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| Spike Milligan statue unveiled in north London | Spike Milligan statue unveiled in north London |
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| No one, disappointingly, was dressed in a German helmet, battle dress, hobnailed boots and tutu at the unveiling of a new statue for one of Britain's most influential, funniest and unhinged comedians – Spike Milligan. | No one, disappointingly, was dressed in a German helmet, battle dress, hobnailed boots and tutu at the unveiling of a new statue for one of Britain's most influential, funniest and unhinged comedians – Spike Milligan. |
| "That really would have made my day," said Michael Parkinson, recalling the bizarre outfit Milligan once wore when they met on a TV set. | "That really would have made my day," said Michael Parkinson, recalling the bizarre outfit Milligan once wore when they met on a TV set. |
| There were plenty more stories as friends and admirers, famous and not so famous, gathered in north London for a statue that has taken 10 years to get made. | There were plenty more stories as friends and admirers, famous and not so famous, gathered in north London for a statue that has taken 10 years to get made. |
| The life-size bronze, by the artist John Somerville, shows Milligan sitting on a bench and turning to speak to whoever might be there. | The life-size bronze, by the artist John Somerville, shows Milligan sitting on a bench and turning to speak to whoever might be there. |
| "It should have a little mechanism in it that you sit down and it farts," said the Python turned film and opera director Terry Gilliam. | "It should have a little mechanism in it that you sit down and it farts," said the Python turned film and opera director Terry Gilliam. |
| He said he was hugely influenced by Milligan. "Oh come on! The police will be around to arrest me – I admit everything! | He said he was hugely influenced by Milligan. "Oh come on! The police will be around to arrest me – I admit everything! |
| "One of the reasons I came to England was I heard this thing on the radio called The Goon Show – I'd never heard anything like it. I thought: 'I want to go wherever that's coming from.'" | "One of the reasons I came to England was I heard this thing on the radio called The Goon Show – I'd never heard anything like it. I thought: 'I want to go wherever that's coming from.'" |
| There was lots of affection at the unveiling for Milligan, but also a general acknowledgement that he could be a difficult, cantankerous man. "You didn't know who you were going to be meeting, simple as that," said Gilliam. | There was lots of affection at the unveiling for Milligan, but also a general acknowledgement that he could be a difficult, cantankerous man. "You didn't know who you were going to be meeting, simple as that," said Gilliam. |
| Parkinson said Milligan was a boyhood hero of his. "He is responsible for my love of comedians, basically. He made me laugh more than anybody else as a kid growing up." | Parkinson said Milligan was a boyhood hero of his. "He is responsible for my love of comedians, basically. He made me laugh more than anybody else as a kid growing up." |
| He interviewed Milligan several times. "He was the only man, when booked for a show, there'd be a sense of trepidation because you'd never know, a) if he'd turn up, and b) what he would say." | He interviewed Milligan several times. "He was the only man, when booked for a show, there'd be a sense of trepidation because you'd never know, a) if he'd turn up, and b) what he would say." |
| Parkinson said there wasn't a single comedian at this year's Edinburgh Fringe who would not have been influenced by Milligan. | Parkinson said there wasn't a single comedian at this year's Edinburgh Fringe who would not have been influenced by Milligan. |
| He recalled recording a radio show for LBC once when an assistant came in to say there was a man downstairs calling himself Mr Spike Milligna and that he was a well-known typing error. | He recalled recording a radio show for LBC once when an assistant came in to say there was a man downstairs calling himself Mr Spike Milligna and that he was a well-known typing error. |
| Milligan was in his dressing gown, pyjamas and slippers and had turned up because he had heard the show and decided it was so bad be needed to liven it up. "He was indispensable, sometimes impossible and always glorious." | Milligan was in his dressing gown, pyjamas and slippers and had turned up because he had heard the show and decided it was so bad be needed to liven it up. "He was indispensable, sometimes impossible and always glorious." |
| Other guests at the ceremony included Maureen Lipman, Kathy Lette, Roy Hudd, Denis Norden, Jeffrey Holland and Neil Pearson. | |
| The statue is in the gardens of Stephens House in Finchley, the north London suburb that Milligan lived in for 19 years. He was president of the Finchley Society. | The statue is in the gardens of Stephens House in Finchley, the north London suburb that Milligan lived in for 19 years. He was president of the Finchley Society. |
| After his death in 2002, the society decided to honour a man who threw himself with some gusto into local community affairs. "He was active," said the society's chairman, David Smith. "He didn't just say 'use my name' he actually came to committee meetings ... He was very much with us. And he took it very seriously, he wasn't a Goon all of the time." | After his death in 2002, the society decided to honour a man who threw himself with some gusto into local community affairs. "He was active," said the society's chairman, David Smith. "He didn't just say 'use my name' he actually came to committee meetings ... He was very much with us. And he took it very seriously, he wasn't a Goon all of the time." |
| The statue has cost £60,000 and taken a long time to make happen. Barbara Warren, chair of the statue fund committee, first had the idea. It had, she said, been a long journey with mistakes, financial disasters and refused grant requests. | The statue has cost £60,000 and taken a long time to make happen. Barbara Warren, chair of the statue fund committee, first had the idea. It had, she said, been a long journey with mistakes, financial disasters and refused grant requests. |
| Finally, after too many fetes, quizzes, functions and dinners to mention, they reached the total and Milligan now joins a list of statue-honoured comedians that includes Eric Morecambe in Morecambe, Norman Wisdom on the Isle of Man and Stan Laurel, with Oliver Hardy, in Ulverston, Cumbria. | Finally, after too many fetes, quizzes, functions and dinners to mention, they reached the total and Milligan now joins a list of statue-honoured comedians that includes Eric Morecambe in Morecambe, Norman Wisdom on the Isle of Man and Stan Laurel, with Oliver Hardy, in Ulverston, Cumbria. |