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The great MI6 Community JAMES BOND Advent Calendar

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  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    Merry Christmas everyone! It's great to browse through these posts celebrating everything Bond and seasonal.

    @RichardTheBruce, that is one cool OHMSS poster, and though I never saw Bond on Spike TV it's nice to enjoy some good old-fashioned "007 Days of Christmas" commercials.

    @Agent_99, that anatomically correct Scaramanga gingerbread man is brilliant. You could produce a whole line of them, like a Le Chiffre cookie that weeps red jelly from the eye. The most popular no doubt would be the Baron Samedi cookie that magically reappears on your plate moments after you've eaten it. ;)
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,270
    Sorry, folks, I missed my Christmas Day slot today as I was visiting relatives. I'll try to get it written up tomorrow instead. Apologies.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited December 2020 Posts: 18,270
    OK, so I just wanted to share a passage from John Gardner's James Bond continuation novel Win, Lose or Die (1989) with you all yesterday but I ran out of time unfortunately. Anyway I'll post it here today instead. To set the scene, Win, Lose or Die is partly set at Christmas and Bond is in this scene reminiscing about his early life with the Bond girl of the book, Beatrice Maria da Ricca. Beatrice asks Bond:

    "Until now, what's the best Christmas you can remember?"

    Bond grunted and stretched. "I think the last Christmas I spent with my parents." His voice changed, the sentences delivered haltingly, as though he found it difficult to discuss. "I'm a mongrel as well, Bea. Scottish father and Swiss mother. Christmas in a little chalet on Lago Lugano." He gave a laugh, "Odd that it was the best, because I was ill - just recovering anyway. Chickenpox, measles, that sort of thing."

    "Why was it the best?"

    He gave an almost schoolboyish smile. "I got everything I asked for. They indulged me. There was an air-pistol, as I recall it."

    "What else?"

    "I had to stay in bed, but my father opened the window and put some tin cans on the ledge. Let me pot away at them for half an hour or so. In the evening they both stayed in my room and ate Christmas dinner from trays. It was different. A final taste of love. I'll never forget it."

    "Final? Why final?"

    "My parents were killed, climbing, a few weeks later."

    "Oh, James." She seemed shocked, as though regretting she had asked.

    "A long time ago, Beatrice..."
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,097
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    OK, so I just wanted to share a passage from John Gardner's James Bond continuation novel novel Win, Lose or Die (1989) with you all yesterday but I ran out of time unfortunately. Anyway I'll post it here today instead. To set the scene, Win, Lose or Die is partly set at Christmas and Bond is in this scene reminiscing about his early life with the Bond girl of the book, Beatrice Maria da Ricca. Beatrice asks Bond:

    "Until now, what's the best Christmas you can remember?"

    Bond grunted and stretched. "I think the last Christmas I spent with my parents." His voice changed, the sentences delivered haltingly, as though he found it difficult to discuss. "I'm a mongrel as well, Bea. Scottish father and Swiss mother. Christmas in a little chalet on Lago Lugano." He gave a laugh, "Odd that it was the best, because I was ill - just recovering anyway. Chickenpox, measles, that sort of thing."

    "Why was it the best?"

    He gave an almost schoolboyish smile. "I got everything I asked for. They indulged me. There was an air-pistol, as I recall it."

    "What else?"

    "I had to stay in bed, but my father opened the window and put some tin cans on the ledge. Let me pot away at them for half an hour or so. In the evening they both stayed in my room and ate Christmas dinner from trays. It was different. A final taste of love. I'll never forget it."

    "Final? Why final?"

    "My parents were killed, climbing, a few weeks later."

    "Oh, James." She seemed shocked, as though regretting she had asked.

    "A long time ago, Beatrice..."

    Excellent, I have never read Win, Lose or Die despite buying many non Fleming Bond novels I never really read them, then I gave them all away with the majority of my collection.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,270
    Fire_and_Ice_Returns wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    OK, so I just wanted to share a passage from John Gardner's James Bond continuation novel novel Win, Lose or Die (1989) with you all yesterday but I ran out of time unfortunately. Anyway I'll post it here today instead. To set the scene, Win, Lose or Die is partly set at Christmas and Bond is in this scene reminiscing about his early life with the Bond girl of the book, Beatrice Maria da Ricca. Beatrice asks Bond:

    "Until now, what's the best Christmas you can remember?"

