It starts with Dr. No

Borrowed from Jamesbond-shop.com

Dr. No. is the film that starts off the 50 year phenomenon that is James Bond. For me, it’s what a Bond film should be, a light hearted spy thriller. With the style and elegance of the 1960’s, it's the film that brought us all of the hallmark Bond moments we have grown to love. There is a camp villain, beautiful girls, epic car chases and fight scenes, superb tailoring and of course the famous vodka martini, shaken not stirred. What is there not to like?

According to IMDb, this was not originally supposed to be the inaugural Bond film, but after some legal problems it was chosen because of its simple and straightforward storyline and because it was set in only one location.

From the moment that you first see Sean Connery you know that you are seeing everything you know about James Bond being brought to life. His devilish good looks, amazing body and suave accent will make any women or gay man slightly crumble at the knees. But it’s not until at least 8mins into the film where we meet James Bond who is playing cards in a swanky hotel. With the first minute of us meeting him, he has already organised his next shag, thats even quicker than a gay man who is constantly on Grindr.

Even though he was first choice of James Bond, for me, I think he pulls it off really well. The reason that producers chose him was because he was a big tough looking man who moved gracefully on screen. Another interesting fact I found out was that Sean Connery wears a toupee in all James Bond films he was in.

Dr. No was also a great villain with a sea base layer set out in the most modern 60’s style. What a great villain he is with his elaborate and extravagant schemes for SPECTRE.

The arrival of Ursula Andress from the sea in a white bikini will always be an iconic moment and setting the standard for all Bond girls to come. Her acting might not have been great, but he voice actually dubbed by another actress, who also dubbed the voice for many women in the film, apart from Moneypenny.

For me, I think that Moneypenny is the only women who really sees the real James Bond. He jokes and is flirty with her, but she knows he is full of broken promises. She is a strong women though and doesn’t get caught up in his false promises.

Even though this was the first time I’ve seen this film, I have to say that I loved it. I liked the story and felt from the beginning that we were really immersed into James Bond’s world. It’s going to be interesting to see what they do next...

I give this an 8/10, but maybe I’ve marked it too high for the first film?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Steve Whiting

My Guide to James Bond - The beginning

I’m going to start off with a generalisation here.

I would say that most men who were born in the past 60 years have watched James Bond at least once in their lifetime. Am I right?

If you’re like me, then your Dad made you watch James Bond films from a young age. Especially the ones that were being shown on ITV over Christmas holidays or Bank Holiday weekends. It always seemed to be your Dad’s favourite and you were never allowed to turn off the television.

Most dads have their favourite Bond and they would always make you watch their favourite film, whether it was Dr. No, Moonraker or You Only Live Twice. Luckily the franchise has continued for just over half a century, so that each little boy has grown up and selected their favourite incarnation of Bond.

As a child I watched Timothy Dalton’s films. I think my mum despaired at how many times my brother and I decided to get The Living Daylights or Licence to Kill on video from our local library. Pierce Brosnan with his floppy hair, amazing gadgets, beautiful cars and cheesy chat up lines, will always be one of my favourite Bonds as he took me from childhood to my late teens. By the time Die Another Day had been released, it was time for a fresh start and Daniel Craig certainly brought that.

After many years of only watching a selection of the films and most of the modern ones, I thought it was time to find out where it all began and how this character has developed. So, I set myself a little challenge. My plan is to watch each of the Bond films, get myself up to speed with the British Institution and write a little blog post about each films, starting off with Dr. No.

It’s time to sit back, relax and go and grab a vodka martini pitcher. It’s going to be a long ride.

Steve Whiting

Greenwich I am in you...

It’s very weird to think that I’ve nearly been in my new flat for a month now. Time has totally flown by and I expect that that next time I blink, it will be 6 months from now. It’s been great showing people around! I promise that I will share some pictures when I have sorted stuff out. My favourite comment so far when I’ve shown people around is that is looks like an a page in the Ikea catalogue!

Anyway, with all of the unpacking (nearly) done, the next step is really to discover more about the place that I will call home for many years. It’s time to find the best bar, best pub, best places for a romantic dinner and the best place to take the parents for Sunday lunch, that’s if I don’t attempt to cook it myself.

