007 Filming the new James Bond movie on location...
In the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales.
That is the actual James Bond Aston Martin DB5 as first seen in Goldfinger in 1965. Probably the most iconic and famous car in the world and likely priceless too. If you google that licence registration BMT216A, it will confirm that it also appeared in Thunderball, Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die. Or you can see the registration here -
www.007.com/the-vehicles/aston-martin-db5/
And now here it is on the Flickr page of old Magoo - who’d have thunk! A scoop or what? Here it has its latest modification to its front bumper - a guy in.a luminous orange jacket trying to take a photograph.
So how did old Magoo bumbling around with his white stick and who can’t tell a farmers truck from a pedal cycle happen to bump into it in the back of beyond on the Brecon Beacons, how did he know what it was and more importantly, is that the real James Bond behind the wheel?
So there I was on a very quiet mountain road in the middle of nowhere when I hear the throaty roar of a vehicle coming up behind me. The road isn’t wide enough for man and car so I step off to allow it through, but it pulls to a halt alongside.…
“You’re looking very official by the side of the road” Says James Bond. It puzzles me for a second and I realise he must be referring to my luminous coat. (I later realise he must have been looking for the camera crew and thought I was with them).
“Oh the jacket” I say “It’s so I can be seen by cars because I can’t see them” and I hold up my white stick. And then, listening to the sweet purr of the engine I say “That’s a beautiful sounding car you have there, what is it?
“An Aston Martin DB5” Bond says.
“Wow” says I “How old?”
“59 years” replies 007 without hesitation because if anyone would know he would, right? “It’s the James Bond car” he adds.
I wrongly presume he means ‘like the James Bond car’ not the actual car itself and so like an idiot I ask - “How long have you had it?”
“We are actually filming here for a couple of days” says James by way of explanation.
“Are you James Bond then?” I ask with a wry grin.
“Well, sort of “ he replies with a chuckle. I expect he was being covert. I’m stood there close enough to touch the car and am wondering whether or not this is Daniel Craig or the new Bond guy driving - I certainly can’t tell, the car is just a fuzzy haze to me and the driver non existent, when he politely excuses himself and drives off. I’m left wondering whether he was pulling old Magoo’s leg or whether this really was the real Bond car and then feel more than a little disappointed that I didn’t get a photo. Wouldn’t you?? Let’s face it, it’s not the sort of thing you expect is it?
I continue on my deflated way when after about half a mile I pass a group of people by the side of the road. There is absolutely never anyone here and even though I cannot see their equipment I presume it must be the film crew. I wander on thinking they must be waiting for me to walk on through so they can do the take, which means the Licence to Kill and his car must be up ahead somewhere - and sure enough, a couple hundred yards on I catch that sweet throaty purr again.
“Would you mind if I take a photograph of your car Mr Bond, so I can see it on the big screen when I get home?”
“Be my guest” says James. Realising I was probably holding things up and I would have only time for one shot I quickly took it and wandered up to his window and showed him the back of the camera and asked if it looked okay?
“Haha” Laughs the Licence 2 Kill “It’s right in the middle”. Well, that was good enough for me, a crackshot secret agent with such an eye for the ladies and who bumps off global super villains for fun should be able to judge a photo right? And after thanks, I wanders on me way, and when I was clear he must have got the ‘camera - action’ instruction because the pedal hit the metal and it leapt away towards the cameras with a glorious roar.
So was that the real James Bond, or another actor filling in for him? I have absolutely no idea, couldn’t see him at all - but I’ll go this far……it wasn’t Sean Connery or Roger Moore, I would have recognised those voices for sure…….
A big thanks to the photography gods for causing James Bond to stop and talk, because if he hadn’t I would have had no idea there was filming taking place and wouldn’t have got the shot - and a double big thanks to 007 for being sociable and letting me take the photo! If you see a tramp in a bright orange coat cluttering up the movie - that’ll be old Magoo……
007 Filming the new James Bond movie on location...
In the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales.
