She’s done it again. The lady for whom everything she touches turns to gold – or at least pounds – has now earned a life-time achievement award for her contribution to film.

JK Rowling and the Harry Potter movie team picked up a well-deserved Bafta last week, proving the boy wizard and his playmates will forever remain in British culture.

That means next time you pop up at a fancy dress party attired as Harry, Voldemort, Hermione, a Death Eater or even a pleasant little Quiddich pupil, you’ll no doubt be in extremely good company.

Everyone wants to get in on the success act and here at Party Britain we can more than oblige. With a wizardly wacky range of 21 different Harry Potter fancy dress costumes or accessories to impress, we’re sure you’ll conjure up no end of compliments from fellow party-goers.

Our fancy dress ideas include the Harry glasses, the odd wand or two, a broom and er…even Lord Voldemort’s hands (gads, does that wizened old wizard need to see a manicurist!).

So if it’s instant recognition you crave, as the belle – or bloke – of the Baftas, the Potter path isn’t a bad one to go down…just look out for any wizards en-route!

A happy New Year to all our customers and visitors to Party Britain! So on the 4th January the new 20% VAT rate came into effect but we have decided not to pass this on with increased prices – instead we’ve been dropping them.

We know that everyone finds it a push at the start of the year after the expenses of the festive period so we’ve taken a range of costumes from Smiffy’s “Fever” collection and slashed the prices! Simple!

So if you are after something sporty take a pick from our red or blue baseball girl fancy dress costumes now for just £17.99 down from £23.99. Or if golf is more your thing the Hole In Costume is down from £27.99 to £23.99.

Pirate outfits have been having the same treatment with some great deals there including our Pirate Girl Costume, Pirate Babe and Pink Pirate Lady costume (all pictured to left) with new lower prices. If you prefer a fairytale themed costume then check out the Little Bo Peep outfit and Red Riding Hood with £5 and £4 knocked off each respectively.

We want to offer the best value for money here at Party Britain so keep your eye out for more deals soon! I’ll keep you posted.

Actor Johnny Depp paid a surprise visit to a London school yesterday in costume as his famous character Captain Jack Sparrow. Even though you can look the part too in our officially licensed fancy dress costume from the Pirates of the Caribean, the Hollywood legend played the part with ease to a shocked group of children at assembly.

A pupil at the school, nine-year-old Beatrice, had written a letter to Captain Jack asking his help to lead a mutiny against her teachers. So out of the blue after filming in the captial Depp called in and spoke to the children in full outfit about how to become a swashbuckling pirate, but sadly for Beatrice declined to start a revolution!

The countdown to the fancy dress event of the year that is Halloween has began with the news that a British farmer has grown Europe’s largest ever crop of pumpkins with the total set to hit three million by the time 31st October comes around.

Lincolnshire pumpkin grower, David Bowman, has 100 staff picking 100,000 pumpkins over the next 30 days to meet the demand. The majority will remain in the UK being sold to supermarkets to be carved out as pumpkin lanterns at fancy dress parties across the country.

No doubt this enterprising farmer would be impressed by some of the costumes available this Halloween season including an inflatable pumpkin fancy dress outfit and a stylish ladies pumpkin costume dress (both pictured). Mind you, after working out in the wind and rain harvesting his crop the last thing he probably wants to go to is a fancy dress party on Halloween!

So the Pope arrived in Scotland today for his historic state visit to the UK as head of the Vatican and Catholic Church around the world. There has been controversy and celebration in equal measure regarding Benedict XVI’s trip, which is the first by a Pontiff since his predecessor John Paul II in 1982.

The visit will last for several days as the Pope travels to different parts of the country and no doubt it will continue to be covered extensively by the media. But what does all this have to do with fancy dress I hear you ask? Well, if you’re off to a fancy dress party this weekend or over the next few weeks then why not choose a costume that’s with the moment and very topical.

We’ve had lots of calls and emails recently asking for Pope fancy dress outfits and as ever we’re happy to help. The first Pope fancy dress costume has a more traditional look to it with long robe and scull cap included and is available in a standard and XL size while the second option we have for a Pope costume has an off white robe, mitre hat and cross.

Either one is a lot of fun and we’re pretty sure that fellow party goers will recognise who you have dressed up as!

Two weeks today sees the kick off of what is fast becoming one of the highlights of the year in the music festival scene. Okay so it’s not quite Glastonbury, but Bestival is growing in popularity and is well known for its fancy dress theme. So much so that our main supplier, Smiffy’s, is the event’s headline sponsor this year!