    Bond grunted and stretched. "I think the last Christmas I spent with my parents." His voice changed, the sentences delivered haltingly, as though he found it difficult to discuss. "I'm a mongrel as well, Bea. Scottish father and Swiss mother. Christmas in a little chalet on Lago Lugano." He gave a laugh, "Odd that it was the best, because I was ill - just recovering anyway. Chickenpox, measles, that sort of thing."

    "Why was it the best?"

    He gave an almost schoolboyish smile. "I got everything I asked for. They indulged me. There was an air-pistol, as I recall it."

    "What else?"

    "I had to stay in bed, but my father opened the window and put some tin cans on the ledge. Let me pot away at them for half an hour or so. In the evening they both stayed in my room and ate Christmas dinner from trays. It was different. A final taste of love. I'll never forget it."

    "Final? Why final?"

    "My parents were killed, climbing, a few weeks later."

    "Oh, James." She seemed shocked, as though regretting she had asked.

    "A long time ago, Beatrice..."

    Excellent, I have never read Win, Lose or Die despite buying many non Fleming Bond novels I never really read them, then I gave them all away with the majority of my collection.

    Thanks. I've been meaning to post that excerpt for a few years now. There's a few other little Christmas mentions in the novel but that's the most Bond-centric one so I thought it'd be nice to quote it here. I think it's nice that Gardner took the opportunity in this novel to expand a bit on what we know about Bond's parents.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,097
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Fire_and_Ice_Returns wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    OK, so I just wanted to share a passage from John Gardner's James Bond continuation novel novel Win, Lose or Die (1989) with you all yesterday but I ran out of time unfortunately. Anyway I'll post it here today instead. To set the scene, Win, Lose or Die is partly set at Christmas and Bond is in this scene reminiscing about his early life with the Bond girl of the book, Beatrice Maria da Ricca. Beatrice asks Bond:

    "Until now, what's the best Christmas you can remember?"

    Bond grunted and stretched. "I think the last Christmas I spent with my parents." His voice changed, the sentences delivered haltingly, as though he found it difficult to discuss. "I'm a mongrel as well, Bea. Scottish father and Swiss mother. Christmas in a little chalet on Lago Lugano." He gave a laugh, "Odd that it was the best, because I was ill - just recovering anyway. Chickenpox, measles, that sort of thing."

    "Why was it the best?"

    He gave an almost schoolboyish smile. "I got everything I asked for. They indulged me. There was an air-pistol, as I recall it."

    "What else?"

    "I had to stay in bed, but my father opened the window and put some tin cans on the ledge. Let me pot away at them for half an hour or so. In the evening they both stayed in my room and ate Christmas dinner from trays. It was different. A final taste of love. I'll never forget it."

    "Final? Why final?"

    "My parents were killed, climbing, a few weeks later."

    "Oh, James." She seemed shocked, as though regretting she had asked.

    "A long time ago, Beatrice..."

    Excellent, I have never read Win, Lose or Die despite buying many non Fleming Bond novels I never really read them, then I gave them all away with the majority of my collection.

    Thanks. I've been meaning to post that excerpt for a few years now. There's a few other little Christmas mentions in the novel but that's the most Bond-centric one so I thought it'd be nice to quote it here. I think it's nice that Gardner took the opportunity in this novel to expand a bit on what we know about Bond's parents.

    Nice little build up which makes the reveal of the loss of his parents to Bea all the more impact-full, the abrupt shift from a treasured childhood memory to tragedy works well and which also resonates with the reader.
  • ResurrectionResurrection Kolkata, India
    Posts: 2,541
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    OK, so I just wanted to share a passage from John Gardner's James Bond continuation novel Win, Lose or Die (1989) with you all yesterday but I ran out of time unfortunately. Anyway I'll post it here today instead. To set the scene, Win, Lose or Die is partly set at Christmas and Bond is in this scene reminiscing about his early life with the Bond girl of the book, Beatrice Maria da Ricca. Beatrice asks Bond:

    "Until now, what's the best Christmas you can remember?"

