Ties that Bond - Sir Sean Connery`s strange charity donation

When a charity landed Scotland’s greatest actor as its patron it imagined it had struck gold. The name and pulling power of Sir Sean Connery would help it raise thousands of pounds to aid its cause, report The Scotsman.

But the man who starred in Goldfinger as secret agent 007 has now turned into Dr No. Connery has declined to attend a fund-raising dinner that was given a James Bond theme in his honour.

And when asked to provide a donation, 73-year-old Connery sent a grey office-style tie for auction with no explanation of its significance.

The moves have left the High Blood Pressure Foundation puzzled and disappointed after Connery pledged to support their work when he took on the role four years ago.

They have now written to the actor asking him to provide another item for auction that would raise substantial amounts of money - or at least explain if the mysterious tie has a glamorous history that will inflate its value.

Other supporters have donated a ride in the speed boat used in a Bond film - worth an estimated £2,000 - a helicopter trip, a champagne dinner, a top-of-the-range sports car for the weekend and expensive jewellery.

Last year, the charity raised £12,000 and it is hoping to substantially top the amount on May 14.

The event will be held in the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Connery’s home city. To make it both profitable and memorable, organisers said they had spent considerable time planning the event down to the last martini and were disappointed that Connery had declined to attend.

Event organiser Pippa Macleod said the charity had written to Connery in good time and he had replied that he was unable to make it. She thought the film star was taking an "uncharitable" attitude.

"What’s the point of being a patron of the charity if you don’t come to an event like this?" she said. "The least he could do is turn up to the event. We’ve worked so hard putting a great evening together so it’s somewhat uncharitable for him not to put in an appearance.

"The idea with having a Bond theme night is that Connery would be the star guest."

Rosalind Newton, director of the charity which is based at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital, invited Connery to the event, which was only given a James Bond theme in his honour.

She admitted they were "disappointed" by Connery’s offering and were hoping he would send something else as well.

"Connery sent a tie to auction off. We were a bit disappointed by it to be honest so we’re going back to him to ask if he would consider sending something else - or at least tell us a bit about the tie - whether it’s got any glamorous history."

She said it was doubtful that he would come to the event, but they were still keeping their fingers crossed.

"He’s an incredibly busy man but it would be lovely if he could come. He’s said he won’t make it, but never say never."

Talking about Connery’s tie donation, Macleod said she had secured some exclusive presents to auction off at the end of the evening - including a trip in a speed boat used during the filming of From Russia With Love, champagne dinners and jewellery from top-drawer Edinburgh company Hamilton & Inches - but that she had been shocked when Connery’s offering came through the post.

"We were gobsmacked," she said. "It’s just a plain, old, grey office tie. There’s nothing special about it. I’m not quite sure how we’re going to auction it off.

"We’re currently trying to find out if there’s anything interesting about the tie - whether he wore it in a film or to a special event so we can tell bidders a bit about it. We’re looking at putting it in a photo frame and asking Sean for an autograph to try to make it an appealing gift."

More than 200 people will be asked to pay between £55 and £60 for a ticket to the ‘Thunderball’ evening.

The Bond-style invitations requests guests to dress as their favourite Bond character.

Martinis will be offered by ‘Bond Girl’ waitresses before dinner and while guests tuck into a four-course meal, Bond theme tunes will be played. Tables will be named after Bond movies and pictures from various Bond films will be beamed around the room.

A raffle and auction will be held after dinner in the hotel’s newly refurbished ballroom.

"It’s going to be a wonderful evening," Macleod said.

Connery was unavailable for comment yesterday.

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