Taking place on the Isle of Wight this music festival with a difference is now in its seventh year and was set-up but BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank and his wife Josie. It’s the perfect venue for anyone who loves donning fancy dress outfits and loves listening to great live music. This year’s artists include Dizzee Rascal, The Prodigy and even Rolf Harris!?!?!

After outer space last year organisers have decided 2010’s theme is going to be Fantasy. Encouraging visitors to the sold out event to use their imagination there’s plenty of choices from Wizard of Oz to The Lord of the Rings to the ever popular Harry Potter.

What about the Chocolate Worker costume and go as group of Oompa-Loompas from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? There’s Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars fancy dress and even Tarzan – for the boys of course! If you’re off to Bestival and want to save some dosh then another possibility is to buy your Halloween fancy dress outfit early and go as a Zombie. Scary! The list really is endless…

After the highly disappointing performance from England in yesterday’s match against Germany I bet there are a lot of mixed emotions among fans including anger, sadness and disbelief.

One unlucky football fan had a nasty encounter with a fancy dress tutu whilst watching the England vs USA match in a pub in Bacup. The supporter was wearing an England fancy dress outfit that included a fancy dress tutu. While he went out of the pub to call a taxi another pub goer decided to set his tutu alight, resulting in the victim suffering with second degree burns and having to spend time in hospital in a specialist burns unit. The police are investigation the issue and have a theory that it may be the case of a prank gone wrong. Hopefully they will get to the bottom of the investigation and the injured man will have a speedy recovery.

One positive from yesterday’s result is that there should be no more England fancy dress drama’s for the remainder of the world cup, and hopefully none for the remaining nations either!

A year ago today the world was hit by the tragic news of Michael Jackson’s death. Hoards of fans gathered outside his house to mourn his death and global tributes flooded in. A year on and the tributes continue, with fans travelling to Los Angeles to mark the anniversary.

Michael Jackson’s iconic music and performances will never be forgotten and are often recreated on many a dance floor all over the world. Many choose Michael Jackson fancy dress when attending fancy dress parties. There are a range of looks to choose from but they are all simply achieved. Whether it’s the red leather jacket Beat It fancy dress look or the Billie Jean fancy dress outfits you can be sure that other party goers will know who you are. Billie Jean fancy dress costumes are probably the most popular as every one loves a bit of spangle with the silver sequin glove. If you’re going the hole hog with your Michael Jackson fancy dress outfit then add a fancy dress wig to complete your look.

Please note that our King Of Pop fancy dress outfits do not come with the dance moves! That’s all up to you I’m afraid! R.I.P. Michael Jackson.

Bog snorkelling is constantly increasing in popularity amongst extreme sport goers. Bog snorkelling doesn’t sound very appealing but it’s taking Northern Ireland by storm, becoming one of it’s most popular new sports. What the devil is bog snorkelling I hear you cry. Well imagine fighting your way through a cold 60 yard bog drain of muddy, slimy water – got the image in your head? Well that’s bog snorkelling!

With the World Bog Snorkelling Championship taking place in August, the heat is most definitely on for the competitors. All competitors must complete two lengths of a 60 yard bog wearing snorkels and flippers and not using any conventional swimming strokes. The latest novelty added to this unique sport is that you can take part in fancy dress! Last year some one dressed in a Loch Ness Monster fancy dress outfit but unfortunately the humps proved to be a hindrance. However the competitor in a carrot fancy dress costume did make it to the end – go carrot!

If you’re thinking of testing your physical ability in some bog snorkelling then here are some fun fancy dress ideas that should help you along the way. No doubt you’ll want a relatively streamline fancy dress costume that isn’t too bulky or awkward to move in. So if you’re looking for a men’s fancy dress outfit then how about a Thunderbirds fancy dress costume, superhero fancy dress or even a Borat fancy dress mankini if you’re feeling really brave!!

Women’s fancy dress ideas would be a pink baby romper suit, or a chilli fancy dress costume. How about a sexy Baywatch fancy dress number, that would be rather fitting minus the white sandy beach and clear water of course!

Well this little gem of a story really is something unusual. Albany Prison on the Isle of Wight saw some cartoon fancy dress costume action last Saturday. A men wearing a Snoopy fancy dress outfit, carrying a fancy dress water pistol tried to break into the prison. Following the incident two men were arrested after some windows and nearby vehicles were damaged. It turns out that this unusual fancy dress costume drama was in aid of the man and an accomplice trying to free a relative from Camp Hill jail – so for starters they were at the wrong prison! Further to this they were arrested under the mental health act and then taken to hospital. Oh dear.

Every now and then we’re made aware of a fancy dress outfit story that’s a bit “out there” and I think this one definitely is one of them. Maybe we’ll stick to news on fancy dress charity runs, kids fancy dress book weeks or celebrity fancy dress action….