007 Travel Story: London (ENGLAND) 2022: “Kremlin art repository with Bollinger”

In order to read our London 007 Travel story from day one, click here

Bond locations of this 007 Travel Story:

The place where Cigar girl shoots Bond’s Q boat

Elliot Carver’s printing facilities

Bond’s Aston Martin garage from “Skyfall”

Kremlin art repository

M next to the coffins of MI6 agents

Somerset House

Friday 4th of November 2022

The new Bond day started in our Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel. Breakfast was not included in the room price, but we ordered it anyway.

In front of the Docklands sailing and Watersports Centre, a scene was filmed for the movie “The World Is Not Enough“, where the Cigar Girl (Maria Grazia Cucinotta) tries to shoot Bond, but Bond runs over her boat.

Did you know: On 16 April 1999 at Millwall docks, the production captured debatably the most spectacular moment in the sequence as Bond’s boat performs a mid air barrel roll. Unable to achieve the stunt with a ramp like the AMC Hornet corkscrew jump in “The Man With The Golden Gun” (1974), the roll was performed by stuntman Gary Powell using Vickers air mortars attached to the side of the boat — six cameras captured the stunt.

Westferry Printworks was once located at 235 Westferry Road. There was almost nothing now, but it was the filming location for the movie “Tomorrow Never Dies” in 1997. Some interior shots of Elliot Carver‘s (Jonathan Pryce) printing facilities were filmed here.

We checked out of our hotel and needed a subway and a bus to get to where Bond (Daniel Craig) keeps his Aston Martin DB5 in “Skyfall” (2012). The place is The Parkside Business Estate and is located at Arklow Road 3. In the scene, Bond picks up the car from the garage and starts driving towards Scotland together with M (Judi Dench).

We continued on the same bus line that took us to Greenwich and the Old Royal Naval College. Here we found a filming location of “Octopussy” (1983) where Old Royal Naval College doubles Kremlin art repository in Russia. In the scene, General Orlov (Steven Berkoff) walks into an art repository.

The Old Royal Naval College offers Film & TV location tours, and many films have been shot on the college’s premises. One of these films is “The Golden Compass” (2007) starring Daniel Craig.

“The Painted Hall in Greenwich played the dining room at Jordan College, the Oxford establishment where our heroine, Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) had grown up. The exteriors of the Old Royal Naval College were then digitally expanded and enhanced to provide the base of the Magisterium, the untrustworthy politico-religious government of Lyra’s home.” / Ian Allchin (Old Royal Naval College).

One place that particularly interested us was the place from the movie “Skyfall” (2012), where M (Judi Dench) is by the coffins of MI6 agents killed by terrorists. The shooting location was found in the area of the King William Undercroft cafe restaurant.

“We had to take down the chandeliers, they put down a wooden floor, they took all the paintings and everything off the walls to do it. It appeared in the film for about 30 seconds. Another big scene was outside, which was supposed to be the funeral scene, so in the middle where the Crown Square is, on the steps, Judi Dench out there with all the naval officers all dressed up in uniform all the way along, and then the coffin cars driving past slowly. That never appeared in the film.” / Ian Allchin (Old Royal Naval College).

The scene where Judi Dench is filmed from the front the wall behind her was closed. Today there is an open wall and stairs leading down to the newly restored Undercroft space, which now houses a new café, shop and interpretation gallery, The Sackler Gallery.

Next, the angle changes to behind M’s back to the opposite side of the hall and Chief of Staff Bill Tanner is standing in the doorway. In place of this doorway are actually beautiful glass doors leading to the Sackler Gallery.

In the afternoon we moved to the last hotel of our trip: The Royal National Hotel

Accommodation: The Royal National Hotel

Address: 38-51 Bedford Way, London, England

Room Type: Triple Room

Price: £515.70 / 3 persons / 3 nights (Sunday Saver – 30 % off a Sunday Night Stay)

Booked: via hotel’s site

After checking in, we headed to Twinings, London’s oldest tea shop. “With over 300 years of history, our flagship store is the oldest tea shop in London. Browse familiar favourites, or discover something different at our new premium loose leaf sampling bar. You’ll also find a wide range of tea accessories and gifts. Our on-site Tea Tasting Masterclasses give you a tea experience to remember”.

On the other side of the Strand is the Royal Court building, which is a magnificent looking building.

The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is a court building in Westminster which houses the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The High Court also sits on circuit and in other major cities. Designed by George Edmund Street, who died before it was completed, it is a large grey stone edifice in the Victorian Gothic Revival style built in the 1870s and opened by Queen Victoria in 1882. It is one of the largest courts in Europe. It is a Grade I listed building. (Wikipedia)

Then a short stop at Somerset House, which has been the location of two different Bond films, “GoldenEye” (1995) and “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997). Now there was an ice rink built in the yard. We visited the place a few years ago. More on that 007 travelogue here.

It was time for Bollinger glasses. Burlington Arcade has a really cool Bollinger 007 bar with lots of Bond stuff on the windows and walls. Bond used to buy his H. Simmons specialty cigarettes at the Burlington Arcade:

“Tanner took in a deep breath, like a man about to unburden his soul.
“M wants to mount a dangle” he said quietly.
“Tethered goat. Bait,” M growled.
“Me?” Bond sipped a hand into his breast pocket withdrawing his gunmetal cigarette case.
“By all means,” said M in acknowledgment that Bond might smoke, and he lit one of his H. Simmons specials, bought in bulk from the old shop in the Burlington Arcade where they were still to be had.”

John Gardner: “Role of Honour” (1984)

More pictures of the Bollinger 007 bar here

The day was over and we headed back to our hotel. The next day it would be e.g. “No Time to Die” filming locations and Bond hat exhibition. You can move to next day clicking here

See more 007 TRAVEL STORIES here