England marking 007 creator's centennial
In London, the Imperial War Museum has just opened "For Your Eyes Only," which it says is the first major exhibition devoted to the life and work of Fleming, including his pre-Bond stint as a travel writer. It runs through March 1, 2009.
Items on display include props from 007 movies, including a blood-splattered shirt worn by Daniel Craig in "Casino Royale," Maryam d'Abo's bullet-pierced cello from "The Living Daylights," a spear gun used in "Thunderball," prototypes of the switchblade shoes worn by Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb in "From Russia With Love," Halle Berry's bikini from "Die Another Day" and a golf shoe worn by Gert Frobe in "Goldfinger."
In the exhibit, visitors will encounter the rather disorienting fact that the creator of the world's coolest secret agent also wrote the child's book "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
A short train ride from London, Bletchley Park is the one-time spy center where Fleming spent World War II trying to crack German secret codes. On Aug. 25, the site will feature "From Bletchley, With Love," which will have, among other things, a display of Aston Martins.
VisitBritain has prepared a two-day, self-guided Bond itinerary with stops that include Dukes Bar, where Fleming allegedly heard a bartender describe a martini as "shaken, not stirred."
For more information: 800-462-2748, visitbritain.us. For the self-guided James Bond itinerary, type "Bond" in the search form in the upper right corner.
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