As campaign to erect a statue nears its fundraising target

Never-before-seen  images from the personal archive of the late Terry Jones are to be exhibited in his Colwyn Bay birthplace.

News of the show comes as a crowdfunder to erect a statue of the Monty Python comedian on the promenade has raised nearly £100,000 of its £120,000 target, with more than 1,000 fans contributing.

The Life Of Terry exhibition, opening at  Oriel Colwyn on December 10, is also part of the project

Most of the 100+ items on display have been lent by Terry’s family and the Monty Python archive. The focus is on Terry’s own personal photos and behind the scenes pictures from films and TV shows.

 Also included will be rarely-seen pages of Jones’s original notebooks, including his children’s stories and the film Labyrinth, alternative lyrics to Always Look On The Bright Side of Life, scribbled on pages from his original Life of Brian script, his hand-drawn storyboards for Monty Python’s 1981 film The Meaning of Life as well other notes and jottings from his career.

Curator  Paul Sampson said:’"I’ve been lucky to have had an amazing glimpse into Terry’s life whilst curating the exhibition from the many family, personal and career photographs in the family archive.

‘It has been a real pleasure to work through this treasure trove of photography, of which many of the images have never before been seen. By combining these photos with other items, memorabilia and ephemera from Terry’s film and TV shows, we have created a unique exhibition which allows us to share memories and stories with you from The Life Of Terry.

‘For fans of Monty Python and Terry’s writing and humour, this special exhibition is truly one not to be missed!’

Sally Jones, Terry’s daughter, who is working on the campaign alongside Conwy Arts Trust, said: ‘It’s lovely to get the opportunity to show some real gems from Dad’s archive. 

‘Since Dad passed, I’ve been sorting through all of his photos and papers and have been discovering little drawings, early versions of Python sketches and completely new material. 

‘I have been sharing some of these on Dad’s old Twitter/X account @PythonJones, but it’s not the same as seeing the real items themselves. ‘It’s fascinating to see the crossing out, scribbling over and crude cartoons bringing to life the stories and sketches that we all know and love.’

 The Life Of Terry exhibition will run from December 10 to February 1 and tickets will be £5.

Published: 13 Nov 2024