Ian Fleming (28th May 1908 to 12th August 1964)

Ian was an English author, journalist and naval intelligence officer. He came from a wealthy family connected to a merchant bank and his father was a Member of Parliament for Henley until his death on the Western Front in 1917.

He had a top-notch education at Eton, Sandhurst and the universities of Munich and Geneva. In the World War 2 he worked for the Naval Intelligence Division. At 44 he wrote Casino Royale, in 1952 and its roaring success turned him into the author of James Bond. Like his hero Ian conquered the world - who hasn’t heard of James Bond?

There could have been more books but Fleming was a drinker and a boozer (in most photos he’s smoking.) He had his first heart attack at 53. Three years later while staying at a hotel in Canterbury, he walked to the golf club for a meal with friends then returned to his hotel feeling tired. He collapsed with another heart attack. A man of manners he apologised to the ambulance men for being such an inconvenience saying "I am sorry to trouble you chaps. I don't know how you get along so fast with the traffic on the roads these days. He died the next day on his son Caspars twelfth birthday and was buried in the churchyard of Sevenhampton village, near Swindon (see photo below.)

In October 1975, Fleming's son Caspar committed suicide at just 23 by drug overdose and was buried with his father. Fleming's widow died in 1981 and was buried with her husband and their son.

Here I am outside Ian's home in Belgravia. It had been raining and I had about fifteen minutes to run across Hyde Park back to the coach. I just had to stop and take a photo.