The Man With the Goldeneye

Film stills photographer Keith Hamshere describes how he came to enter the world of James Bond

- Keith Hamshere

The summer of 1976 had been a quiet time in the British film industry and UK cinema admissions were falling massively - they'd plummeted to 103 million from an earlier all-time high of 1.6 billion. Set against this backdrop was little old me, self-employed with a young family and a mortgage. I was always very anxious when I didn't have my next job lined up and this was one of the most anxious times as I'd been out of work for several weeks after a holiday in Devon.

Every time the phone rang, I jumped up hoping it was word about a job, but invariably it would be a neighbour or friend calling about something quite inconsequential.

It got to the point I thought I might never work again.

However, then came one call that changed my life forever. A lovely woman named Golda Offenheim was at the other end of the phone; she was a production secretary and coordinator of some note, and a really lovely person, too. "Keith? Derek Meddings suggested you might come and help us as we need some plates photographing" "OK," I answered, "and where are you working?"

"At the moment I'm standing near Love Beach in the Bahamas," she replied.

I think I'd already packed my bags and was on my way to the airport before she'd finished talking. Not only was it to end the temporary drought of work I found myself in, the film was The Spy Who Loved Me and marked my first contact with the world of 007 and Eon Productions.