James Bond weekend to be staged in West Sussex

A special James Bond weekend is being held at Amberley Museum next week in advance of the new Bond film No Time To Die.

Bond fans will be converging on the museum - which played a starring role in the 1985 Bond film A View to a Kill - for the 007 weekend being held on September 25 and 26.

The event co-incidentally precedes the release of the 25th Bond film No Time to Die.

There will be something for every Bond fan with appearances by stuntman and actor Derek Lyons, a line-up of Aston Martins, a children’s code-breaking trail, along with films and music.

And there will be spot prizes for visitors who arrive in 007 fancy dress.

Scenes leading to the blowing up of May Day, played by Grace Jones in A View to a Kill, were filmed at the entrance of a quarry tunnel near the museum’s ‘Brockham Station’, which appeared as Main Strike Mine in the film.

The original Zorin Industries locomotive and trucks that featured in A View to a Kill will be running in and out of the ‘mine’ entrance over the weekend.

Actor and stuntman Derek Lyons, who has been in several Bond films, including A View to a Kill, will be reminiscing about his experiences and signing photographs, together with other Bond experts.

Amberley excerpts from A View to a Kill will be shown as well as archive footage of the filming at Amberley and a BBC interview with Roger Moore on the set at the museum in 1985.

New James Bond story boards near the ‘mine’ entrance will be unveiled at 11am on Saturday by Ian Dean, the first director of Amberley Museum, who was present at the filming.

Aston Martins from the AM Owners Club will be on show during the weekend with a cavalcade around the museum site at 2.30pm each day.

Youngsters will also be entertained by a new Codebreaker Trail.

Adults will be able to enjoy cocktails and live music from 4pm each day and Vintage Candy, a Sussex based duo, will entertain visitors on Saturday and on Sunday Sarah Milner, Sarah Sussex Violinist, will perform some violin interpretations of Bond and other cinematic theme music.

The museum will open at 10am and the event will run until 6.30pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Advanced booking is recommended: https://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/whats-on/james-bond/

The Limeburners Café at the museum will be open until 5.30pm, with seating both inside and outside on the Café terrace and visitors can also bring picnics.

The site is wheelchair accessible, and dogs are welcome on a lead.