9 replies to this topic

[kronsteens shin]

Can anyone please tell me which country house was used as the MI6 safe house in 'The Living Daylights'? This has been bugging me for years!

I am sure someone out there will know the answer...

[Tanger]

In the film it's referred to as the 'Blayden Safehouse' I don't know if this is it's real life name though.

[kronsteens shin]

Thanks Tanger, but no - I think that the name was made up for the film. Perhaps the film makers didn't want its real identity made public because of the unusually high mortality rate for milk men in the area!

[stromberg]

Sorry, ks, totally forgot about this thread.
The name of the house is mentioned in the TLD documentary (rememberd you when I watched recently and took a note). Dalton or Hunt (don't remember) talks about shooting at a house called Stonar House,
Google reports that there is a Stonar School in Wiltshire and there must be a Stonar House somewhere in Sandwich. From the pictures I get, I'm not shure if one of those is the right one, the exact location is not exactly mentioned in the documentary.

[Jim]

I think it's Stonor House just outside Henley-on-Thames

[stromberg]

Originally posted by Jim
I think it's Stonor House just outside Henley-on-Thames

Ah, thanks, Jim!
This explains why all the pictures I found looked a bit unfamiliar.
Couldn't read my own write on that piece of paper. I was glad I found that note under a pile of other papers, didn't have the nerve to check out the complete docu again .
And from what I see on the pictures on the internet, I'd say yes, it is Stonor House.

But, hey, how come that you know so much about Dalton movies?

[Jim]

1. Stonor House is 10 miles from mine (equally grand, he lied)

2. Timothy Dalton is a better James Bond than Pierce Brosnan and The Living Daylights remains the best Bond film since The Spy who Loved Me, no matter how hard they try. Neither time nor place for this info, but there you go.

3. Conan Doyle pulled his usual trick of pinching character names from the houses of England; on this occasion the Mss Stonor from The Speckled Band. Also completely off-topic, but well...I think it's interesting.

[stromberg]

Originally posted by Jim
1.  Stonor House is 10 miles from mine (equally grand, he lied)

First hand information? Then it's gotta be true. Thanks again.

2. Timothy Dalton is a better James Bond than Pierce Brosnan and The Living Daylights remains the best Bond film since The Spy who Loved Me, no matter how hard they try. Neither time nor place for this info, but there you go.

I partly share your opinion about TLD, I'm not too fond on the late Roger-movies (but, hey, he was my first Bond), Dalton should have started earlier and quit later. Blame it on TLD (which wasn't all that bad). But Brosnan does a good job, couldn't imagine anyone doing it better at the moment. And for the wide public, he does a better job than Dalton.

Conan Doyle pulled his usual trick of pinching character names from the houses of England; on this occasion the Mss Stonor from The Speckled Band. Also completely off-topic, but well...I think it's interesting.

Once again good old Holmes shows up. The Speckled Band. Haven't read it for a long time, otherwise I might have noticed it. To stay OT, can you recomend any good edition? I only read Baskervilles in English at school, always wanted to read the other ones in the original version. We have a very good edition in Germany, faithfully translated, with many annotations and I want to get an equally good English edition.

[kronsteens shin]

Many, many thanks to both of you for the info re Stonor House - I am always amazed at the knowledge of the people who post on these forum (and their kindness - this really has been bugging me for a long time!)

For what it's worth, I am a great fan of TLD (not so keen on LTK - a bit bleak) But Dalton was a good Bond and the film is I am sure the single reason we are about to celebrate DAD.

Quick bit of info - sounds like boasting and I guess it's true, but I was lucky enough to get two tickets to the premiere of TLD through the Prince's Trust. I loitered in the foyer of the Odeon Leicester Square until Dalton arrived, accompanied by Maryam D'Abo. He was very happy to sign my autograph book, passing it directly across to Maryam D'Abo for her to sign as well. Okay, thirty seconds hardly gives you an insight into anyone's character, but he could have been a miserable ***. And he wasn't - which made a great night that much more special.

Thanks once again - I'll investigate Stonor!

[Mr Fisher]

If you would like to visit Stoner House which is near Henley and is remarkably untouched since the making of The Living Daylights use the link below to get there.

It is a short drive from Henley on Thames and is worth the visit.

http://www.streetmap...=188280&A=Y&Z=3