30 replies to this topic

[doogsy1]

Hi there,

 

Long time sifter, first time poster.

 

I'm sure you've all seen the pictures of Bond's new apartment for Spectre. If not, here's one:

 

(From: http://www.express.c...pts-leak-online)

 

This is something I've wanted to see in a modern Bond film for a long time now, so I'm glad they've decided to include it.

 

Anyway, I knew from here that it was in Notting Hill, London and I was poking around on Google Earth earlier on and sort of by luck, managed to stumble upon it. From the other main photo at the link you can see that the street number is 1, as marked on the two columns, but the first part of the street name has been blurred out. I can confirm that it is in fact 1 Stanley Gardens, Notting Hill. If you type that into Google Earth, it'll take you close but the house is on the corner of Stanley Gardens and Stanley Crescent. It's the one with the fancy domed glass skylight.

 

And after a quick google search, I managed to come up with a real estate listing for the property with interior photos here. Bond's clearly not short of cash. Perhaps he was able to pay for this place with the insurance payout from Skyfall Lodge.

 

Personally, I like that they've given Bond a more character-filled classic house rather than something completely modern. It accurately reflects his tastes in everything else (cars, suiting etc.).

 

Edit: I'm not sure if I did the right thing by putting this in the spoiler sub-forum, so if not, could it please be moved?

Edited by doogsy1, 23 December 2014 - 11:04 AM.

[ggl]

Welcome and great research!!

 

Perhaps they film also in Pinewood but this is a real possibility!

[Simon]

Very interesting.

 

Although the way this flat is set up, it looks as though the bedroom is straight off from the kitchen...!  Is that normal?

[stromberg]

Very interesting.

 

Although the way this flat is set up, it looks as though the bedroom is straight off from the kitchen...!  Is that normal?

Interesting question. With the way this flat is set up, one has two choices: kitchen straight of from the bedroom or, if you interchange bedroom and living room, bathroom straight of from the living room. Both is a bit uncommon, and both solutions only work because this clearly is a bachelor's flat. Can't spot the La Pavoni Europiccola espresso machine anywhere... (but instead a thermos jug similar to the one my parents got for their wedding in 1965 )

[doogsy1]

So Bond's only got the one floor then? Is this the usual setup for such a building in London?

 

If that's the case then the price is nothing short of extortion.

[stromberg]

So Bond's only got the one floor then? Is this the usual setup for such a building in London?

 

If that's the case then the price is nothing short of extortion.

Website says "1 bedroom flat". Company clearly belongs to SPECTRE, they're experts when it comes to extortion.

The British government seems to pay its employees quite good (or the fire sale at Skyfall mansion brought a nice amount of money).

[doogsy1]

 

So Bond's only got the one floor then? Is this the usual setup for such a building in London?

 

If that's the case then the price is nothing short of extortion.

Website says "1 bedroom flat". Company clearly belongs to SPECTRE, they're experts when it comes to extortion.

The British government seems to pay its employees quite good (or the fire sale at Skyfall mansion brought a nice amount of money).

 

I see. So Christoph Waltz is either Bond's land lord or a very sinister real estate agent.

[AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän]

Or maybe Mi6 pays for the flat, 00's have short life expectancy but great housing benefits!

[SecretAgentFan]

I wonder what the neighbors say about him.

 

"Quiet guy, keeps to himself.  Frankly, I thought he was a terrorist."

[tdalton]

I wonder what the neighbors say about him.

 

"Quiet guy, keeps to himself.  Frankly, I thought he was a terrorist."

 

It's always the quiet ones.

 

Seriously, though, it's good that we'll finally be seeing Bond's home in the films.  Long overdue.

[SecretAgentFan]

Agreed!

[Call Billy Bob]

"Jen, do you know much about the lad who lives above you?"
 

"Not really. He says he's in shipping, he's gone for weeks or months at a time, and each time he comes home it's with a different woman..."

[FlemingBond]

wow that's cool . I'd rather see something like that about Bond than get into the psychology of his childhood.

[S K Y F A L L]

The dear from SF lodge also lives there.  

[Royal Dalton]

Yep. And his sister May is Bond's housekeeper (as played by Annette Crosbie in Bond 25).

[JCRendle]

Yep. And his sister May is Bond's housekeeper (as played by Annette Crosbie in Bond 25).

 

I don't believe it...

[Trevelyan 006]

I'm pretty excited to see the right steps slowly being taken to return Bond to who Fleming readers know him as. 

This being one of them... Of course, assuming (in the film) the flat is just off of King's Road in Chelsea.

 

 

Row of Regency Townhouses in Royal Avenue on the King's Road, Chelsea

Looking slightly similar? I would definitely say so! 

Edited by Trevelyan 006, 24 December 2014 - 05:08 AM.

[AMC Hornet]

..if this is indeed where he lives, and not just the flat of one of his "similarly-disposed" married women.

 

I doubt Skyfall's insurance paid Bond anything, since:

 

a ) the place had already been sold, and

 

b )  Bond was personally responsible for its destruction.

 

More likely the new owners would have sued Bond for compensation, or at least a refund.

 

On the other hand, perhaps Skyfall and his old flat were worth something.

