Fellow Agent: Mertsi Petenius, James Bond Club Finland

Mertsi Petenius

Fellow Agent of 007 Travelers:
Who: Mertsi Petenius, James Bond Club Finland
When: 7 January 2015

1. Please introduce yourself
My name is Mertsi Petenius, I'm 44-years old and I live in Hyvinkää, Finland. I'm the founder of James Bond Club Finland. I have been collecting autographs since 1997 and I'm specialized in Bond autographs. Member of ACAF (Autograph Collectors Against Fakes). Expert in Seiko´s Bond watches.

I have 24 years of experience in home renovation and house construction and have been working as a selling designer, but now because of health problems I work at home as a self-employed salesman.


2. How long have you been involved in your 007 activities and what do you want to tell us and other Fellow Agents about it?

I became a Bond fan in 1977 with The Spy Who Loved Me.
Just as Mr. Andreas Pott from James Bond Club Deutschland,  I had Bond movies on VHS tape and I watched them over and over again. Years passed quickly and after two cancers (skin cancer 2002 and cancerous tumor 2003), as well as atrial fibrillation (2012), I decided to make my dreams come true and meet the Bond actors and actresses and to focus more on Bond. On July 7th 2014, I found the James Bond Club Finland.

3. Have you ever met Bond stars? If you have who? 

Mertsi Petenius with Maryam d’Abo

I have met many Bond actors and actresses. All Bonds, Desmond Llewelyn, Dame Diana Rigg, Terence Mountain, Sylvana Henriques, Maud Adams, Britt Ekland, Anne Lönnberg, Kristina Wayborn, David & Tony Meyer, Jeremy Bulloch, Mary Stavin, Carole Ashby, Alison Papworth, Cheryl Anne, Safira Afzal, John Moreno, Jeroen Krabbé, Maryam d’Abo, Thomas Wheatley, Caroline Bliss, John Bowe, Glyn Baker, Frederick Warder, Femi Gardiner, Virginia Hey, Paul Weston, Robert Davi and many others.

Mertsi Petenius with the Bond girls Mary Stävin, Anne Lönnberg, Carole Ashby and Kristina Wayborn

  

If you have not, who do you want to meet the most?

I would really like to meet Sir Christopher Lee.

4. Your favorite Bond actor? (leading male role) Why?

Sir Roger Moore, because I grew up watching his Bond films.

 

5. Your favorite Bond film? Why?
"For Your Eyes Only" (1981). FYEO had its premiere in Finland on 21st August 1981.

At that time I was only ten years old, but I really wanted to see that movie but unfortunately the movie was suitable for 16-year-old and over. That evening, I decided that I will still try to get in so I went to the movie theater. I went to the ticket sales window and handed the money with trembling hands. The old lady sat inside the ticket booth, she took my money, smiled at me and handed me a ticket and wished me a pleasant movie experience.

You can imagine that I ran inside and sat in the seat quite quickly.

6. Which is the best place where you have traveled so far? Why?

Definitely the Greek Islands. I like diving without scuba diving equipment.
There are thousands of places where you can dive as Bond and Melina did, although they used the equipment. When diving there you will never know what kind of treasure you encounter.

7. Which is the place where you would like to visit but have not yet been? Why?

Bora Bora or Maldives. Do I really have to tell you why? :)

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