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‘Sorted through an old chestful of grandfather’s papers … In the Shrewsbury and India days much evidence that he was quite a character “always looks as though he has done something wicked but never has” – school report from Shrewsbury.’ (April 15th, 1975)

‘In 1966 my parents, Edward “Ted” and Mary Palin, retired to a village just outside Southwold in Suffolk.’

With Ian Davidson at a Python rehearsal in the tank-top days, 1970.

Charity football and experimental beard, 1970.

Pythons at play, Germany, 1971.

Filming kamikaze Scotsmen at Norwich Castle, 1971. With Eric Idle and Hazel Pethig.

With ‘Auntie’ Eric. ‘The Cycling Tour’, Python, 1972.

‘Almost two years and nine months to the day since we shot our first feet of Python film, we were at Windsor to shoot what is probably our last: With Ian MacNaughton. (April 6th, 1972)

Helen’s mother and her grandsons, Willy and Tom, Abbotsley, 1972.

Helens sister, Cathy, with Tarquin at Abbotsley.

Helen attempts a circumcision, local fete, 1972.

Heyday of the flares. With Tom at home, 1973.

‘The longest day and my father’s three-quarter century’ My mother had baked him a cake in his house colours from Shrewsbury School (June 21st, 1975)

John turned to me and said “No”.’ The unconventional end of the ‘Dead Parrot’ sketch on my thirtieth birthday. (May 5th, 1973)

‘The first TV play written by Terry and myself … had been given a blaze of pre-publicity.’ The launch of Secrets. (August 14th, 1973)

‘How do you know he’s a producer? Hes the only one who hasn’t got shit all over him.’ Eric, myself (as Mud Eater) and Mark Forstater, Holy Grail, 1974.

‘First day of filming. Graham got vertigo… and Eric and I and John sat around listening to stories from the mountain rescue boys about how many people perish on the mountains each year.’ (The Holy Grail, April 30th, 1974)

‘How can you react without laughing to a broad Glaswegian accent saying “Of course I’m French, why do you think I am using this outrageous accent?”.’ (May 11th, 1974)

Graham as the lecturer, Terry G, Terry J and myself take up positions for the ‘Custard Pie’ sketch, 1975.

‘The Surprise Pie.’ Terry and myself at Drury Lane, 1975.

Monday, October 8th

On Saturday afternoon Thomas’s fifth birthday party. Twelve kids altogether.

Sunday spent playing with Thomas’s new toys and reading about the Arab-Israeli War, which had broken out that morning with all the inevitability of the sun rising. Took Thomas and Willy up onto Parliament Hill to try and fly his new kite. Heard someone describing to a group of friends some of the jokes from our second German show, which had gone out on BBC2 the night before. Couldn’t fly the kite. Packed it up, and walked home ignominiously.

In the evening Hazel and Andrew,1 Roger Last and Simon Albury round. We watched the start of a new Frost Programme series – it was about private education. It started such an animated discussion in the room that we soon ignored the telly and turned it off. Conversation at last killing the art of television.

First day of legal commercial radio. Very dull. Newsreader couldn’t read news properly.

Tuesday, October 23rd

At 5.00 into a quite eventful Python meeting. Everybody is present, tho’ Graham’s about half an hour late. This is the second of our ‘chase Gledhill’ meetings. Gledhill looks more relaxed and cooler than when I saw him at his Barbican flat a week ago. Then I thought he would crack up within a day or two. Now he seems more confident. He takes control from the start, and offers for discussion a number of fairly unimportant points. Do we want to appear on the Russell Harty Show? Everyone says no, apart from Graham. We are into royalties on the second record! £19 each. And who wants to go to Denmark for a two-day publicity trip?

Having cleared these out of the way there is discussion about the [Michael] Codron2 offer of six weeks, starting at Christmas, in the Comedy Theatre. Eric and John are very keen. Terry G less keen, myself