JAMES BOND 007 MAGAZINE | James Bond News - Ian Fleming Centenary 2008

Thursday 17 April 2008
I was also kindly invited to attend the private view the following evening that was mostly attended by corporate event organisers, all potential clients, as The Imperial War Museum makes a wonderfully impressive venue in which to hold all kinds of special themed events. Lieutenant General Sir Christopher Wallace KBE DL, the Deputy Chairman of the Trustees of The Imperial War Museum opened the evening’s proceedings with a concise talk about the museum’s ongoing fundraising objectives and how corporate event clients assist greatly in achieving the museum’s targets. The museum’s Senior Historian, Terry Charman, then gave a short entertaining talk about why the museum had chosen to mount an exhibit related to Ian Fleming and James Bond; for the two very relevant reasons that Fleming’s wartime career was more decisive than had previously been known by the general public, and that the James Bond name would help raise both the museum’s profile and ticket sales to the exhibition.

For Your Eyes Only exhibition at the Imperial War Museum

Imperial War Museum Senior Historian, Terry Charman

Original artwork for ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1963) by Richard Chopping.

Original artwork for OHMSS (1963) by Richard Chopping

While chatting with Sir Christopher Wallace I noticed that Michael G. Wilson had arrived with his wife, so introduced Sir Christopher and Terry Charman to the Bond producer, neither of whom had met him before. Sir Christopher and Terry Charman then gave the Wilsons a guided tour of the exhibition, during which Michael kindly posed for me by a photographic enlargement of Ian Fleming standing in the famous ‘Room 39’. With the film James Bond’s favourite tipple Bollinger sponsoring the liquid refreshment for the evening’s event the champagne flowed like, well, champagne, although a little on the warm side I thought!

Sir Christopher Wallace with Bond Producer Michael G. Wilson

Michael G. Wilson and photo of Ian Fleming in ‘Room 39’

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM IAN FLEMING CENTENARY EVENTS

Public Events

Young Bond
24 May 2008 11.00am
A chance to hear Charlie Higson (pictured left), author of the acclaimed Young Bond books, talk about his popular series and the latest instalment, Hurricane Gold.

Writing Bond
10 June 2008, 7.00pm
Author and Times journalist Ben Macintyre chairs a panel of authors including Kate Westbrook and Charlie Higson, looking at how they each took on the legend of Fleming’s James Bond and made it their own.

The official book to accompany the Imperial War Museum exhibition For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond (pictured left) was published by Bloomsbury in April 2008. Written by the bestselling author of Costa shortlisted Agent Zigzag, Ben Macintyre, and full of lavish photography, this book is the perfect celebration of Ian Fleming and his remarkable creation, James Bond.

Family Events
Admission to all family events and activities was free.

Thingamajigs, Gadgets and Gizmos
24 May–1 June 2008 11.00am–4.00pm
Come and join Q branch, part of the Secret Service, and help design a new series of spying gadgets to aid James Bond in his latest mission. Drop–in art activity linked to the Museums and Galleries Month theme of Ideas and Innovation.

Bond’s Baddies
11–31 August 2008 11.00am–4.00pm
Sadistic, rich and power mad – Ian Fleming’s villains are always larger than life. Come and explore the world of Dr. No, Mr. Big, Blofeld, Goldfinger and many others. Drop–in art activity with a bit of dressing up!

As part of the Ian Fleming Centenary, The Imperial War Museum also screened the first three James Bond films free to the public between 3rd May and 1st June, 2008.

Imperial War Museum free James Bond film screenings 2008