    Bond grunted and stretched. "I think the last Christmas I spent with my parents." His voice changed, the sentences delivered haltingly, as though he found it difficult to discuss. "I'm a mongrel as well, Bea. Scottish father and Swiss mother. Christmas in a little chalet on Lago Lugano." He gave a laugh, "Odd that it was the best, because I was ill - just recovering anyway. Chickenpox, measles, that sort of thing."

    "Why was it the best?"

    He gave an almost schoolboyish smile. "I got everything I asked for. They indulged me. There was an air-pistol, as I recall it."

    "What else?"

    "I had to stay in bed, but my father opened the window and put some tin cans on the ledge. Let me pot away at them for half an hour or so. In the evening they both stayed in my room and ate Christmas dinner from trays. It was different. A final taste of love. I'll never forget it."

    "Final? Why final?"

    "My parents were killed, climbing, a few weeks later."

    "Oh, James." She seemed shocked, as though regretting she had asked.

    "A long time ago, Beatrice..."

    Damn, i need to read that novel. Thanks for sharing that @Dragonpol .
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    Thanks for posting that, @Dragonpol. Win, Lose or Die is one of my favorites of Gardner’s Bonds. The memory of Bond’s parents eating Christmas dinner by his bedside just weeks before their passing is indeed a touching moment. A rare glimpse through Bond’s armor to a cherished memory that doesn’t impinge upon anything Fleming had created. And not knowing whether Beatrice is a Tracy or an Elektra makes Bond seem even more vulnerable.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    edited December 2020 Posts: 13,789
    Yes, that's a great call-out and suggestion. I'm gonna get my copy of Win, Lose or Die off the shelf and read it this season.

    220px-WinLoseOrDie.jpg



    Now I'm also recalling the James Bond Classic Library editions with their Christmas call-out for On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

    51FDZA9YDYL._AC_UL320_SR218,320_.jpg
    OHMSSXmasEve.jpg

  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    @Dragonpol, I don't think I've read that one, but I might have picked it up in a recent Amazon sale - I'll take a look! You know my feelings re Gardner but I enjoyed that extract and it felt vey Bond.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited December 2020 Posts: 18,270
    Agent_99 wrote: »
    @Dragonpol, I don't think I've read that one, but I might have picked it up in a recent Amazon sale - I'll take a look! You know my feelings re Gardner but I enjoyed that extract and it felt vey Bond.

    Yes, it's a good dense Bond novel and it has a technothriller type plot with the BAST terrorist group. However there is an interesting twist to their motivations. You should be interested in it as it features a Navy Sea Harrier aerial fight at one point.
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844


    There's no business like "Snow Business."
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,097
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,789
    So I'm thinking it's open season as it were. For December 0029th at least.

    This may require further investigation.
    White-GCHQ-Logo-new-500x142px.png
    GCHQ sets its 2020 Christmas card
    challenge
    See the complete article here:
    https://www.gchq.gov.uk/news/christmas-card-2020
    We reveal this year’s Christmas card featuring one of our most fiendish puzzles yet
    Published 18 December 2020
    ChristmasCard2020768x512.jpg?mpwidth=545&mlwidth=737&twidth=961&dwidth=635&dpr=1&width=1260

    The card is sent by our Director Jeremy Fleming to colleagues and partners across the world, but we're also sharing the brainteaser with you for to enjoy over the festive season.

    You can download the Christmas card challenge at the bottom of the page. To solve it, you'll need to complete a number of incomplete letter sequences before plotting your answers on a special Christmas bauble to reveal a hidden message.

    A GCHQ spokesperson said:
    “Problem solving is at the heart of what we
    do. Taking on this Christmas cracker gives
    puzzlers an insight into the skills you need to
    be a GCHQ analyst.

