Stunts and Explosions in Milwall Docks!
David Williams has reported that on Friday morning and afternoon, some amazing stunts were filmed in Milwall Docks, in the East end of London. When I spoke to Simon Crane (stunt co-ordinator) on Tuesday, he told me about the stunts and what they were planning to do (to see the full article, click here). Unfortunately I was unable to make it, but here is David Williams who was there to tell the tale. Over to you, Dave.
  • "Firstly, they shot a sequence where the C-G boat, 'Q' boat and the two

    • police launches race out from under a footbridge over the dock entrance. Then
    they filmed the two police launches racing up to another bridge which is too
    low for them to get through (presumably the 'Q' boat goes through). Then the
    crew set up the first stunt, a barrel-roll over the Cigar Girls boat. After
    a practice run-up, Gary Powell performed the stunt flawlessly to a round of
    cheers and applause from the crowd. After lunch they reversed the direction
    of the ramp and re-position the slightly damaged C-G boat broadside. On his
    only run (due in part to appalling weather) Gary again performed
    faultlessly, sailing the little 'Q' boat over the SunSeeker, knocking off
    another piece of the superstructure.
    I managed to meet Vic Armstrong, who told me the best position to film the
    barrel roll from, and also Patricia O'Reilly, the Assistant Publicist,
    introduced herself to me. EON are aware of my pictures and were wondering if
    they had a 'mole' in their company, since I always seem to catch them
    filming. They underestimate the tenacity of us Bond fans! She was very
    friendly, and kept talking to me over the course of the day.
    When the film comes out, look out for her. She is the lady watching the
    police launches pass by and then gets drenched as they swing their boats
    around!

    All in all, an excellent day.

Setting off the charges
Throughout last week and at the start of this week, the residents of Milwall Docks, a newly built residential complex in the centre of the Isle Of Dogs, have had to put up with noisy speedboats, machine gun fire, and now explosions... but all in the name of entertainment!

 
On Sunday 25th April, the 2nd Unit continued to set off explosive charges in Milwall Docks. The explosions, which are supposed to represent the mortars firing on the rear of the Cigar Girl's SunSeeker, were engineered using special underwater charges which produced a vast tower of spray upon detonation (right).

The scenes involved Sarah Donohue (Maria Grazia Cucinotta's Boat Double), who piloted the SunSeeker while the explosions went on around her, and the brave Wade Eastwood, who was behind the wheel of the Q Boat, even closer to the explosions!
The jets of water produced by the detonating of the charges have been reported to be in excess of 60 ft in height, and following the advice of an animal welfare group, the crew cleared the area of fish using a sonic underwater device. Inevitably, though, there were a few casualties.
More recently, the film crew have finished their work at Milwall Docks, but they didn't go out without a bang.
The picture, right, taken by David Williams, hints at the devastation the destructive Cigar Girl will be causing in the film.

Of course, all explosions created at Milwall Docks were under the close control of explosive experts and pyrotechnicians, and members of the fire brigade were on standby nearby. Members of the public were not allowed anywhere near the set, but DJ Williams nevertheless managed to get a good view of all the explosions.
Barge Goes Boom in Docks
London- 6th May. The Bond crew got a real blast from this one. Thanks to David Williams, we have exclusive pictures of the explosive afternoon at Royal Victoria Docks, near London City Airport.

There has been little action on the Thames recently and this latest action is a welcome surprise. DJ descended upon the area after receiving a tip-off, and after meeting up with old friends, walked right into the middle of the unit. "Watch out- It's the Mafia" joked Barry the bus driver, when he spotted David and friends. Barry the bus driver was the first chap I met on the set when I visited the crew at the Millennium Dome. I'll try to get a photo of him.
Anyway, the Wyvenhoe, an old Thames Sailing Barge, moved out into the middle of the docks, and after hours of preparations, a sequence was filmed where the Q Boat chases the Cigar Girl's boat right past the Wyvenhoe. Unfortunately, the barge gets caught in the crossfire, as you can see in the pictures to the right.

Thanks to DJ Williams for the story and photos.

The Wyvenhoe before the destruction

The explosion- the boat is blown in half by the Cigar-girl's mortars.
 

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