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MI6 visits the home of Ian Fleming with best selling
James Bond author Lee Pfeiffer... |
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Goldeneye - Literary (2)
14th July 2006
A View To A Thrill: A Visit To
The Birthplace Of James Bond
By Lee Pfeiffer
When Fleming originally purchased the site of the house in 1946,
it was a picturesque location but the grounds themselves were
overgrown with brush. The place had once been a donkey racecourse
(can anyone imagine a less thrilling sport?) and indeed is still
known by older locals as “The Racecourse”. Fleming
wanted to live a “no frills” lifestyle on Jamaica
and designed his house in a very minimalist style.
Above: Goldeneye's lounge |
Visitors who expect opulence are sure to be shocked if they have
not researched the property prior to arriving. Fleming had a love
for nature and despised feelings of confinement. Thus, he designed
his residence in a minimalist fashion that emphasized the beauty
of the natural surroundings. One arrives at the house via the
rear entrance where a small but charming ornamental pool greets
visitors. Running water pours over a stone plate until the weight
causes it to tilt and pour the water back into the pool with reassuring
regularity. The center of the house is the living room/dining
room area, a large room accentuated with extremely wide windows
designed to give full appreciation for the magnificent view of
the garden and the ocean.
A unique element of the design is Fleming’s insistence
that the windows have no glass. Thus, cooling breezes run through
the house day and night. (Air conditioning has since been installed
but it would seem blasphemous to actually utilize this convenience.)
There are jalousie shutters one can close over the windows but
even during torrential rains, the house seems immune from flooding.
A large desk at the side of the room displays a useful and eclectic
group of books (including histories of the Bond phenomenon) as
well as a scrapbook of fascinating vintage articles about Fleming
and his life in Jamaica.
Fleming named the house Goldeneye presumably as a nod to the
town of Oracabessa, which means “Golden Head”- at
least according to his acclaimed biography by author Andrew Lycett.
Others have speculated that the novel Reflections in a Golden
Eye by Carson McCullers had inspired Fleming. What is indisputable
is that when Fleming first lived there, many felt he had taken
the “back to nature” idea to an extreme. One of the
first tenants at the house was Noel Coward, who rented the property
for two months in 1946. The noted playwright sarcastically dismissed
the place as “a perfectly ghastly house. No hot water, pictures
of snakes plastered all over the bedroom wall.” He summed
up his critique by labeling it “Goldeneye, ear, nose and
throat”. Still, he was not immune to the charms of this
location, so very different from London, where he traditionally
held court. He admitted his holiday there was “the happiest
2 months I ever spent” and proceeded to build his own home-away-from
home on Jamaica, calling it Firefly. Coward was among the many
aristocrats who found their way to Goldeneye to socialize with
Fleming and discuss the issues of the day.
Above: Framed photo Fleming sits on
his writting desk |
Over the years, the house has been upgraded considerably, but
the basic rustic charm of the lifestyle Fleming lived here has
not been compromised. Off the main living/dining room area (where
a well-stocked bar tempts tenants throughout their stay) is Fleming’s
bedroom. This is in many ways the most inspiring aspect of the
house. Another large, wide window continues the view of the garden
and ocean. In the corner of the modest bedroom sits an otherwise
inconspicuous desk. An 8”x10” framed photo of Fleming
gives the only hint that it was at this precise spot that James
Bond was born. In 1952, frustrated by his pre-wedding jitters,
Fleming decided to pass the time by trying his hand at writing
an espionage story titled Casino Royale. He felt confident enough
to purchase a gold-plated typewriter to mark his first excursion
into the realm of fiction. He drew the name James Bond from a
seemingly uninspired source- he simply glanced at a book titled
Birds of the West Indies and noted that the author’s name,
James Bond, was sufficiently bland enough to suit his purposes.
(After the 007 novels and films took off, Fleming confessed to
“stealing” the author’s good name and invited
him to visit Goldeneye, where they formed a friendship.) Fleming
was dismissive about his creation and seemed almost embarrassed
to let his agent or friends see the manuscript. When, after a
slow start, the Bond books built a loyal international following,
Fleming kept to his vow to continue writing every successive novel
at Goldeneye. He recalled, “I wrote every one of the Bond
thrillers here with the jalousies closed around me so that I would
not be distracted by the birds and the flowers and the sunshine
outside. Would these books have been born if I had not been living
in the gorgeous vacuum of a Jamaican holiday? I doubt it.”
Above: Lee Pfeiffer prepares to watch
Dr No |
Off to the side of the bedroom is a doorway that leads to one
of the house’s most charming features: a private, fenced
in garden that hosts an old fashioned, free-standing bathtub and
shower in the midst of lovely tropical plants and flowers. Although
the house does boast in-door shower facilities as well, it would
be unthinkable not to utilize this unique amenity. The house also
features two other guest bedrooms, each with their own indoor
and outdoor shower facilities. One cannot describe the wonderful
sensation of showering or bathing in this tropical paradise. A
walk around the immediate grounds provides a view of the stunning
vistas that lay before you. The front of the house opens into
Fleming’s sunken garden where a small dining table awaits
you should you choose to emulate his habit of having breakfast
there while overlooking the ocean. The house itself sits upon
a cliff and two crude staircases had been carved into the stone
to allow Fleming to go for his morning “constitutional”
which he adhered to rigorously: breakfast, a leisurely swim in
the isolated cove below, followed by several hours of uninterrupted
writing. Around noon, he would take a break for “the first
drink of the day”. A nap would follow, then more writing.
In the early evening, Fleming would traditionally entertain friends
and locals.
To the right of the house are two other
irresistible features, though neither was in place during
Fleming’s tenure.
A swimming pool provides a wonderful respite from the heat
and humidity. (At night, the caretakers light candles surrounding
the circumference of the pool, adding to its charm.) Next
to the pool lies the ultimate symbol of a luxurious holiday:
your own private screening room housed in a separate cottage.
Here, tenants and their guests can lounge on the ample couches
and chairs to view a library of DVDs on a large screen via
the overhead, state-of-the-art digital projection system.
(The quality is good enough to resemble 35mm film screenings).
Inside this bungalow, a bar spans the width of the room
and offers top-brand liquors. If beer, wine or soft drinks
are your preference, just turn toward the fully stocked
refrigerator. For movie lovers, this is the ultimate: cozying
up with your significant other, drink in hand, while enjoying
your favorite films as the ocean breeze rustles the trees
outside. |
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Above: Tree planted by Poerce Brosnan |
All around the premises is another unique aspect of the property:
trees planted by celebrities and dignitaries, a tradition that
began when Prime Minister Anthony Eden stayed at the house as
Fleming’s guest in 1956 to recuperate from health problems
exacerbated by the Suez Crisis. The tree planted by Eden now stands
tall near the swimming pool. Other trees of varying sizes bear
plaques commemorating those who planted them. The list of notables
includes Michael Caine, Sting, Harrison Ford and, appropriately
enough, Pierce Brosnan.
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Island Outpost
- Goldeneye
Goldeneye is nestled among tropical forests and lush gardens
on a seaside bluff overlooking the Caribbean where you can
put a little distance between yourself and the rest of the
world. Our lifestyle is pure Jamaican in rhythm and tempo,
"easy". We offer you a window to local culture
and a different way of living.
Goldeneye is also historic. This is where Ian Fleming crafted
all his James Bond novels. What Fleming loved most about
Goldeneye was the out of doors, nature, the sounds and colors,
the peace and drama of living by the sea. He delighted in
"the blazing sunshine, natural beauty and the most
healthy life I could live." |
