Southampton Bond wannabes in Double O Heaven - 18 October 2006
London may be home to James Bond, the nation’s iconic secret agent, but new research by Yellow Pages directories reveals Southampton as Britain’s best place to be a DIY Spy*.As Bond fever looks set to sweep the nation with the launch of the eagerly awaited Casino Royale, Yellow Pages has identified the top ten locations outside the Capital for aspiring secret agents. Researchers calculated which areas across Britain had the most spy related businesses - from Vintage & Classic Car Hire for that all important Aston Martin to Diving Schools & Instructors or Flying Schools to plan the perfect getaway.
While the research revealed Southampton as the most likely place to harbour new Bond Daniel Craig’s successor, the seafaring city isn’t the only location with a license to thrill. Leeds, Coventry, Exeter and Plymouth all make it into the ‘Spy Catcher’ top ten. North of the Border DIY spies should avoid espionage-free Fife & Kinross, which came bottom out of the 89 areas studied.
Shrewsbury has cracked it when it comes to ‘Safe & Vault Equipment’ boasting the most suppliers in Britain whilst Plymouth comes out on top for ‘Introduction Agencies’ proving it could be THE place to find that femme fatale. Scotland is also strongly represented with The Highlands & Islands proving to be a great place to hide out as they are number one ranked in three of the 15 classifications – ‘Boat Hire’, ‘Diving Schools & Instructors’ and ‘Government Agencies’.
| Rank | Top Ten Bond Wannabe Hotspots |
| 1 | Southampton |
| 2 | Leeds |
| 3 | Guildford |
| 4 | Exeter |
| 5 | Coventry |
| 6 | Shrewsbury |
| 7 | Gatwick area |
| 8 | Plymouth/East Conrnwall |
| 9 | High Wycombe & Aylesbury |
| 10 | Maidstone |
| Rank | Classification analysed | For the following Bond Essentials... |
| 1 | Boat Hire | Speedboat |
| 2 | Vintage & Classic Car Hire | Aston Martin |
| 3 | Casinos | Glamorous hang out |
| 4 | Clay Pigeon Shoots & Rifle Ranges | Licence to Kill |
| 5 | Clothes hire - Men's | Tuxedo |
| 6 | Wine & Spirit Importers | Martini, shaken not stirred |
| 7 | Secretarial Services | Miss Moneypenny |
| 8 | Burglar Alarms & Security Systems | Q |
| 9 | Detective Agencies | A 'Felix Leiter' style sidekick |
| 10 | Government Offices | M's HQ |
| 11 | Flying Schools | Pilot Licence |
| 12 | Introduction Agencies | A glamorous femme fatale |
| 13 | Martial Arts | Block your way out of trouble |
| 14 | Safe & Vault Equipment | For top secret documents |
| 15 | Diving Schools & Equipment | Underwater surveillance |
Commenting on the analysis, Richard Duggleby, head of external relations at Yell, publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said: “Our research shows you don’t need a ‘Q’ to get you kitted out, wannabe Bonds simply need to arm themselves with a copy of Yellow Pages!”
Ajay Chowdhury, Editor of the magazine of the International James Bond Fan Club added: "There’s a 007 in all of us and the Yellow Pages research shows there are a huge number of businesses to help you get your licence to thrill. From learning to fly to donning a tux or hiring a dinghy it has never been easier to step into Bonds shoes. Daniel Craig had better watch out – he could soon be facing stiff competition from some unlikely sources!"
* Researchers ranked the number of businesses listed under 15 spy related classifications across 89 Yellow Pages directories and then divided them by each directory’s distribution to identify the area with the most 007 businesses or services per capita. The research excludes all twelve Greater London directories.
