FORMER Bond girl Britt Ekland made a very special golden delivery to HMV on Oxford Street on Monday, September 24, as the 007 Days of Bond tour reached its final destination in style.
Ekland, star of The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), arrived at the flagship store in the Aston Martin DBS from Quantum of Solace (2008), wearing a stunning gold dress, and delivered the golden briefcase containing the first copy of the Bond 50 Blu-ray Collection, which she presented to British Bond fan Kamal ‘Sunny’ Farsheed, who had been queuing all morning to meet her.
The case, fit with a digital timer that counted down from 007 Days to zero at exactly 10.07am, has travelled over 1,600 miles since it began its journey at Eilean Donan Castle in the Northern Scottish Highlands, with the first ever Bond girl Eunice Gayson starting the timer.
It has toured the most memorable Bond filming locations over seven action-packed days, including Lochgilphead, Penbryn Beach, Wales, Nene Valley, Peterborough, Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire and The Eden Project, Cornwall.
Along the way, Bond stars and filmmakers have acted as ‘Bond bearers’, including seven-time Bond legend Sir Roger Moore, Tania Mallet (Goldfinger), Richard Kiel (The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker), five-time Bond Director John Glen (Octopussy, License To Kill), Stunt Coordinator Paul Weston and Oscar-winning Costume Designer Lindy Hemming.
Each star presented a location with a gold disc commemorating their part in 007 history.
Ekland said: “Today I’m a very proud Bond girl having brought the first ever copy of the Bond 50 Blu-ray collection personally to HMV in Oxford Street and handed it over to ‘Sunny’, who is such a big Bond fan.
“What an exceptionally overwhelming reception – it’s such an honour to be part of this unique seven-day journey and to be reunited with my fellow Bond stars, including Tania Mallett and Eunice Gayson – regardless of our age, it’s once a Bond girl, always a Bond girl and I feel very honoured to be part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations.”
Bond fan Kamal ‘Sunny’ Farsheed, 29, from Bexley Heath, who was presented with the golden briefcase signed by all the Bond stars on its 1,600 mile journey, waited all morning at the front of the queue in the rain to meet his idols.
The Bond 50 Blu-ray Collection is available now, featuring all 22 Bond films for the first time in high definition from MGM & Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Order here
View photos from HMV Oxford Street
Related Bond 50 events: Roger Moore launch in photos l Nene Valley in photos
Bond 50 Blu-ray Collection – out now
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