This is South Wales --
VIRGOMAN finally became Bond, James Bond, 007, last week for a full five minutes. How did he manage that, I hear you wonder? (I have psychic ears) Well, I played the parts of Q and Moneypenny by providing both the gadgets and the glamorous assistant.
Put another way, I provided the gift of a drive in a fast Aston Martin and stood around holding cameras and Styrofoam cups of coffee on a cold, cold morning.
The cameras, naturally, were also poison dart launchers and the Styrofoam could be morphed into high explosives by the addition of sugar or sweeteners.
The mission began at 6am. Target; Llandow circuit, hidden in the East of Wales, no passport required. E.T.A zero eight hundred. And thirty.
It was icy and dark on the journey to base camp, aka the spectators' car park.
The sun rose above the trees highlighting the track and the fact Virgoman would be driving into the sun, blind, a bit like a Top Gun pilot.
But first, the briefing.
A room full of other undercover agents and their glamorous assistants, with similar accessories.
Thrice around the track driving the object of one's desire, be it the Aston, the Ferrari, the Maserati, Lamborghini or a few other options, meant a series of commands to ensure no unwitting events occurred which could cause an international incident or a parting with a £500 insurance excess.
Bond wouldn't be flying solo — an experienced double-agent was alongside in the ejector seat with secondary controls just in case of enemy attack or uncontrollable power surges on nasty bends.
So, Bond had his moment in the winter sunshine, roaring around the track, first out of the pits while Moneypenny captured the evidence on secure digitalised devices. Thence followed coffee, definitely shaken, not stirred.
Tomorrow — Catrin Lewis Reported by This is 19 hours ago.
VIRGOMAN finally became Bond, James Bond, 007, last week for a full five minutes. How did he manage that, I hear you wonder? (I have psychic ears) Well, I played the parts of Q and Moneypenny by providing both the gadgets and the glamorous assistant.
Put another way, I provided the gift of a drive in a fast Aston Martin and stood around holding cameras and Styrofoam cups of coffee on a cold, cold morning.
The cameras, naturally, were also poison dart launchers and the Styrofoam could be morphed into high explosives by the addition of sugar or sweeteners.
The mission began at 6am. Target; Llandow circuit, hidden in the East of Wales, no passport required. E.T.A zero eight hundred. And thirty.
It was icy and dark on the journey to base camp, aka the spectators' car park.
The sun rose above the trees highlighting the track and the fact Virgoman would be driving into the sun, blind, a bit like a Top Gun pilot.
But first, the briefing.
A room full of other undercover agents and their glamorous assistants, with similar accessories.
Thrice around the track driving the object of one's desire, be it the Aston, the Ferrari, the Maserati, Lamborghini or a few other options, meant a series of commands to ensure no unwitting events occurred which could cause an international incident or a parting with a £500 insurance excess.
Bond wouldn't be flying solo — an experienced double-agent was alongside in the ejector seat with secondary controls just in case of enemy attack or uncontrollable power surges on nasty bends.
So, Bond had his moment in the winter sunshine, roaring around the track, first out of the pits while Moneypenny captured the evidence on secure digitalised devices. Thence followed coffee, definitely shaken, not stirred.
Tomorrow — Catrin Lewis Reported by This is 19 hours ago.