Monty Python enthusiasts now have a playful tradition: rubbing the backside of a new bronze statue honoring the late Terry Jones for good luck. The sculpture, depicting Jones as the nude organist from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, stands proudly in his hometown of Colwyn Bay, north Wales.
Unveiling Ceremony Draws Crowds
The statue received its official unveiling on Saturday, drawing thousands of fans. Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, fellow Monty Python members, led the crowd in singing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from the 1979 film Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Palin and Gilliam became the first to touch the statue’s backside, joined by longtime collaborator Carol Cleveland.
Sally Jones, daughter of the comedian who passed away in 2020, invited fans to interact with the artwork. “People can come and sit down on the bench next to him. They can put their hands on the piano. They can see every element of the statue. And hopefully people will enjoy it and possibly rub his bum for luck,” she stated.
Michael Palin praised the statue, expressing hope that his friend’s “wonderfully generous bottom” becomes “an emblem of the town he loved so much.” He described Jones as “loyal,” “funny,” and “bright,” highlighting his many virtues.
Funding and Creation Details
Fans worldwide funded the project, raising over £120,000. Other Monty Python stars—John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Terry Gilliam—backed the effort, alongside actors Emma Thompson, Steve Coogan, and Suzy Eddie Izzard. Sculptor Nick Elphick from nearby Llandudno crafted the piece in consultation with Jones’s family.
Elphick aimed for an accurate smile, testing ten facial expressions before finalizing the design. “I hope rubbing his bum for luck will become a new tradition,” he said. “I hope I have done him justice. I feel like I’m the luckiest sculptor ever, a little bit of being in the right place, at the right time, to bring Terry Jones back to north Wales.”
Terry Jones’s Legacy in Colwyn Bay
Born in Colwyn Bay, Jones left at age five but maintained strong ties to the area. He served as patron of Theatre Colwyn and supported its 2011 renovation. The family chose the nude organist pose to avoid a “boring” portrayal, hoping the statue comforts those affected by dementia, the rare form that claimed Jones at age 77.
Jones co-wrote and directed films like Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) and The Meaning of Life (1983), co-directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) with Gilliam, and collaborated with Palin on TV series Ripping Yarns.
Dilwyn Price, chairman of Conwy Arts Trust, noted: “Conwy Arts Trust have been privileged to be partners in this exciting project to pay tribute to the acclaimed actor, author and historian, who never forgot his Welsh heritage and especially his Colwyn Bay and Old Colwyn roots. The inspirational statue will be a lasting testimony to Terry Jones and a reminder to everyone who sees the statue that we have not forgotten him.”
