| Want to be the next James Bond? | - For a taster of real-life spy training, look at our gallery IN PICTURES.
|
Cambridge has always been a hotbed of academia, but in the 1920s its ivory towers were busy nurturing the spies and double agents of the future. The days of cold war double-cross are long gone, replaced by the all-action antics of James Bond and Spooks. Eager to model ourselves as the Cambridge spies of the future, we took a trip to spy camp to get the low-down on the necessary skills...
 | | Participants assume the position... |
Just across the Cambridgeshire border lies Spy Games, a company made up of frighteningly fit men and women for whom the terms 'deadly force' and 'licence to kill' are a way of life. They offered to train us in the skills necessary to survive an average day at the BBC - evasive driving, sniper firing, self-defence and espionage... Arriving bright and early at Spy Games' off-the-beaten-track HQ, we surveyed the scene with more than a touch of trepidation and tummies a-flutter with butterflies. Chicken wire, dust and pre-fabs met our eyes, a scene interrupted only by the sudden banshee-like screech of rubber on road (the delights of which we were soon to discover). We made our way forward armed only with a camera, a recorder and a (nervous) smile. Friendly faces and hot tea calmed the nerves before... bang! safety talk over, we had to hotfoot it over the racetrack (source of the screeching!), mindful of the revving engines, and hop straight into a chevvy-chasing car. Helmet firmly in place, instructions in head (well, sort of) and machine gun precariously balanced on quaking knees, we put pedal to the metal and like men possessed, roared through the chicanes to the waiting target.
 | | Don't miss that target, now! |
Forcing open the car door, engine still running, we fired off shots before slamming the door shut again, reversing at full speed, skidding around the corner and coming to a breathless halt. And this was just the beginning. Finding a spot in the car park at work will not be a problem now we have mastered such skills! Next, it was off to another car, another helmet, another deadly weapon and yet another breathless ride. "We go up here, round this, round that, right up to the target. Full speed, we're on a mission. Take the safety catch off, shoot and hit the target, safety catch back on (do NOT hand the gun back to me if you haven't put the safety back on). Then reverse hard, through here, round this and get across the finish line fast..." were the words issued by our forces-trained instructor. Easy, eh? So, screaming through the course at full tilt we figured that we could handle the breakneck speeds of the Monaco bends (favoured spy hang-out) - the instructor casually informed us with a wry smile, that we weren't "driving Miss Daisy" and would we mind putting our foot down next time!
 | | Take aim... and fire! |
Then, without pausing for thought (or tea) it was off to the shooting range to test our target-practice skills. With the butt of a sniper rifle nestling hard against our shoulders, we lay on the ground finding the target in our sights. "Get the target in your eye-line and gently squeeze," was the instruction which, when followed would have worked perfectly… But, could we shoot straight? Let's just say that one of us acquitted herself brilliantly and the other was as blind as a bat, leaving the cleanest darn target ever… completely bullet-free and very handy for the next person to use! Following an ambush/seek and destroy mission which had us rolling on the grass, shooting from the hip and spraying bullets far and wide, we went on to burn some serious rubber. This experience could scar you for life - you'll never look at the A14 in the same way again! Strapped in and helmeted up, instructor by our side, we were taught the rudiments of J-turns. Fast and furious and not for the faint-hearted, J-turns are a case of "Go! Go! Go! Come on. Speed up. Turn. Turn. TURNNNNN! Stop!!!" At full throttle, we reversed like mad until told to 'turn'… failure to do exactly what the instructor said would run the risk of crashing full pelt into the barrier… and that would probably hurt, we were informed. So, we got to thrash the guts out of a car with screaming banshee brakes, thick clouds of smoke and a grin as wide as Christmas - J-turns rule! Spy Games' instructors are all experienced surveillance operatives, who have worked both in this country and abroad. They are constantly on hand to assist and ensure that the whole experience is safe and unforgettable - even for speed demon trigger-happy BBC operatives! Take a look at the spy gallery in our In Pictures section... |
