Scenes for next James Bond film shot in Greenwich

FILMING took place in Greenwich today for the next James Bond film, which will be called ‘Skyfall’.

The ever-popular Old Royal Naval College has been chosen as a location for the Sam Mendes-directed movie which is slated for release in November this year.

Twitter user, @wiilassie, said she “saw five hearses with union flag-draped coffins being moved this morning”.

Neil Sinclair reports on Footprints of London website that the King William Undercroft, under the Painted Hall, became a “make-believe morgue” with “eight coffins draped in union jack flags and arranged in two neat rows.”

Daniel Craig returns for his third outing as James Bond and Javier Bardem is set to be the film’s villain.

007 was last seen in Greenwich falling onto the roof of the Millennium Dome after a high speed chase along the Thames in the pre-title sequence of ‘The World Is Not Enough.’

The filming of funeral scenes at the Old Royal Naval College coincide with the anniversary of Nelson’s funeral – his coffin was kept in the Painted Hall between January 5th – January 7th 1806.

This photo was posted to the official James Bond twitter account after they filmed in Greenwich.

Local independent tour guide, Neil Sinclair, is leading a walk in Greenwich this Sunday and the following Sunday where you can learn more about Greenwich’s starring part in many feature films.

Greenwich Comedy Festival 2011

The Greenwich Comedy Festival returns to Greenwich later this summer.

The Festival, part of the Greenwich Festivals series, will pitch up its Big Top in the grounds of the historic Old Royal Naval College once more as some of the country’s top comedians entertain the crowds.

Greenwich Comedy Festival takes place from September 5th – September 11th and the confirmed comics include Arthur Smith, Sean Lock, Kevin Eldon, Tim Minchin, Phill Jupitus, Adam Buxton, Micky Flanagan and Seann Walsh.

BUY GREENWICH COMEDY FESTIVAL TICKETS

Daily Photo: 15/06/2011 – “To me”, “To you”

Thanks to Gordon Coster for this photo of a rather valuable looking table being moved in the grounds of the ORNC.

Greenwich Summer Sessions 2011

The Greenwich Summer Sessions return this year with a line up that’s bigger and better than before.

Greenwich legends, Squeeze, will be performing in their hometown and there will also be sets by Status Quo, Neil Hannon from the Divine Comedy, the Pogues, Mark Ronson and Status Quo.

The series of concerts will take place in the stunning surroundings of the Old Royal Naval College.

Greenwich Summer Sessions 2011 Tickets

26th July 2011 – Neil Hannon from the Divine Comedy featuring Jose Gonzales
27th July 2011 – Mark Ronson & The Business Intl + support
28th July 2011 – Status Quo + Nine Below Zero
29th July 2011 – Squeeze + support
30th July 2011 – The Pogues

The Greenwich Summer Sessions will be staged in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College

Fergus Noone’s Photography Column: April

In every photograph we take, we already make judgments on how certain subjects fit into the frame. Cropping comes naturally in this sense, but other elements will decide what makes your photograph truly stunning.

The best composed shot is one that follows what is known as the rule of thirds. By dividing the image up in three, a photographer can find an equal balance within the frame and decide on further elements like viewpoint, cropping and finding diagonal lines.

These lines can bend and help the viewer move their eyes along the photograph. If we take my image of the Royal Naval College as an example, the staircase in front of The Queen’s House act as a natural diagonal line that moves your eyes to the ground, whilst the path leads you to the horizon line to meet with Canary Wharf juxtaposed with the old architecture of the college.

The path that runs horizontal acts as a way of dividing the picture in half, whist the sky and the stairs in the foreground complete the rule of thirds composition. We are left with a balanced shot of a cityscape during a part of the day where there is luckily a dramatic sky!

Greenwich is the perfect location to find interesting angles, whether it is in the natural landscape of the park, by the shore of the Thames or through the colonnades of its classic architecture. Don’t be afraid to fill the frame and avoid leaving to much empty space.

Use your macro settings and experiment with texture and abstract forms; it can be easily done with plants, trees or any inanimate object. Remember the rule of thirds with sweeping landscapes and be aware of the sky when the sun sets to enhance the drama of the photograph. Composition is only one of the various aspects within the medium, the most important being light so try, if you can, to get out during those golden hours, (early morning/early evening) and contribute to the Daily Photo section of Greenwich.co.uk.

