10/12/24 – 01/02/25

And now for something completely different… A new exhibition of never seen before ‘gems’ from the personal archive of the late Terry Jones, Monty Python member and Colwyn Bay’s most famous son.. 

Terry needs no introduction…but just in case – he was the Welsh one in Monty Python, that comedy collective who were famous for having their film, Life of Brian, banned in Aberystwyth. Born in Colwyn Bay, Terry was a proud Welshman, forever proclaiming his Welshness in an accent straight out of Surrey.

This new exhibition titled The Life Of Terry has being organised by Paul Sampson, Curator of Oriel Colwyn with the majority of exhibits being lent by Terry’s family and the Monty Python archive.

Paul Sampson, Curator, 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, TV and Monty Python shows, we have created a unique exhibition which allows us to share memories and stories with you, from The Life Of Terry.”

The family and Monty Python are lending over 100 photos and other items from their archives, with a focus on Terry’s own personal photos from throughout his career as well as behind the scenes photographs from the films and TV shows.

Also included will be rarely seen pages of Terry’s original notebooks, including alternative lyrics to Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, his own hand drawn storyboards for Monty Python’s 1981’ film The Meaning of Life, as well as original posters and other memorabilia.

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

The exhibition runs from 10th December 2024 to 1st February 2025.

Full exhibition opening days and visiting times will be available here soon.

Exhibition tickets are priced at £5, with an option to donate more towards a Statue appeal.

A Python On The Prom

The Life Of Terry exhibition is being run as part of the A Python On The Prom campaign. Asking for donations from fans around the world, the campaign’s aim is to raise a statue of Terry on the promenade of his hometown here in Colwyn Bay, and so far has raised nearly £100,000 of its £120,000 target, with over 1,000 individual donations.

The campaign is being run by the Conwy Arts Trust (CAT), in partnership with Terry’s family. The Trust was founded in 2013 to promote, maintain and advance education and an appreciation of the arts, across the county borough of Conwy, north Wales.

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, we’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. It’s fascinating to see the crossing out, scribbling over and crude cartoons bringing to life the sketches that we all know and love.”

Oriel Colwyn is housed within the same building as Theatr Colwyn, a place very close to Terry’s heart. His parents and grandparents performed there and Terry became Theatr Colwyn’s very first Patron. Our inaugural exhibition here at Oriel Colwyn included an early photo of Terry on Colwyn Bay beach age two and a half.

Terry and Paul met on many occasions when he came to help with fundraising efforts and special events and it is fitting that the campaign’s main logo image was created from a photograph taken by Paul on one of these meetings. 

Terry would’ve been the first to think a statue of himself was a silly notion, but secretly he would’ve been immensely proud that his hometown truly accepts him as a Welshman. The plan is for a life-size statue to sit on the Promenade, not on a plinth, but on the ground, amongst the beach goers, who can shake his hand or put an arm round him for a chat and a photo. Terry was always an approachable, affable man, so we think he would be happiest next to his beloved beach, back once again in his home town.

To donate to A Python On The Prom statue fundraiser, please visit:

www.GoFundMe.com/terryjonesstatue

To buy a campaign T-shirt and directly fund the statue, either visit Theatr Colwyn or purchase online via the link below:

https://a-python-on-the-prom.teemill.com