Aussies celebrate Spike's genius

An Australian town Spike Milligan mocked as "God's waiting room" is to stage a week-long festival celebrating his genius.

Residents of the town of Woy Woy will even parade backwards through the streets, in tribute to the Goon song I'm Walking Backwards To Christmas.

Other activities in October's festival will include a comedy writers' workshop, an arts exhibition called Picasso According to Spike, and a six-hour Goon Show marathon.

In the Fifties, Milligan's parents and his brother Desmond moved to Woy Woy, a retirement town about 50 miles north of Sydney.

Local councillor Chris Holstein claimed Spike "made the name of Woy Woy synonymous with comedy worldwide".

He added: "He did say some outrageous things, like his famous remark about the town being the world's only above-ground cemetery."

Spike also found the community a twin town: itself. "Woy. A town twinned with Woy." And he pondered the meaning of its name. "Woy Woy. It's Aboriginal - means 'deep water'. But which Woy means 'deep', and which Woy means 'water'?"

The organisers, who include Spike's 76-year-old brother, Patrick, hope Spikefest will become an annual event.

And the town hopes eventually to erect a permanent monument to the comedy genius, who died last year of liver failure last year at 83.

Patrick told the Sydney Morning Herald: "As you'd expect, it's all pretty chaotic right now, but we'll get there."

Published: 25 Jun 2003