[JCRendle]

..if this is indeed where he lives, and not just the flat of one of his "similarly-disposed" married women.
 
I doubt Skyfall's insurance paid Bond anything, since:
 
a ) the place had already been sold, and
 
b )  Bond was personally responsible for its destruction.
 
More likely the new owners would have sued Bond for compensation, or at least a refund.
 
On the other hand, perhaps Skyfall and his old flat were worth something.

The house was sold when it was thought that Bond was dead - the fact that he was alive and the new owners had not yet moved in would be grounds for the sale to be voided.

Also, I'm sure MI6 would have been able to spin it to make it look like a gas explosion or some other disaster - no-one would have to know that Bond was even in the country.

[AMC Hornet]

Fair enough.

 

But MI6 still owes him for selling his old flat, and his father's gun collection.

 

How much interest could accrue in three months?

[S K Y F A L L]

Does anyone know if there is a garage in the back or would his car be out front?

[JCRendle]

Does anyone know if there is a garage in the back or would his car be out front?

 

Probably he uses the same lock-up where he kept his souped up DB5.

[sharpshooter]

Does anyone know if there is a garage in the back or would his car be out front?

 
Probably he uses the same lock-up where he kept his souped up DB5.

Good thinking. Imagine if we see that spot again. It would be a nice piece of visual continuity, especially given both films are from Mendes.

[tdalton]

I thought the lock-up in Skyfall would have been where MI6 put his belongings after declaring him dead and selling his loft, as stated by M, rather than a place picked out by Bond himself.  With Bond declared dead, I doubt he would have been able to hold onto his own personal storage unit seeing as how the payments would have probably stopped at some point on the unit.

[glidrose]

Seriously, though, it's good that we'll finally be seeing Bond's home in the films.  Long overdue.

Agreed. Shame they didn't show his flat in LALD. I remember walking out of the theatre in '73 bitterly disappointed that nowhere in that film did we see Bond's abode. I mean if they were going to show his place, LALD would have been the perfect film.

[tdalton]

Well, all I can say is that I try to pretend that Live and Let Die doesn't exist.  Just an awful film.

[agentbug]

So Bond's only got the one floor then? Is this the usual setup for such a building in London?
 
If that's the case then the price is nothing short of extortion.

Welcome to London lol.

Not sure how I feel about seeing Bond's home on film... I think his character is he works for MI6. Almost everything he does in the films (and books) is 'his work'. Why do we need to see him at home? Either he is working and this can and should be done elsewhere (at MI6, on location) or he is isn't working... what could cause that? Hmmm...

[JCRendle]

[Bryce (003)]

 

So Bond's only got the one floor then? Is this the usual setup for such a building in London?
 
If that's the case then the price is nothing short of extortion.

Welcome to London lol.

Not sure how I feel about seeing Bond's home on film... I think his character is he works for MI6. Almost everything he does in the films (and books) is 'his work'. Why do we need to see him at home? Either he is working and this can and should be done elsewhere (at MI6, on location) or he is isn't working... what could cause that? Hmmm...

 

MGW once stated that "We don't need to see his home. He comes from nowhere and goes to nowhere except when he's needed." yet, we have seen it before. Every guy has to hang his hat (or holster) somewhere. I was always amazed that Bond's kitchen/breakfast nook in LALD seemed almost larger than the rest of his place. As much as they wanted to separate Roger's Bond from Connery's Bond, they did show the flat in both of their first films. I kind of like this in a way. In the novels, particularly MR, we do get a glimpse of Bond at home. His assignments take him abroad. A friend of mine is an insurance adjuster/inspector  of sorts and is constantly traveling. He makes tons of cash, but just has a smallish one bedroom place and a small storage unit. He's never at home for more than a week or two at the max. Still though, I think giving this glimpse is kind of fun and gives Craig's Bond some sense of reality or depth. I suspect it will be stylish, but (as with any former military man) comfortable yet utilitarian.

[Robinson]

MGW once stated that "We don't need to see his home. He comes from nowhere and goes to nowhere except when he's needed." yet, we have seen it before. Every guy has to hang his hat (or holster) somewhere. I was always amazed that Bond's kitchen/breakfast nook in LALD seemed almost larger than the rest of his place. As much as they wanted to separate Roger's Bond from Connery's Bond, they did show the flat in both of their first films. I kind of like this in a way. In the novels, particularly MR, we do get a glimpse of Bond at home. His assignments take him abroad. A friend of mine is an insurance adjuster/inspector  of sorts and is constantly traveling. He makes tons of cash, but just has a smallish one bedroom place and a small storage unit. He's never at home for more than a week or two at the max. Still though, I think giving this glimpse is kind of fun and gives Craig's Bond some sense of reality or depth. I suspect it will be stylish, but (as with any former military man) comfortable yet utilitarian.

 

 

 

I hope it's just a glimpse and we only get to see his flat as a transition scene to move the plot forward. While I think us Bondfanatics will dissect his apartment, looking for easter eggs and home improvement inspiration, I think it'll be best if the audience can infer Bond's home life. 

 

It's interesting that Craig's XXXX may have a swankier pad than the one Bond calls home in SPECTRE.