Any further questions regarding your photography, come join us on our photography tuition workshop, Richard and I will walk you through all the necessary points of the camera body itself and help you to achieve beautiful photography using natural light. For more information log on to our website.

Line up for Greenwich Summer Sessions announced

Squeeze, Status Quo and Mark Ronson will all be headlining this year’s Greenwich Summer Sessions.

The concert series returns to the grounds of Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College for its second year and will also include performances from The Divine Comedy, The Pogues and José González.

The sessions, which are the brainchild of local promoter, Peter Conway, will take place at the end of July with more acts still to be announced.

“Greenwich Summer Sessions got off to a great start last year and this year’s line up looks to be just as popular. Where better to to spend a summer’s evening than in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College listening to a line up of top musical acts?” commented Cllr John Fahy, Cabinet member for Culture and the Olympics.

The announcement came this morning at a launch event at the Old Brewery in Greenwich attended by Squeeze legends, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook . Tilbrook teased assembled journalists by announcing this would be Squeeze’s last ever gig – before clarifying he merely meant their last gig in July!

For Chris Difford, this morning’s launch was his first visit to the grounds of the naval college since  Sir Francis Chichester was knighted there in 1967.

I asked Chris, who no longer lives in Greenwich, if he was looking forward to seeing some familiar faces from his past. “I think there’ll be local faces and whenever we play locally, we get that. We’re like the village cat I suppose; we come back around and everyone strokes us”, he said.

Line-Up

26 July – The Divine Comedy / José González
27 July – Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. + support
28 July – Status Quo + Nine Below Zero
29 July – Squeeze + support
30 July – The Pogues + Support
31 July – TBA

More information can be found at www.greenwichsummersessions.co.uk

Tim Barnes awarded honorary degree

A former chair of the Greenwich Society has been honoured by the University of Greenwich for his work with law graduates.

Tim Barnes QC was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws (HonLLD), at a ceremony at the chapel of the Old Royal Naval College on Monday.

The award  is for Tim’s work as chair and founder member of the university’s Law Advisory Forum which was set up three years ago to improve the employability prospects of Greenwich Law graduates

Mr Barnes commented, “This is one of the most beautiful and historic campuses in the world. We owe a debt of gratitude to the University of Greenwich for coming here. Greenwich Law students are the best turned out, best presented and most articulate that attend events at our chambers. They display the commitment and enthusiasm that are crucial qualities for a legal career.”

Kim Everett, from the University of Greenwich, says: “We owe a great debt to Tim for all he has contributed to the university through the Law Advisory Forum. He firmly believes that our Law students can achieve great things and should have the opportunity to do just that.”

Greenwich Comedy Festival 2010

Following the success of last year’s Greenwich Comedy Festival, it returns again in 2010 with an even bigger and better line up.

Names confirmed so far include Jenny Eclair, Arthur Smith, Rhona Camerson, Ed Byrne, Phill Jupitus, Jerry Sadowitz, Adam Buxton and Stephen K Amos, Reginald D Hunter, Sean Hughes and Rufus Hound.

The festival will run between 6th  - 12th September with most acts taking place in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College.

Click here for ticketing information

Greenwich Summer Sessions

A string of high profile music acts will be coming to Greenwich this July for the Greenwich Summer Sessions.

The sessions will kick off on Wednesday 21st July with Seth Lakeman and the Levellers. In the following days, music fans will be able to enjoy the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, former Squeeze star Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra – joined by Alison Moyet and Gilson Lavis, and then Deptford band, Athlete, will be headlining the final day.

The Summer Sessions will take place in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College.

Tickets can be purchased online via Ticketmaster:

• Seth Lakeman / Levellers – July 21st – 6pm
• Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra – July 22nd – 6pm (Hospitality packages)
• Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Band – July 23rd – 6pm (Hospitality packages)
• Athlete and special guests – July 24th – 2pm

Discounts are available for residents of the London Borough of Greenwich.

Daily Photo: 19/03/10 – The ORNC at Night

Many thanks to Mike Curry who emailed me this night time photo of the Old Royal Naval College that he took recently. You can find more of his work on his website.

He is also currently auctioning a high gloss large sized print of another ORNC photo for charity – find out more.

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