agents Christopher Little replied: ‘Please note that J K Rowling is a registered trademark and any use of J K Rowling’s name

is strictly controlled. We are therefore unfortunately unable to grant permission for her name to be used in association with the area.’

Last night a spokesman for Christopher Little said: ‘We do not have anything further to add to our letter to Monmouthshire County Council.

‘With regard to “Harry Potter tours” – those rights are with Warner Bros.’