A CALDICOT man is delighted to have won an Argus competition to attend today's charity premiere of the new 007 film Die Another Day.

For John Rogers, 37, of Longcroft Road, Caldicot, is a Bond aficionado, and will view the film tonight at Newport's UGC Cinema.

He has been fascinated by Bond for nearly 30 years and has built up an impressive collection of memorabilia.

He owns all the original film posters, which he has framed, every Ian Fleming novel, including a first edition of Dr No, a video of every film (he watches at least one Bond film a week), model cars and an autograph of the late Newport-born Desmond Llewelyn, who played the gadgets boffin Q.

Mr Rogers said: "I was lucky enough to meet him in Newport when he was signing his autobiography, just before he tragically died.

"It was only a brief meeting, but he was completely charming - a real gentleman." Mr Rogers first became hooked on Bond in 1973, as an eight-year-old, when he saw Roger Moore make his 007 debut in Live and Let Die.

He said: "I've always loved the Bond films - the stories, the stunts, the production and the way they always try to outdo each other every time.

"Roger Moore is my favourite Bond because he's the one I grew up with."

Mr Rogers lists Timothy Dalton's The Living Daylights as his favourite Bond film of all time: "I saw it 12 times in the cinema," he confesses.

Roger Moore's Octopussy and Sean Connery's return in 1983 to remake Never Say Never Again are in his all-time top three.

He added: "Donald Pleasance's Blofeld has always been my favourite, and I thought Gert Froebe was good as Goldfinger."

And who does he think should play 007 if Pierce Brosnan decides to hang up his tuxedo?

He said: "That's a very good question. Jason Durr, who stars in Heartbeat, is a candidate, and I think Ralph Fiennes would be good."

Mr Rogers will be hoping to add Honor Blackman's autograph to his collection tonight, when the former Bond girl who played Pussy Galore in Goldfinger appears at the premiere at the UGC cinema, Newport Retail Park.

The event will raise funds for the first Medicinemain the United Kingdom outside London, proposed for the South Gwent Children's Centre, to be built at High Cross.

Miss Blackman is patron of the Medicinema charity, which brings cinema to patients in hospital. Two of the Stereophonics, Richard and Kelly Jones, will also attend. Our picture shows an action scene from the new film.

Other lucky winners: Winners of tickets to the new Bond film, Die Another Day, are: S B Griffiths, Ridgeway Avenue, Newport; S Roberts, Two Locks Road, Cwmbran; Royston Jones, Worcester Close, Llanyravon;Laurence Owen, Shetland Close, Newport.