Statue of Monty Python's Terry Jones Unveiled in His Birthplace Colwyn Bay
Life-sized bronze sculpture depicting the 'organist' character from Flying Circus to be revealed on Saturday, with Sir Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam attending
Quick Look
- A life-sized bronze statue of Terry Jones will be unveiled in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, on Saturday, depicting him as the nude organist character from Monty Python's Flying Circus.
- The fundraising campaign raised £120,000 within six months, with support from celebrities including Emma Thompson, Steve Coogan and Eddie Izzard.
- Sir Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam will attend the unveiling of the sculpture created by sculptor Pete Elphick.
AI-generated summary
A statue commemorating the actor and writer Terry Jones will be unveiled in his birthplace this weekend. Jones, best known for his part in the British comedy troupe Monty Python, died in 2020 aged 77 from a rare form of dementia. His family backed a fundraising campaign to have him immortalised in bronze in Colwyn Bay as the nude organist, a recurring character played by Jones in Monty Python's Flying Circus TV show. Sir Michael and fellow Python Terry Gilliam will be at the unveiling of the statue overlooking Colwyn Bay beach in north Wales on Saturday. "I'm quite surprised because we're a bit of a diverse lot. Nobody ever agrees on anything really, apart from what's funny, and we were always quite good at that," said Sir Michael. Emma Thompson, Steve Coogan and Suzy Eddie Izzard were among the other celebrities who promoted the fundraising campaign, which attracted donations from around the world and hit its £120,000 target within six months. He said the most challenging aspect was representing a larger than life character while making sure his smile was "just right for the family". The life-sized sculpture shows the late star nude, wearing a flapping tie and with wild hair, grinning as he strikes the classic 'organist' pose. "I'm a perfectionist so I'm never happy, but I know that I've put my heart and soul into it," said Elphick. "I've done literally 15-hour days for nearly a year and a half now, so I'm hoping that people love him." Jones performed in, co-wrote and directed two Monty Python films: The Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life. He co-directed The Holy Grail with Gilliam and also co-wrote the series Ripping Yarns with Palin, who he first met at Oxford University. Sir Michael remembered: "Terry was the faster typist, so he would do most of the typing. And come to think of it, he also made the coffee depending where we were working." He said Jones "would be the last person in the world to want a statue of him" but would "make an exception" for this design as "I think he'd find it very funny indeed".