That is the actual James Bond Aston Martin DB5 as first seen in Goldfinger in 1965. Probably the most iconic and famous car in the world and likely priceless too. If you google that licence registration BMT216A, it will confirm that it also appeared in Thunderball, Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die. Or you can see the registration here -
www.007.com/the-vehicles/aston-martin-db5/
And now here it is on the Flickr page of old Magoo - who’d have thunk! A scoop or what? Here it has its latest modification to its front bumper - a guy in.a luminous orange jacket trying to take a photograph.
So how did old Magoo bumbling around with his white stick and who can’t tell a farmers truck from a pedal cycle happen to bump into it in the back of beyond on the Brecon Beacons, how did he know what it was and more importantly, is that the real James Bond behind the wheel?
So there I was on a very quiet mountain road in the middle of nowhere when I hear the throaty roar of a vehicle coming up behind me. The road isn’t wide enough for man and car so I step off to allow it through, but it pulls to a halt alongside.…
“You’re looking very official by the side of the road” Says James Bond. It puzzles me for a second and I realise he must be referring to my luminous coat. (I later realise he must have been looking for the camera crew and thought I was with them).
“Oh the jacket” I say “It’s so I can be seen by cars because I can’t see them” and I hold up my white stick. And then, listening to the sweet purr of the engine I say “That’s a beautiful sounding car you have there, what is it?
“An Aston Martin DB5” Bond says.
“Wow” says I “How old?”
“59 years” replies 007 without hesitation because if anyone would know he would, right? “It’s the James Bond car” he adds.
I wrongly presume he means ‘like the James Bond car’ not the actual car itself and so like an idiot I ask - “How long have you had it?”
“We are actually filming here for a couple of days” says James by way of explanation.
“Are you James Bond then?” I ask with a wry grin.
“Well, sort of “ he replies with a chuckle. I expect he was being covert. I’m stood there close enough to touch the car and am wondering whether or not this is Daniel Craig or the new Bond guy driving - I certainly can’t tell, the car is just a fuzzy haze to me and the driver non existent, when he politely excuses himself and drives off. I’m left wondering whether he was pulling old Magoo’s leg or whether this really was the real Bond car and then feel more than a little disappointed that I didn’t get a photo. Wouldn’t you?? Let’s face it, it’s not the sort of thing you expect is it?
I continue on my deflated way when after about half a mile I pass a group of people by the side of the road. There is absolutely never anyone here and even though I cannot see their equipment I presume it must be the film crew. I wander on thinking they must be waiting for me to walk on through so they can do the take, which means the Licence to Kill and his car must be up ahead somewhere - and sure enough, a couple hundred yards on I catch that sweet throaty purr again.
“Would you mind if I take a photograph of your car Mr Bond, so I can see it on the big screen when I get home?”
“Be my guest” says James. Realising I was probably holding things up and I would have only time for one shot I quickly took it and wandered up to his window and showed him the back of the camera and asked if it looked okay?
“Haha” Laughs the Licence 2 Kill “It’s right in the middle”. Well, that was good enough for me, a crackshot secret agent with such an eye for the ladies and who bumps off global super villains for fun should be able to judge a photo right? And after thanks, I wanders on me way, and when I was clear he must have got the ‘camera - action’ instruction because the pedal hit the metal and it leapt away towards the cameras with a glorious roar.
So was that the real James Bond, or another actor filling in for him? I have absolutely no idea, couldn’t see him at all - but I’ll go this far……it wasn’t Sean Connery or Roger Moore, I would have recognised those voices for sure…….
A big thanks to the photography gods for causing James Bond to stop and talk, because if he hadn’t I would have had no idea there was filming taking place and wouldn’t have got the shot - and a double big thanks to 007 for being sociable and letting me take the photo! If you see a tramp in a bright orange coat cluttering up the movie - that’ll be old Magoo……