Palin reflects on friendship with Python Terry Jones

Sir Michael and Terry Jones were friends for decades after meeting at Oxford University

Reflecting on the latter years of his friendship with Terry Jones, Sir Michael Palin says that even as dementia took many things from his Monty Python co-star, his humour remained.

"Towards the end, he would just chuckle," he said. "He would have a really good chuckle at things I'd read him.

"The thing he'd really laugh at was the material he'd written rather than what I'd written."

The pair met at Oxford University in the early 1960s, with Jones reading English language and literature at St Edmund Hall, a year ahead of Sir Michael, who read history at Brasenose.

Sir Michael said he was initially impressed from afar by Jones' acting.

Terry Jones appeared as Mr Creosote with John Cleese in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

Speaking to Radio Berkshire ahead of a special show at Reading's Hexagon theatre reflecting on Jones' life and legacy, he said: "He was very good physical actor, amazing. he used his body really well.

"I thought, 'One day I might be like that'."

Jones was an "extremely warm and lovely person to be with", he said, adding: "So began a friendship that lasted throughout the rest of Terry's life."

The pair were spotted by Sir David Frost when they took a show to the Edinburgh Festival and joined his Frost Report programme. Monty Python and stardom followed.

Jones' legacy goes beyond just Monty Python. Among other things, he directed Personal Services, which starred Julie Walters, and was the screenwriter for Labyrinth, starring David Bowie.

Sir Michael (centre) and Jones (right) pictured with Terry Gilliam (left) on the opening night of Monty Python Live (Mostly) at London's O2 in July 2014

But it became clear that Jones' health was fading when Python reunited for shows at London's O2 in 2014.

"He was always spot on but he found that he could no longer memorise lines absolutely – he had to have things written down in front of him," said Sir Michael.

"But he was still very funny and still the loveable Terry that we all knew.

"I realised from that moment on, Terry would never be able to do all of the things that he did so well during his life.

"It was very sad to see this particular form of dementia – frontotemporal dementia – which actually attacked his writing and his reading and all the things that Terry really loved.

"That was the worst thing, seeing Terry being able to react less and less and being able to contribute less and less."

Jones died in February 2020, aged 77. With the Covid pandemic looming, celebrating him became more difficult.

But on 15 November in Reading, Sir Michael will also introduce a special screening of Monty Python's Life of Brian from 15:30 GMT.

A conversation with Sanjeev Bhaskhar about Jones will follow at 19:30.

Jones' life will be celebrated at the Hexagon in Reading on 15 November

Sir Michael said that until the last, his friend remained determined and steadfast.

"People came to see Terry – he was much loved," he said. "I remember Barry Cryer was there around the table and we had lunch with Terry.

"Terry got up and said, 'I'm going for my walk now'. and I knew that Terry's walk was something very important to him at that time. Although his mind was not great, physically he could walk very fast indeed.

"And Barry said: 'I will come along'. We said to Barry: 'Don't, don't, just let him go on his own' and Barry said: 'No, he'll need my help'.

"And they just set off. Within seconds, Terry was way ahead. Barry was floundering.

"And he said, eventually, he lost track of Terry, couldn't see him anywhere. [Cryer said] 'I slid down into a patch of mud and I just had to wander through the woods of Hampstead Heath asking people if they had seen Terry Jones'.

"It was two of the great people in my life enjoying a moment of confusion."

Robert Ross, the author of Seriously Silly: The Life of Terry Jones, will be talking to BBC Radio Berkshire's Kirsten O'Brien on Tuesday from about 11:10 GMT