Address: Strand, London WC2R 1LA
Set Up:
In Goldeneye Bond arrives at St Petersburg Airport he is greeted by Jack Wade, a CIA operative who helps James Bond investigate the Janus Syndicate. In a complete non-sequitur, Wade asks Bond if he does any gardening. Apparently the ensuing 30 minute scene of Wade describing to Bond the art of Strategic Mulching where Mulch is served as a protective blanket for your garden in order to control weeds, regulate soil temperature, and retain moisture, wasn’t deemed relevant to the plot and was left on the cutting room floor.*(1)
Wade’s vintage Moskvich breaks down in Somerset House, which masquerades as a non-descript Russian courtyard.
It’s also featured fleetingly as the Ministry of Defence in Tomorrow Never Dies. The camera follows Bond gliding down the Strand in his DB5, an Italianate Church (St Mary-le-Strand) can be clearly seen in the background as he sweeps into the main entrance and through into the courtyard.
It’s free to enter
The courtyard is open to the public and free to enter. The shop is currently closed for refurbishment and has been since the pandemic.
Aside from the Courtauld galleries, Somerset House is known for it’s seasonal exhibitions and events. *(2)
None more so than the skating ring that normally goes on through until mid-January during the winter. I’ve never skated here myself, mainly because I have a phobia of falling over and having my fingers sliced off by a fellow skater not looking where he or she is going.
My piano teacher once told me he never skated for this exact reason. I can’t remember now if this actually happened to an associate of his, or if the mere image of having digits sliced off by an oafish man pissed on gluhwein has scorched its way into my psyche enough for me not to entertain the leisurely past time.*(3)
Closest Bond Location: Spectre – Rules Restaurant | M’s Favourite Easting Establishment
Closest Pint: Somerset House Terrace (untested).
References:
Footnotes
*1) Not really.
*2) It was in the West Wing that I once attended the launch of Paul Weller’s inaugural fashion line, Real Stars Are Rare. I interviewed Paul but got a bit flummoxed in his presence, as I had never met a celebrity before (Pat Sharp not withstanding). After just a few questions I lost both my place in the notes I had prepared and my composure. In a panic I asked Paul what his favourite nut was and he replied swiftly ‘Macadamia’. It was at that point the PR lady asked if I had any questions about Paul’s clothing collection and I said I didn’t and was politely asked to leave.
*3) In my head the skater like a clumsy Steve McFadden and vomits all over me once he gains sight of the blooded-carnage he has inadvertently created.
