Goldfinger's house in London

Somewhere in the last two days, the James Bond author Ian Fleming was mentioned as there is talk a play or television programme (I cannot recall as I got distracted) about his wartime exploits. None of this made me think of James Bond or Ian Fleming however it did make me think of Goldfinger. No not that one, the real one where the name came from. 

Erno Goldfinger was an architect and a big player in the Modernist movement. Most of his designs are for residential tower blocks - Trellick Tower perhaps being the most famous. There is however a terrace of three houses in Hampstead, 2 Willow Road being the one he and his family resided in. 

I could have quite easily walked there as it is only just over a mile away but I decided to cycle, taking my Brompton Electric on a longer adventure. 

Number 1 and 3 are private residences and they must get frustrated at chaps like me on an Orange Brompton taking photos. In fact when I arrived there was already a couple of people doing the same (although not on a Brompton). 

In 1936 Goldfinger's original idea was to build some flats but this was rejected. This was changed to the current three houses. A few rather quaint Victorian cottages needed to be bulldozed to make way for Goldfinger's design and met with fierce opposition by the locals. One of these was none other than Ian Fleming. As he was not a fan of Goldfinger's architecture, the destruction of the Victorian cottages and Goldfinger as a person, he named perhaps his most famous villain after him and Auric Goldfinger was born. 

Perhaps a more realistic version, bearing in mind that Fleming had lived in the area for a short amount of time when he was two-years-old, was that Fleming played a round of golf with an acquaintance of Goldfinger's wife. Fleming liked the name and thought it would be great to name the villain of his next book.

Naturally, the real Goldfinger consulted his legal people. Goldfinger was well know to be quite humourless and possessing a short fuse. He had a reputation of dismissing assistants if they were jocular. (I wouldn't have lasted five minutes)! I do however appreciated his designs and I do like them. 

Goldfinger's 2 Willow Road now a Grade II listed property and you can visit it at certain times of the year. Well worth a visit, if that is your sort of thing. 

As I cycled back I could not help but hum the theme to 'Goldfinger.' I fancy I could almost hear someone shouting, 'your fired!' in the distance! Until next time, stay safe out there people!