James Bond London Experience

hb7

Gooday All,

I'm a huge James Bond fan and will be visiting London soon (I arrive December 3rd). I have never been to London and was wondering if I could get some advice on how make use of my time in London experiencing all things 007.

I know that the walk tour is not held in the winter which is a shame, I would have definitely done this.

But is there anything else on in regards to Bond...tours? Events?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks All.

PoorMansJB

If you've never been before, I wouldn't waste my time on anything Bond-related; it's one of the oldest and most glorious cities in the world with far more important things to see. Save 007 for a later trip.

That said, there are no organized tours but if you can get yourself a copy of On the Tracks of 007 or Gary Giblin's James Bond's London either can guide you to various sites and save enormous time hunting or thinking you've found a site only to learn it wasn't.

Napoleon Plural

You could tie in a look at the MI6 building with a visit to the newly refurbished art gallery Tate Britain, on the opposite, north side of the Thames.

St Paul's feels Bondian, and would have been in OHMSS but wasn't. All the area around there is great, with landmarks like the Shard, Tate Modern and Tower Bridge on view. Nearby is the lift featuring in DAF, the Amsterdam scene, though I have yet to see it, you'll find info about that on another thread.

It's true that the whole Bond thing is tangential really in London. I mean, there is the College of Arms as seen in OHMSS but who cares really.

welshboy78

Just wandering around as a tourist you will easily bump into all things Bond

Do you have a smartphone?? Last time I was in London I just whacked / bookmarked places on Google Maps etc have a quick look now and you will find yourself near something!!!

Make a list

Jellyfish

Reviving a bit of an old thread here. I visited London for the first time last month, and got to see a few Bond sights:

MI6 Building from across the Thames:


I had no idea you could get this close to it:


The National Gallery. I went in to look at Turner's Fighting Temeraire (from the first meeting between Bond and Q in Skyfall) only to be told that the room was closed due to industrial action, and would reopen the day after I left. Boo!


I'm pretty sure this is the same Underground Station entrance/exit that DC runs out of during M's Tennyson speech:

Sorry it's not the right way round.

The Red Kind

welshboy78 wrote:

Just wandering around as a tourist you will easily bump into all things Bond

Do you have a smartphone?? Last time I was in London I just whacked / bookmarked places on Google Maps etc have a quick look now and you will find yourself near something!!!

Make a list

Exactly! You don't need a Bond tour to stumble across Bond locations whilst on the tourist trail. There are loads of hidden Bond gems including; OHMSS - The Royal College of Arms near St Pauls Cathedral. The iconic Lazenby press release photo in front of Big Ben. DAD - Boat chase along the Thames, Millenium Dome.The secret entrance to the undeground on Westminster Bridge. All the Skyfall locations... To name just a few!

So much to see and do in London, especially if it's your first visit. You'll have a great time! :007)

Thunderpussy

Yes, I've been up the Thames in a speedboat well it was a tourist launch, but
In my mind it was the "Q" boat. ) in fact for fans of any espionage films or TV
Series, London is full of locations.

welshboy78

Keep forgetting The Royal College of Arms - next time!!!!

welshboy78

PS - if your on Facebook join the group "On the tracks of 007". People visiting / finding the 007 locations and uploading their pics alongside the film footage. Its mighty impressive what still exists and somebody just done a huge tour of Portugal and tons of OHMSS locations. Ive been meaning to buy the book!

AlphaOmegaSin

Cheers for pointing that Group out

The Red Kind

Thunderpussy wrote:

Yes, I've been up the Thames in a speedboat well it was a tourist launch, but
In my mind it was the "Q" boat. ) in fact for fans of any espionage films or TV
Series, London is full of locations.

Me too! {[] And the same thought was running through my mind.. :007)

Thunderpussy

) did you do the door for lost agents ? My wife firstly couldn't understand why
I wanted a photo of " a door" 8-) and it was funny as everyone else was photographing
The house of commons.

welshboy78

Thunderpussy wrote:

) did you do the door for lost agents ? My wife firstly couldn't understand why
I wanted a photo of " a door" 8-) and it was funny as everyone else was photographing
The house of commons.

+1. My mrs and kids were puzzled )

AlphaOmegaSin

Nice find -{

Lexi

stag wrote:

There's Ian Flemings London home too. I have a photo of me standing in front of it taken somewhere. I can't remember the address though as it was thirty or so years ago.

As I recall it still had the anchor(?) door knocker bought by IF on it which was mentioned in a book or two. If it had been dark I would have prised it off! (only joking!)

As said I can't remember the location but it's central (Kensingston perhaps?)