For me though, I know this area quite well and it holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Greenwich with a couple of friends about 3 years ago. It was the first place I lived in London and an area that I felt so comfortable in. I did love living in Brixton and I would recommend the area to anyone, but Greenwich really had my heart.

One of things I always do when I move somewhere new is start following local blogs and Twitter accounts to really get up to speed with the area. If you are moving somewhere new, I would totally suggest doing the same.

Here are a couple of blogs I’ve started following:
The Greenwich Phantom - http://www.thegreenwichphantom.co.uk/
853 - http://853blog.com/
The Blackheath Bugle - http://blackheathbugle.wordpress.com/

Here is a Twitter featuring Greenwich and surrounding area Twitter account, which I will be adding to over time:
https://twitter.com/originalsteve/greenwich/

Do you live in Greenwich and know some more blogs I should follow? Drop me a note at @originalsteve or post a comment below.

Looking forward to sharing more of my adventures with you soon.

My first flat, Shared Ownership advice...

This is what it's going to be...

The last few weeks have been a pretty amazing for me, if you have read my #deartuesday post you would have seen that I got my mortgage offer. (if you haven't read it yet, check it out here http://bit.ly/UagO47). I've been waiting for over a month for this information now. But, it finally means that I can make progress on my new flat.

In my life I really didn't think that I would ever be able to buy a flat, as you need at least a 20% deposit to get a mortgage, which is a huge amount of money. I never thought that I had been earning enough money to live in London, save some money and pay off the debts that I built up as a student. So buying a flat had always been out of the question.

In July last year I was speaking to my mum about my housing situation. I was living in a shared flat, which firstly was being sold by my landlady and secondly I had a housemate who was going through a few issues that were affecting all of us. I had always wanted to live in my own place and on my own for a while. You know the feeling when you just want a place where you can wander around in your pants, watch the TV you want to watch and do the cleaning when you want to. 

My mum suggested that I take a look at the Shared Ownership scheme, where first time buyers can buy a certain percentage of a property and the rest of the property is owned by a Housing Association. You pay for the mortgage on the percentage you own and pay rent to the Housing Association who owns the rest of the property. For these type of properties you usually only need a 5% - 15% deposit on the section of the property you own. Which it an easier sum of money to save compared to the usual 20%. It would mean that I could have my own place where I could settle down. No one but me could sell the place from under my feet and the money I was spending was not going just going into someone’s pocket, but helping me up the property ladder.

It sounded too good to be true, but I took a look and found that I could get a brand new/newly built flat with a small amount of savings and at an affordable monthly rate. If I decided just to rent on my own, I would be looking at spending at least £1500 a month, but with this, I would be paying much less on a mortgage and rent. The places available usually are in upcoming areas of London and come with a few restrictions, but if you are happy to put up with that, you are all sorted.

So that was it, I visited a few places and somewhere affordable and in a location I was happy with. It was time to save for the deposit, so I moved back in the parents and the rest is history.

If I’ve got you thinking about doing the same, here are my tips to get you on your way:

1. Register with First Steps London (or look here to find your nearest place) and take a look at the properties available

2. Look at the different areas and work out how much you can afford to spend on rent/mortgage every month. Also add about £300 on top for bills, just in case. I made an excel document to track my outgoings and work it out. It was really useful!

3. Look at the required deposits and work out how much you have or can save on what you are on. Also, add on £4000 to the required deposit for legal fees, mortgage costs and for kitting out your new home

4. Take a look at a few places. Get a feel for what is available. Ask lots of questions, the housing association and developers are happy to help

5. Get your finances in order. Reduce your overdraft and pay off any loans or credit cards. The Housing Association and mortage company will look at your finances thoroughly. Most schemes will ask you to speak to a Financial Advisor, which is usually free until you get a mortgage. Again, ask lots of questions and don't be scared to tell them the truth. They want to help you

6. If you find a place you like, find out what the process is and how long it will take. Sometimes you might have to buy off a plan if the place isn't built yet.

