Basingstoke news and sport from the Basingstoke Gazette

The name's Bond, James Bond . . .

From the archive, first published Tuesday 30th Jan 2007.

MARTINIS, girls and guns were the order of the evening at the White Hart in Penton Mewsey on Saturday as local man Paul Funnell celebrated his 40th birthday in true Bond style with a Casino Royale-themed fundraising party.

Over £2,000 was raised for Naomi House and Smile 4 Rich, a charity that raises funds for the Wessex Neurological Centre Trust.

Organisers Rick Frost, Paul Funnell and Saul Clayton, used a (Golden)eye for detail and decked the venue out with a Vesper vodka and cocktail ice bar - named after 007's latest tipple - poker and blackjack tables as well as a selection of treats Q would have been proud of.

A trio of Aston Martins, including the latest V8 Vantage, a DB9 and a classic DB5 which was actually used in one of the films, ferried those with a licence to be thrilled up the A303 for a donation.

Mr Clayton, manager of the pub, said: "It couldn't have gone much better, it's the biggest event this pub has seen and it went really well.

"Everyone had a great time and we raised a lot of money for some worthwhile charities."