Boyle said he had chosen beaches because they were “dramatic, unruly, democratic” places where “nobody rules but the tide”.
“I was absolutely, desperately keen to do this,” said Boyle, whose previous act of national commemoration was the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
“My involvement in it would have been slightly compromised by [the Bond] workload.
[The opening ceremony] taught me a lesson about how much people want to contribute if they are given a chance.”