Hello people of BSG.
My wife told me last week about a friend who met up with Michael Palin for an interview in Ireland around the time he did Around the World in 80 days. It's a great story but since telling it it seems some of the detail may not be quite as she remembers, particularly with reference to the locations of the Meaning of Life (Every Sperm is Sacred) which she thought was filmed in a nearby street.
Anyway, with permission from the person concerned to reproduce her emails, here is the tale in her own words. If you can answer her queries, please post below.
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The Michael Palin interview was for ''Radio Moyle" which was in Larne in Northern Ireland. Michael Palin used to go over to Belfast every other year to do his "500 plus One Man Show" as part of the Queens University Festival.
Anyway, I went to see the show one night and sent a letter backstage to him to ask if there was any chance of doing a ''short'' interview for the Hospital Radio group that I worked with which I could use as a feature on my show. I put my home number on it and thought that I might get a phone call from an assistant the next day.... . unfortunately he was given the letter at the interval - so he came on stage for the second half with my letter in his hand. The girl I was with absolutely died when he read out my name... I was SO embarrassed. He took the mickey a bit (it was on my new headed notepaper which i had done as I had just got my degree so he read it out and when he said "BA Hons", all the students booed - and so did he!!!). But he then said "see me afterwards" .. so that was okay.
At the end we went to the stage door and waited and waited... and then they locked up. It turned out that he doesn''t try to avoid the fans the way most of the artistes do - he goes in and out of the front door - so we missed him!!!! I was gutted. However, next morning, I got a call - FROM HIM!!!!! He said he'd arranged half an hour at 10.30 that morning - could I make it? I said I'd do my best. Then he gave me the number of the festival organiser's office which is where he would be just before 10.30 and if I wasn't able to get there on time to let him know there.
Well, somebody up there just hated me cos I was at my home in Larne which is about 30 miles from Belfast - and I don't drive and when I checked public transport I found I couldn't get there before lunchtime.. So, practically in tears, I rang the number at 10.30 and said thanks for fitting me in, but I can't get there. He was SO nice - and then he said not to worry - as i hadn't turned up he took it that I couldn't get there that early so he's arranged ANOTHER time to fit me in - between his dinner that evening and his second show - could I make it for then? COULD I JUST?????
At 6.15 I turned up at the hotel, recorder in hand, and he came tearing in from his jog round the city, we went upstairs to his room, he offered me a drink (and then realised he didn't know how to open the bar!!) and then we did nearly an hour chatting about his various shows, etc. Just to show how long ago this was - it was the year they televised Around the World in 80 Days (his FIRST travel programme!), so he talked a bit about that. I've never met a 'celebrity' who was so incredibly nice - especially since he wasn't getting anything out of it - no pay, no publicity, nothing. AND to reorganise his schedule TWICE for me was so amazing. I am SUCH a massive fan (not surprisingly)...
When we first moved to Colne, a very dear friend told me all about the filming of Every Sperm is Sacred in Colne (a few streets up from his home). However, I mentioned our discussions yesterday to another friend who is also a Python fan and she swears that the film for that piece was made in Yorkshire! Maybe your members can argue it out (or maybe they have a contact who can find out the truth of the matter!) In the meantime, I think I'll watch the piece again and then pop over to have a look at the street in question....
The interview itself was hardly historic (it was one of the first I did for the radio station) - I'd probably be very embarrassed to listen to it again. It was recorded onto cassette and was lost long ago - or so I thought! My husband now tells me that a copy of the unedited version is actually floating round our front room (though as that is my craft room you can imagine it could prove to be quite difficult to find - but who knows!)
When I get a minute I'll send you a few more details of the 500+1 Man show which MP did in Belfast (including the wonderful story as to how it got it's name!) - if you are interested that is! But be warned - when you get me talking about Mr P. it's hard to get me stopped!
