The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Tribute paid to by 007’s official
When the production team of the 1982 Bond film Octopussy needed help with turbans they called on
APeterborough grandfather who became the official turban tier for James Bond has paid tribute to Sir Roger Moore.
Del Singh was a teenager when the producers of Octopussy - starring Sir Roger as 007 - called him up to help them during a shoot at Nene Valley Railway in 1982.
Sir Roger died last week following a short battle with cancer.
The production team on the Bond film needed help with tying turbans for villain Gobinda, played by Kabir Bedi, and they contacted Del and brother David to help, allowing the pair to be on set for four weeks.
Following the death of Sir Roger, Del (54), of Eastfield Road, said: “He was a really nice man. We had some lovely banter during the time there. He did not take himself too seriously, and did not have an ego.”
Del’s time on set came about while he was working as a DJ. He said: “I was 19-years-old and about to go off to college.
“My brother and I used to run a mobile disco. It was when Queensgate was being built, so there were a few boards about, and I have to admit we broke the law on a couple of occasions and did a bit of fly-posting.
“We got a call on the phone, a bolt out of the blue, with someone asking if I was a Sikh, and if I wore a turban. I didn’t know if it was a wind up, or someone trying to book the disco - but I asked what relevance it was if I was a Sikh.
“They said they were from Eon Studios filming the next James Bond film in the area, and they needed some help.
“It wasn’t well known at the time that they were filming, so we still were not sure if it was a wind up. We were asked to go to the hotel at Thorpe Wood - I think it was the Marriott at the time. They took us up to the top floor, which they had fully taken over - and then we saw Roger Moore in the corner. Then we knew it was real.
“Kabir Bedi, who was playing the villain came over. He said he did not normally wear a turban, and needed to know how to do it.
“They showed us the turban they had from when they were filming in India, and said it kept coming off.
“We had brought a proper one - my school turban, and we showed them that. Ours was so much bigger - there’s looked like a bath towel.
“They said they needed one of us on set to tie the turban every day, and offered £50 a day - but we said we only come as a pair.
“They agreed, and also bought three of four turbans from us.
“We went down to the shot at Nene Valley. There were a lot of extras there who were at the back of shot, but we had access all areas. Kabir said we could use his trailer, and often Roger would be sitting outside with a cigar.
“I was a big Bond fan - the first film I saw at the cinema was Goldfinger, and I was a big movie fan as well.
“We spoke about Richard Burton, and he told us some wonderful tales.
“He said Burton was a real great actor - while he had only made it because of his eyebrows.
“We had a great laugh. He had such a dry sense of humour. No-one would stop us