WE HADN'T been expecting this, Mr Bond.
The fictional secret agent's missions to thwart Goldfinger, Blofeld and Scaramanga took him to some of the world's most glamorous and exciting locations.
But it has emerged that inspiration for some of the most memorable characters in the 00
7 series came not from the Caribbean or Monte Carlo, but from Kent, with love.
One of the world's leading Bond experts has claimed that a number of iconic figures, such as secretary Miss Moneypenny, were named after obscure rural locations in south-east England.
When quizzed in the 1960s over how he went about creating his heroines Fleming, the grandson of Scottish financier Robert Fleming, replied: "I go out into Romney Marsh and hope to find one there."
The remark was widely laughed-off at the time as another example of the prolific author's dry sense of humour. But a rereading of the supposed quip inspired Bond historian Graham Rye to launch his own mission.
Rye embarked on an exhaustive study of the Kent countryside, where Fleming lived for several years. He said: "I travelled down to Kent armed with a series of newly purchased Ordnance Survey maps.
"Examining them closely I was excited to discover that Fleming had used his magpie-like trait of cherry-picking bright interesting names from wherever he might find them and then sprinkle them throughout his novels.
"I was amazed to discover that on Romney Marsh there was in fact a Moneypenny Farm. Suddenly I could picture Ian Fleming running an eyeglass over the maps of the area with a wry smile, while looking for another input for his James Bond novels."
It seems that the writer also borrowed from his surroundings to name Bond girl Honeychile Rider, who was famously brought to life by the bikini-wearing Ursula Andress in Dr No.
Rye discovered the Honeychild Manor Farm nearby, which had been operating in the 1950s when Fleming penned the first filmed Bond adventure. "It's a far cry from the sun-soaked waters of a Jamaican beach."
He revealed the privacy-loving owners of both farms were not fazed by their place in literary history.
He said: "Believe it or not, they are not that impressed by their links to Bond. They are both very much hands-on working farms and I don't think they have time to worry about the possibility of Bond fans descending from around the world. Hopefully it will boost both of their businesses."
The editor of 007 Magazine also found the Hammonds Country Hotel just a few miles away. He said: "In On Her Majesty's Secret Service the Hammonds were the married couple who acted as housekeepers for 'M', the head of British intelligence and 007's chief."
Fleming moved to Kent in the early 1950s after buying a spectacular property near the white cliffs of Dover from his close friend Noel Coward.
It's dramatic clifftop location led to it to being known as "the first house in England".
Because of this Rye believes it is no coincidence that the National Express coach from London Victoria to Dover has the service number 007.
Kent, known as the Garden of England, played a key part in a number of Bond adventures including Moonraker and Goldfinger, while Fleming wrote You Only Live Twice at the Duck Inn in the quaint village of Pett Bottom.
Rye said: "There is no doubt that Fleming loved Kent. Its location suited him offering proximity to London, homes by the sea in beautiful settings and a wonderful golf course.
"I feel it is a real shame that the Kentish connection to Bond has been almost completely overlooked in the past."
Fleming, who died in August 1964 aged 56, once revealed that the name of his legendary secret agent came from a book in his collection at his Jamaican retreat. He wanted the "simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name" he could find and discovered it on the cover of the obscure ornithological tome Birds Of The West Indies by James Bond. His Caribbean home, Goldeneye, also provided the name for another Bond adventure.
More controversially, Fleming used the surname of the UK-based Hungarian architect Erno Goldfinger for his most famous villain. Similarly it emerged that Fleming went to Eton with a star batsman who had the unusual surname of Blofeld.
The full article contains 726 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
