Bank Holiday Bondathon

I've had a busy few days. I've played four different piano bookings in as many days and I don't mind a couple of days relaxing now. Cheers!

Bank Holidays in the UK usually means a Bond movie on TV. I don't know if there's one on today, but I'm watching a few and groovy they are too.

The Bond thing is a remnant from childhood. I love a bit of Bond and have ever since I read Goldfinger. One of the first 'proper' books I ever read. I remenber sitting reading that and Thunderball during a partuculary hot family holiday. "Nose in a book", that's what my mum always used to say about me.

And here's my collection. Although the cinematic Bond is represented, it's the books I love more.

On the second shelf is a complete collection of Pan paperbacks from the sixties. This was when everybody bought Bond books because the films were so popular, it was a great era for the literary Bond. Fleming said Bond should be read by "red blooded males on planes and trains". How fantastically none PC!

Next to the Pan paperbacks are my favourite paperbacks. Pre-movie era ones (left) with fantastic artwork. Love 'em!

Then there's movie-tie ins, other Bond books by other authors which are never as good as Fleming though. Actualy some of the more recent movie tie-in novels are plain abysmal reading, so I was glad when the latest movie was based on a Fleming book, and for the first time since 1974 (I think) there is a genuine Fleming movie/book tie in. Of course, I bought it.

On the top shelf are the best. Three first edition Fleming Hardbacks. They are the last three, (and, because of the popularity of the movies at the time, they are the easiest to find). They are valuable, but not nearly as valuable as a first edition Casino Royale (which can fetch up to £16,000 now, imagine!). On the left of the first editions are some book club first editions. All with dust jackets of course!

So it's a drizzly grey English Bank holiday and I'm doing a Bond movie Bondathon. I watched The Man With The Golden Gun this morning, and enjoyed Roger Moore's somewhat toungue in cheek portrayal of our favrite superspy. Then I watched Goldfinger, and simply corking movie as well as a classic Bond flick. Now I'm watching Licence To Kill, one of the Dalton Bonds. This was perhaps the grittiest Bond till Casino Royale came out.

So, after this one I'll choose a Brosnan Bond, then watch Casino Royale. What a fat waste of space day this is! But it's a rainy bank Holiday, and Ian Fleming would have been 99 today as well, so I'm up for a bit of Bond.
It's a little boy thing!