I have no idea how many shopping days are left until Christmas, and tend to leave it until the last minute anyway, but we were recently asked by VoucherCodes.co.uk to provide a list of Christmas gifts ideal for James Bond fans.
The brief was simple; propose five to seven gift ideas, all under £80 and available either online or from the high street. In fact the price turned out to be quite limiting as it excludes things like the Blu-Ray box set or the Skyfall swimming shorts, and I’m not much of a fan of the various 007 branded items, such as cufflinks. However, after putting on my thinking cap I came up with the following:
001 Best of Bond… James Bond
Everyone loves the music from the James Bond films, whether a Bond fan or not, so “Bond… James Bond” makes a great little stocking filler.
Subtitled “50 years – 50 tracks” this double CD contains all the themes prior to Skyfall plus selected incidental music and can also be downloaded from iTunes.
More info: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
002 Remote control DB5
Who doesn’t love the Aston Martin DB5 that first appeared in Goldfinger (1965), seen most recently in Skyfall?
While most of us can only dream of owning one, kids of all ages will enjoy the remote control Aston Martin DB5, available from good toy shops.
More info: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
003 Skyfall Micro Scalextric
Still on the theme of Aston Martins, is there anyone who doesn’t like slot car racing?
For £45 you can buy the Micro Scalextric Skyfall set, including the DB5, or there is the full size version that exceeds our spending limit. Again it’s available from toy shops and hobby stores.
More info: Amazon.co.uk
004 James Bond Eau de Toilette for men
A Christmas without aftershave would be a bit like going without the Christmas crackers or mince pies.
Luckily this year has seen the release of James Bond Eau de Toilette for men, great for would be 007s of all ages. The fragrance smells of apple, lavender and sandalwood, which will make a change from Brut!
More info: Amazon.co.uk
005 James Bond Collection Nail Polish Lacquer from OPI
For would be Bond Girls OPI has an entire range of Bond themed nail polish, including the limited edition “The Man With The Golden Gun”, which includes 18 carat gold (shown left).
In all there are thirteen different nail varnishes in the collection, each named after one of the films.
More info: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
006 Amazon Kindle
Amazon’s Kindle has revolutionised the book publishing industry in the last few years, and ideal for any Bond fan who likes reading.
The basic model is comfortably under budget and once connected to a wifi network allows the user to browse Amazon’s store and start reading just seconds after making a purchase.
Ian Fleming’s novels are a must, but the entire collection would take it over budget. Instead I would suggest starting at the beginning with “Casino Royale”, or pre-loading it with my own book, “The Complete Guide to the Drinks of James Bond”, but also recommend “The James Bond Bedside Companion” by Raymond Benson, “James Bond: The Authorised Biography” by John Pearson, or any other of the numerous 007 related titles available.
More info: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
007 The Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak
Several of The Macallan Distillery’s products appeared in Skyfall and while The Macallan 1962, which was served to 007 by Silva, blows the budget several times over the 12 Year Old Sherry Oak comes in at a more modest £42 to £50.
The 12 Year Old Sherry Oak and other Macallan products are available from good wine shops and off licences, or online from The Whisky Exchange.
More info: The Whisky Exchange
If you like this list of 007 gifts then please consider sharing it with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, or whatever social network you prefer.