7. Ask your friends or family for a good Solicitor. Ask them lots of questions. I was lucky one of my close family relations is a Solicitor. 

8. Lastly, be prepared for extra and hidden costs. This could be ground rent or additional money for other things. Even though this is 'affordable housing' people are looking to make money from you.

Keep following this blog to see what happens next and how the move goes! If you have any questions, drop them in the comments below.

Cheers,
Steve

2013 - Bring the music!

The start of each year get’s me excited in many ways. One of them is the naming of the BBCs Sound of 2013.

Each year in December, the BBC release a long list of artists they believe will be big the next year. The list is created by a group of critics, editors, broadcasters and bloggers. I’ve been following the list for many years and get really excited to see what new gems are on it. In the past it has helped me discover artists like Hurts, La Roux, Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine, Frankmusik, The Ting Tings and Corinne Bailey Rae, I could go on with more, but there are too many!

The BBC Sound of 2013 long list has been no exception and has introduced me to 2 great acts. They are:





This year HAIM took the crown, with AlunaGeorge coming in at number 2 and Chvrches () at number 5 in the list of the top 5 artists. If you want to hear more of these great acts and others on the list, check out this Spotify playlist - http://bit.ly/BBCSoundof2013SpotifyPlaylist or the BBC’s own YouTube playlist - http://bit.ly/BBCSoundof2013YouTubePlaylist

Away from the list though, one of my favourite K-Pop acts, Girls’ Generation released a new album. The lead single is the little number below. A little bit more random than some of their other hits such as The Boys but still good. You can’t help but notice the very 90’s/Shoreditch styling. Yes, it is random, but I really wanted to share it.



What are your top acts at the moment? Which artist do you think will make it big this year? Let me know in the comments below.

Hello 2013 - My New Year's Resolutions

So, as the clock strikes 12:00am on 31st December, we welcome in a new year. But what will 2013 bring? What plans are in store? We never know what is going to happen, but it is always nice to set ourselves a few goals to get us through the year, however long they last.

2012 let me have a fresh start and build some foundations. 2013 will be my chance to get stuck into a few projects and really start to build an exciting future.

Here are a few things I hope to achieve in 2013:
- I want to finish writing a TV drama concept I have...not I won’t tell you what it is about
- Kick some new life into #deartuesday - Yes, it’s back. GET INVOLVED - http://bit.ly/deartuesday 
- Write, write and write some more. Maybe blog more too - I think I say this every year
- Take more photos, start a little project and share it with you - it's all about the memories

A few things that I hope to achieve are already in progress and there are a few more things I would love to do if I can fit them in, but this is where I am going to start. If I make too many big plans none of them will happen. So, it's good to start with just a few.

As well as these things, the big thig for me this year is finally buying a flat. It's been on the go since November, but I think (and hope) that all will be sorted soon. I've dreamt of this for many years now and I never thought it would happen, but thanks to the shared ownership scheme, it might even come about. If you're thinking about it and want to know more, let me know in the comments below.

But anyway, enough of planning. Grab yourself a drink (if you are not too hungover from last night) and raise your glass to 2013, the year that you do more.

What are your resolutions? What have you got planned for the next 365 days? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Man of Steel - 2nd trailer

With an all-star cast the release of Man of Steel in June 2013 cannot come quick enough!

The first trailer gave us a brief insight into the movie, but this trailer gives us extra hints to what we have in store. And to be honest with you... I really can't wait.

Even though I have spent the past year reading both Action Comics and Superman from DC's The New 52, I don't see much of the story translating over to the movie. I know Henry Cavill's costume is based on the Superman in The New 52, but I'm not sure the style will translate.

As with Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Batman, we might see influence from many different graphic novels and mini series. One rumor is that is based on Superman: Birthright. Which I will have to read at some point.

This film is also likely to loose the comic elements of previous Superman films. But, in my opinion  I think that this film needs to stand out as a new, darker and more serious adaptation.

Anyway, I'm going to leave my judgement till June 2013. Enjoy the trailer.

What do you think? Let me know your opinion in the comments below:

Originalsteve