Over the course of twelve novels and two collections of short stories, Fleming provided a number of details relating to M's background and character. In "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" it is revealed that M's pay as head of the Secret Service is £6,500 a year, (£ in pounds) £1,500 of which comes from retired naval pay. Although his pay is good for the 1950s and 1960s, it is never explained how M received or can afford his membership at Blades, an upscale private club for gentlemen he frequents in London to gamble and dine. Blades has a restricted membership of only 200 gentlemen and all must be able to show £100,000 (£ in pounds) in cash or gilt-edged securities. Kingsley Amis noted in his study, "The James Bond Dossier", that on M's salary his membership of the club would have been puzzling. As a personal favour to M, the staff at Blades keeps a supply of cheap red wine from Algeria on hand but does not include it on the wine list. M refers to it as "Infuriator" and tends only to drink it in moderate quantities unless he is in a very bad mood.