Ooh, if you could get that info... that would be great. Next time I'm in London on a Bond walkabout, I'll add it to my list.

Asp9mm

Fleming lived at Ebury Street and Victoria Square. Two minutes walk from each other.

If you start off at Bond's fictional address of 30 Wellington Sq, and walk up the Kings Road, over Sloane Square to Eaton Sq, you can walk through the 9 Eaton Terrace Mews where Muriel Wright (Moo) was killed during WW2 and onto Ebury St, (you'll sadly be walking in Flemings footsteps to 22b then, as he must have done many times when seeing Moo, and on discovering her death too). You can then go to 16 Victoria Sq where disapointingly the new owner has removed Flemings anchor door knocker. It's one of my favourite fleming walks.

He lived at Ebury St, during the war, and when he married Anne and moved to Victoria Sq, that was teh address he lived when writing the novels and till his death.

After Victoria Sq, you can walk past Buck Palace, down the Mall to Whitehall and the Admiralty and home to Room 39 NID (Horseguards Parade) where Fleming worked. You're then in Bond film/literary territory everywhere you walk after that. MI6, MI5, Lazenby's lampost, the DAD forgotten agent door, Craig's run from Whitehall Underground and up etc etc etc.

AlphaOmegaSin

I'm in London next weekend in fact, so I'll see if I have Time to visit Flemings Address -{

Thunderpussy

Thanks Stag. This will be a big help to anyone planning
A trip to London. -{

AlphaOmegaSin

I will {[]

welshboy78

stag wrote:

You can also drop by here for a drink:

http://www.dukeshotel.com/foodanddrink-dukesbar.php

I still ain't done Dukes and Scotts - always too much to do in London lol

Asp9mm

stag wrote:

Please post a photo if possible & look out for the distinctive door knocker (I'm sure it was in the shape of an anchor).

Check my post above.

Asp9mm

welshboy78 wrote:

stag wrote:

You can also drop by here for a drink:

http://www.dukeshotel.com/foodanddrink-dukesbar.php

I still ain't done Dukes and Scotts - always too much to do in London lol

Scott's isn't worth it anymore. It's lost everything it used to be. The old Scott's was a fantastic place and I really miss it. I could have lived in the bar downstairs.

Asp9mm

stag wrote:

Oh I now read via ASP that the door knocker has gone. Shame. There's the blue plaque though.

Nope, the owners wouldn't allow it. You can only find it at Ebury St now

AlphaOmegaSin

welshboy78 wrote:

stag wrote:

You can also drop by here for a drink:

http://www.dukeshotel.com/foodanddrink-dukesbar.php

I still ain't done Dukes and Scotts - always too much to do in London lol

Thats the Problem with London, too much to do )

Lexi

stag wrote:

Please post a photo if possible & look out for the distinctive door knocker (I'm sure it was in the shape of an anchor).

I think Asp9mm has just given some great instructions, and sadly the door knocker has gone.

Thanks for the info... I will add this to my 'things to do in London' next time I'm in London, with my bf.

welshboy78

We really should make an ultimate AJB London Bond list - so much to do, so much to forget and the question pops up frequently!

AlphaOmegaSin

Agreed

Thunderpussy

It would be a cool idea as Welshboy78 says, off the top of your head, you
Can forget a few sights to see. a list would be fantastic. {[]

welshboy78

OK then lets just bang them out shall we, off top of our heads? / correct / revise / add to it

Maybe Sir Miles can tidy up thread near the end

e.g.

1) Millenium Dome / O2 Arena, Greenwich - The World Is Not Enough

AlphaOmegaSin

2) MI6 HQ and the Royal Collage of Arms -{

Asp9mm

There really is too much. My advice is to step out and just walk around, it is amazing what you'll discover. There isn't a street you'll walk down that isn't rich in history. You don't need a guide, everything in the City is in walking distance and so much closer to each other than you'd believe. The main streets I'd recommend are...

Jermyn St
Piccadilly
Chelsea - just walk
Cadogan Gdns
Whitehall
St James St
Baker St
Bond St
Conduit St
Grosvenor Sq
Mount St
South Bank... just walk from Vauxhall Cross then walk the opposite side when you hit Tower Bridge
St Pauls, College of arms a stones throw down towards Millennium Bridge
Park Lane
The Mall
Horse guards
Trafalgar Sq and the National Gallery
Leicester Sq
Curzon St
Victoria Sq
Ebury St
Eaton Terrace Mews
Natural History Museum
Kensington Gdns
Regents Park



Aaaah.. too much, I think it would take me two solid hours of typing to do a guideline list, let alone a definitive one.