Harry lends a helping hand to the economy

You gotta love this title: “Harry Potter sparks broom boom” from CNN

Eddon, one of the last British manufacturers of besoms — the traditional bound twig broom beloved of cartoon witches — attributes the surging demand for his product to the popularity of J.K. Rowling’s kid wizard, Harry Potter. “Children have seen them in the (Potter) film and ask their parents to buy them one,” he said. Demand has become so great that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has given Eddon, 34, a grant to help him improve his business.

Now for Harry and the real estate market:

The Dukes of Northumberland have known it for 700 years, but it is now official — the small Northumberland town of Alnwick is the best place to live in Britain… The imposing presence of Alnwick castle — used as Hogwarts wizardry school in the Harry Potter (news – web sites) films — also helped secure the town’s victory.

The new game for Microsoft’s Xbox, “Age of Mythology” (sequel to long-running series “Age of Empires”) will be getting a movie-like trailer played in front of such blockbusters like Red Dragon, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Also, for our Toronto readers, watch for an official Chamber of Secrets poster in tomorrow’s National Post! From Canada NewsWire: “The eight page fold-out poster will be included with both home deliveries and retail purchases.”

And (once again) a Happy Halloween to all of you, I’ve already gotten a ghost, spider-man, and wizard trick-or-treater.