The name is Bond…Sexton Bond

From the Peter Haining papers, this typed manuscript  by the great researcher and expert on British comics and periodicals W.O.G. ('Bill') Lofts (1923-1997). It is interesting that Fleming got even close to writing a Sexton Blake, a bit like J.K. Rowling deciding to do a new Secret Seven adventure (actually not a bad idea..)



Sexton Blake and James Bond

I must confess that I greatly enjoyed the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming. Alas, there were only about sixteen of them as he died a premature death in 1964. Since then a number of other writers have penned them, but never read as well as the creator.

The first in 1955 was entitled 'Casino Royal' when the author an ex-M.I.5 man, certainly was authentic in every detail. The films that commenced in 1963 with 'Dr. No'*. I also greatly enjoyed, especially those featuring Sean Connery. Roger Moore his successor was just as good, though even more suitable to the Saint character, with his type of humour.

Likewise I enjoyed all the Sexton Blake stories in my younger days, as this world famous character must have entertained millions in his day, now alas seemingly put on the sideboards for quite some years. I must also admit that probably now doing so much detective work one can see the limitations in this field, by sloppy plots, as well as faulty backgrounds by some writers.

As well known, despite the myth of Leslie Charteris, Sax Rohmer, and Edgar Wallace supposed to have cut their eye-teeth early days of penning Blake yarns (records show they did not) there was once a time, when none other than Ian Fleming was contemplating writing a Sexton Blake story,

James Bond and the origins of the skateboard

Sent in by an avid jotter just retired at 50 and spending his time in browsing his vast library (mostly acquired in the purlieus of Charing Cross) and sharing it with a waiting world. Just like a Victorian gentleman scholar or, say, Casaubon himself. Good to see the mountaineering writer Arnold Lunn name-checked. He was,with Alfred Noyes, a great favourite of supercollector Jimmy Kanga…

James Bond and the origins of the skateboard 

Some skateboard historians will tell you that the invention came about almost by accident in the early fifties when surfers wanted to practice their surf moves on land. Before long, a firm in LA was making them and the basic board was modified in the next two decades. No actual inventor is named…until now. I can now with confidence say that the photo ( from an archive of sport-related press photos) shows the inventor, Hannes Schneider (1890 – 1955), hitherto known for his pioneering work in popularising skiing, demonstrating a pair of skateboards to the amusement of some Japanese onlookers.

The problem is that Schneider isn’t road testing two skateboards, but a pair of ‘Roll-Skis ‘.All the evidence suggests that the photo was taken in the early fifties, when Schneider would have been in his early sixties. Also, the roll-skier is definitely Schneider himself. The man’s features resemble those on earlier photos and who else but the inventor would be demonstrating sports kit bearing his name?

Schneider had a long association with Japan going back to 1930, when he was invited by the Japanese government to teach schoolchildren to ski. The new craze caught on and the Japanese love for skiing is totally down to Schneider’s influence and teaching there. It makes sense that he chose Japan to road test his new invention, the Roll-Ski, which was supposed to give skiers the opportunity to practise their sport in summer, when many pistes had thawed.

By 1950 Schneider had established himself in the US, where doubtless the Roll Ski would have been first demonstrated. As one of the skis resembles the skateboard in just about every respect, it seems likely that one enterprising American manufacturer saw a gap in the market and adapted the Schneider Roll Ski sufficiently to evade copyright restrictions.

As for James Bond, in chapter 12 of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service we discover that as a teenager before the War, 007 learnt to ski at the Hannes Schneider School in St Anton, Austria. While there he won the ‘Golden K’, the Arlberg-Kandahar challenge cup, established in 1928 by Schneider and Arnold Lunn.

So there you have it. The ultra-American youth craze that conquered the world   was invented by an Austrian----by accident. [Casaubon]

Second-hand Bookstalls in Paris (1890s)

From Dickens's Dictionary of Paris. The book is anonymous but a note in an old bookseller's hand informs us that it was written (partly) by the son of Anthony Trollope. This edition  was published about 1896 and there are advertisements for hotels giving their phone numbers.The book is listed at the British Library as being by Charles Dickens jnr.,

The bookstalls by the Seine are still much in evidence and an occasional source of rare finds. The other stalls dotted around Paris have mostly gone but many lingered on into the 1960s and some may still be there.

