Brian's Life to boost the BHF

We're delighted to have been chosen to benefit from the proceeds of a very special film screening taking place in Aberystwyth later this month.

It'll be the first time the Monty Python classic The Life of Brian (pictured right) has ever been shown in the town, since it was banned for being "blasphemous" when first released 30 years ago - a move also taken by other UK cities and towns at the time.

Two Python stars who appeared in the original film, Michael Palin and Terry Jones, are due to attend the screening, the profits of which will come to the BHF.

The screening is being made possible by Sue Jones-Davies, who played Brian’s girlfriend in the cult movie and is now mayor of the Welsh town.

She said: “It was actually a journalist who pointed out to me that the film had never been shown in Aberystwyth because of the ban.”

“We decided that we might as well go on with it and see if we could arrange a screening in Aberystwyth.“

The film was first banned because of its comical portrayal of Jesus and alleged blasphemy. It has since gone on to be voted the greatest comedy film of all time by Channel 4, The Guardian and many other film critics.

“I’m pretty sure the event is already a sell-out. Aberystwyth Arts Centre is a beautiful venue and there are only 120 places,“ Mrs Jones-Davies said. “It will be a great evening and it is about time the film was shown anyway.”

007 joins the fight against heart disease

He came up against many of the world's baddies in his time. But none of them was as formidable as his latest opponent - heart disease.

Now James Bond is taking on Britain's biggest killer as the family of 007 creator and author Ian Fleming, who sadly died of a heart attack in 1964, stages a series of fundraising events in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

The first of these events has just taken place in Kent, where more than £17,000 was raised at a charity golf day and auction at the Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich.

The Ian Fleming Centenary charity event celebrated the author’s life - he would have been 100 this year if he had survived. Ian Fleming played regularly at the Royal St George’s golf course and enjoyed his last game of golf at the club the day before he died, aged 56.

More than 38,000 people die prematurely of heart disease each year in the UK. The Fleming family put the event together to help us in our fight against this devastating disease.

After the day’s play, Ronnie Corbett (pictured above with the Fleming family) hosted a dinner which was attended by Bond Girl Tania Mallett, who played Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger.

The BHF spends over £100 of every minute of every day on vital heart research and they rely totally on donations of time and money to fund their work.

Sara Jane Woods, our Head of Community Fundraising, "We’d like to thank Lucy and Kate Fleming and all the people involved in the Ian Fleming Centenary golf day, who supported the BHF. They play an important role in the battle against heart disease."

What was your favourite James Bond 007 novel or film? Post a comment below and let us know!