    “Bring together a mix of minds by sharing it with the
    wise men and women in your
    household to find the solution.”
    The challenge was put together by our staff, where problem solving is at the heart of our work to help protect the UK as it faces increasingly complex issues and threats to national security. Through the design, creation and solving of puzzles, our teams are able to constantly develop their skills in thinking differently and discover new and inventive ways of approaching problems.

    We also set weekly puzzles on our Twitter channel and earlier this year announced we had raised over £500,000 for the mental health initiative Heads Together through the sales of our two GCHQ Puzzle Books.

    We'll reveal the solution to the challenge here and on our Twitter and Instagram channels soon.
    PDF
    https://www.gchq.gov.uk/files/2020 Christmas Card.pdf
    9860671_0:2:1200:1200_1200x1198_80_0_0_fb087e295c8aeb0a735524a033fd8dd3.jpg

  • ResurrectionResurrection Kolkata, India
    Posts: 2,541
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,789
    December 0030th and counting.


    Did anyone see this SIS/MI6 Holiday Card and figure out its intent? From 2019.

    22300504-0-image-a-18_1576494878699.jpg


    Explained here.



    b818eccf3e51c071e7f4bee913e08d0aac3e9a52.png

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited December 2020 Posts: 18,270
    Happy New Year 2021 everyone! Let us hope it is a better one! :)
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,253
    Happy new year @Dragonpol and everybody else! Let's see what 2021 has in store... ;-)
  • ResurrectionResurrection Kolkata, India
    Posts: 2,541
    Happy New Year everyone.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Happy New Year, everyone!

    Here's a gift from Belgium:
    belgian.png

    Let's celebrate.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    edited December 2020 Posts: 25,097
    All the best everyone, no beer for me on a strict training routine as of now lol

    I always say start the year as you wish to continue through the year.

    @DarthDimi I have fond memory's of drinking Leffe in my youth, 8 per cent it was good stuff.
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Posts: 4,516
    Happy and lovely
    2021_Welt_shutterstock_1740544505_700.jpg
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    Happy New Year.

    May it be one to remember fondly.
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    Happy New Year's everyone! May 2021 bring good tidings and may all your allergies be swiftly cured.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,789
    From the original holiday greeting.
    https://www.ewbankauctions.co.uk/20171013A-lot-1532-James-Bond-Thunderball-Original-Christmas-card-4-5-x-9-5-inches?view=lot_detail&auction_id=369
    nr005632-86_1.jpg


    I share the sentiments of United Artists.

    And as The Who said in a different context: Got a feeling '21 is gonna be a good year. This time in the best of ways.

    nr005632-86_2.jpg



  • TR007TR007
    Posts: 1,165
    Happy New Year everyone!
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    Posts: 2,426
    Happy New Year MI6-ers!
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    edited November 2021 Posts: 25,097
    Wow this year seems to have flown by though its been a busy one for me.

    Later I will set up this thread properly though in the mean time are there are days (December 1 to 31st) members would like for the Annual Christmas Advent Calender...

    Edited:

    6vOFRVj.png

    Just pick a date and I will add your name to the list and carry the list over to following pages, post anything James Bond, Christmas or Holiday season related during your selected day(s)

    1st.
    2nd.
    3rd.
    4th.
    5th.
    6th.
    7th.
    8th.
    9th. @Fire_and_Ice_Returns
    10th.
    11th.
    12th.
    13th. @Agent_99
    14th.
    15th.
    16th.
    17th.
    18th.
    19th.
    20th.
    21st.
    22nd.
    23rd.
    24th.
    25th.
    26th.
    27th.
    28th.
    29th.
    30th.
    31st.

    o1MAiEY.png
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    Not sure I have anything new for this, but I'd love to take part - I'll have a think! Can I take the 13th?
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,097
    Agent_99 wrote: »
    Not sure I have anything new for this, but I'd love to take part - I'll have a think! Can I take the 13th?

    I know what you mean, I am going to have to think outside the box as so many good Bond related Christmas content has been used.

    That's great I will put you down for the 13th. :)
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