Buildings InSpectre

We finally got around to seeing James Bond in 'Spectre' last week. Screen F, Tower Park, Poole has just four rows of seats. It was about 60% full, and apart from one young woman with a huge ice cream, I suspect we were the youngest present [and we both qualify as seniors now]

We both enjoyed it, typical Bond [better than Quantum of Solace we thought, and in many ways better than Skyfall]  One quote made us both chuckle

Madeleine Swann: Why, given every other possible option, does a man choose the life of a paid assassin? 

James Bond: Well, it was that or the priesthood

I am rather glad that my man was chosen for the latter career, I don't like guns or killing [although I do think men look good in well fitting suits]

"Q" [Ben Wishaw] is developing into a better character - although it will be hard for anyone to fill Desmond Llewellyn's shoes [I think BW is proving better than John Cleese]

A few plot twists were a little contrived [as usual] but on the whole it was at least ****

One aspect of Bond [and films generally] that we both enjoy is spotting film locations we recognise. Much nudging goes on if it is a place we ourselves have actually visited. Bob is especially smug if it is Rome or Moscow [I have not been to these cities, but he has]

Spectre has quite a few London locations - and also Blenheim Palace is used at one point [pretending to be Rome]. You can find a list of locations here, and the Telegraph had this article a few years back showing many places I recognised, and some of which I had visited [like Brent Cross Shoppers' Car Park - where more than a dozen BMWs were written off in the filming!] If you are a real geek, you can even buy a book to check out all the London locations. 

A spot frequently used by film makers and TV programmes, is the colonnade by the National Maritime Museum. That often appears up on both the big and the small screen. The NMM, the Queen's House next door, and the Royal Naval Chapel across the road are among of my most favourite London places- and the Royal Observatory up on the hill behind in Greenwich Park, and the Cutty Sark up the road, and the amazing footbridge under the Thames. I am spending this week in London, staying with Liz and attending WWDP committee, but I don't think I'll doing much location spotting. Maybe I will manage a morning visiting Greenwich if there is time...

Have you visited any places which were used in films ? Or ever seen the cameras actually shooting?