The only mention of English books is a stall at Rue Daunou. This street was shortly to have other English language associations - as in 1911 (at number 5)  it became the site of Harry's New York Bar where famously James Bond went on his first visit to Paris aged 16. Ian Fleming writes (possibly this happened to him?) "..he followed the instructions in Harry's advertisement in the Continental Daily Mail, and told his taxi driver 'Sank Roo Doe Noo'...that had started one of the memorable evenings of his life, culminating in the loss, almost simultaneous, of his virginity and his notecase".

The genuine book-collector is he who buys his books gradually, one or two volumes at a time,not the rich man who can afford to go to a bookseller and demand to be supplied with so many feet of the standard authors. The man who has not much money to spend, but who likes to ferret out for himself his treasures, having about him something of the book-grubber, is a much more interesting individual. He may waste many small quarters of an hour here and there in turning over semi-worthless volumes, but usually his mind is intellectually bent. He enjoys his occupation, and in the long run derives some profit from it. His time might perhaps be better spent, but before we throw stones at him let us see if there be no glass roof over our own heads. Industrious French authors have written books upon the pleasures of buying second-hand literature, and this would seem to show that the practice in Paris was a common one.

Nearly all the way on the quay, on the left bank of the river[the southern side], from the Pont St. Michel, near Notre Dame, down to the Pont Royal, maybe seen, on the parapet by the side of the river, boxes well filled with second-hand books. As a rule, these boxes are open from eight or nine o'clock in the morning till dusk.Passers-by may look at the wares thus exposed for sale; they may examine them with such knowledge as they possess ; and buy them or reject them as they choose. The market is fair and open. In nearly all cases the prices are marked in one way or the other; generally all the books in one box are to be sold at a stated price. The usual plan is to divide the volumes, according to their value,into boxes; and each box will contain books varying in price from 25c. to 3 francs. The books that are sold for 3f. and upwards are, as a rule, classed under the heading, "Prix divers," and the sum to be charged is or is not stated at the beginning or at he end of the work. No doubt much trash is here collected, but a little experience will soon enable one to make certain broad divisions between what may be of use and that which may be passed over without thought. Books that are at all expensive are rarely exposed for sale upon the quays. The best of those that are so sold will usually be found on the Quai Voltaire between the Pont Royal and the Pont des Saints Peres. Also on this quay, upon the other side of the road, there are bookstalls affixed to the house facing the river. 

Besides those on the quays, open stalls for the sale of second-hand books may be found in other parts of Paris, viz. Rue Volney, at the comer of the Rue de Daunou (there many English books are exposed for sale);Rue Chateaudun, in front of No.28; Rue Chateaudun, near where the Rue St.Georges comes into that street;Boulevard Haussmann, at the corner of the Rue du Helder; Rue Ste. Cecile, at the comer of the Faubourg Poissoniere;Rue de Rome,at the comer of the Rue St.Lazare; Rue de la Sorbonne;Rue St. Jacques, facing the College de France ; Place de la Sorbonne ; at one side of the Boulevard St. Michel;Rue Victor Cousin;Rue Soufflot;Rue Casimir Delavigne. There are doubtless many others, but among the above mentioned the ardent pilgrim will be able to find a reward for his labours.

Letter about Ian Fleming from his biographer.

Found in a copy of John Pearson's book and addressed to someone called Jeremy. Dated 30/10/70 from Knightsbridge. Pearson was a friend of Fleming and had been his assistant at the Sunday Times. The tone is friendly and urbane but very frank; it is important to record that John Pearson adds this postscript 'He did have a great sense of humour about himself which made it all tolerable...''

I have been thinking about what you said about Flem[ing] being sort of a rebel. You're right up to a point. He would certainly have agreed with you...As a pseudo-Marxist I would say he was at best -or worst - a phoney rebel. Whatever rebellion or rebelliousness he went in for began as a reaction against his money-grubbing family , his intolerable mother, his unbeatable brother and the memory of his impeccable father.

What is interesting about him is that the rebelliousness this produced never channelled into any political form at all although his teens coincided with the 1930s...He was far too narcissistic , too self-absorbed,too lonely to indulge in politics. There was also an extraordinary vein of caution or cowardice in him. He was not the man to kick against the system in any serious sense at all. He wanted money , social position , worldly success ; and his rebelliousness came from the feeling that these social goodies were being unjustly denied him - not that they were wrong in themselves.