James Bond museum opens its doors

[Capt. Sir Dominic Flandry]

James Bond museum opens its doors

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 984246.stm

James Bond museum opens its doors

A Lotus Esprit featured in the Spy Who Loved Me is among the exhibits
A James Bond fan has opened a museum dedicated to the gadgets and cars made famous by the fictional secret agent.

Peter Nelson, 48, from Cumbria, spent 20 years, travelled thousands of miles and spent hundreds of thousands of pounds to amass his collection.

And now he has put items including a Lotus car and the original golden gun on show at the Bond Museum in Keswick.

The attraction is opening on the 100th anniversary of Bond producer Albert Broccoli's birth date.

Mr Nelson, a retired dental surgeon, said his Bond museum would be the first of its kind in the world.

He said: "I've got the Octopus from Octopussy and the original golden gun from The Man From The Golden Gun.

"And I've got the Diamonds Are Forever Mustang and that's the actual stunt car that went on two wheels.

"I got a phone call from a policeman in New York and he said `I've got the car', and all the paperwork was there so I went to New York and bought that."

Glamour and humour

Among the other highlights are the Lotus Esprit Turbo from The Spy Who Love Me.

The museum also boasts a Russian T55 battle tank from GoldenEye.

Mr Nelson has been collecting 007 memorabilia through auctions and donations from Bond filmmakers EON, actors and crew from the movies.

He added: "When I was a boy I read the Ian Fleming books first of all, and they really captured my imagination," he said.

"James Bond had that sophistication and glamour and humour, all those things that as a young boy you wanted in your life."

Mr Nelson, who also runs a Cars of the Stars motor museum in Keswick, said he has spent "hundreds of thousands" of pounds on the collection.

[JackWade CIA]

T55 battle tank from GoldenEye? Beats my collection of VHS and DVDs The collection sounds worth the journey.

[Dr. No]

Cool story Sir captain

I watched a show not long ago about similar guy in the states. He and his group buy 007 movie stuff. He had two 007 boats (i think it was another boat), including the small boat from Twine,

[James]

I wonder who has the DAF Moon Buggy now? I know Graham Rye rebuilt it in the nineties.

[Mazer Rackham]

That was the magic of Bond, even in the early day people were collecting the memorabilia.