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Top 6 Monty Python locations in London
Monty Python is to London what light is to Paris and greatness is to New York. Following in their footsteps in the streets of the British capital is a real pilgrimage.
Hurlingham Park
The 127th annual High Society Moron Competition is held at Hurlingham Park, a venue mainly used for rugby, football and track and field events. The series almost had a completely different name: Baron von Took’s Flying Circus. The BBC initiated this title, which was eventually dropped, based on the name of the network’s comedy advisor, Barry Took. At the origin of the rapprochement between the Python and the BBC, he was also the warm-up comedian for the audience during studio recordings. The troupe finally decided to opt for “Monthy Python’s Flying Circus”, sounding more like the title of a bad artistic agent, rather than ridiculing the name of Barry Took which they liked.
Address: 17 Broomhouse Lane, London, United Kingdom
94 Thorpebank Road
When the team of technicians comes to deliver a gas cooker, they leave without installing it. The customer asks for extra installation, but the delivery people tell her that she doesn’t have the right installation and that the only way to get one is to be the victim of murder. The woman then lets herself be asphyxiated with gas by the team, who came in large numbers in the street. Many passers-by stopped to watch this strange merry-go-round during the filming of the scene in this small London street.
Address: 94 Thorpebank Road, London, United Kingdom
Newsagent (closed)
A civil servant (John Cleese) enters this now defunct newsagent’s house to buy The Times. On his way out, the man walks in a very strange way, to go to his work, to the Ministry of Stupid Marches. Many individuals can be seen in the street, echoing the New Cooker Sketch in which many delivery people come to bring a gas cooker to a customer. The sketch The Ministry of Silly Walks was reprised many times afterwards, notably in Gilmore Girls when Rory said to Dean: “Please, don’t walk away like that!”. And he says, “Sorry, I’d do a silly walk, but I’m not feeling very John Cleese right now.”
Address: 107 Thorpebank Road, London, United Kingdom
Westminster Bridge
In the midst of reporting on his time sitting in a chair in the middle of Westminster Bridge, the reporter (Graham Chapman) is hijacked by a police officer (Michael Palin), accusing him of stealing the seat from Pinner’s Mrs. Edgworth. Believing that the Monty Python thinks he is not a real member of law enforcement, the policeman shows him his identification code on the helmet. He then crosses the street, gets a second chair from Mrs. Edgworth de Pinner and explains to the Python the reasons for his vocation. The two men then spend a long time together, sitting in their seats in the middle of the pavement of Westminster Bridge. You’d think the Monty Pythons would have gotten rich from that show. In fact, a BBC memo stated that they were paid £160 per episode, now equivalent to about €210.
Address: London, United Kingdom
5. 811 High Road
The Hell’s Grannies spread terror in the streets. While investigating the subject, a journalist is pushed into a manhole by delinquent grannies. This scene occurs at 811 High Road. After three seasons, John Cleese decided to leave the hit show. In an interview, Eric Idle went back to the moment Cleese announced his departure to the cast: “We were on an Air Canada flight to Vancouver when John (Cleese) turned to us and said I quit. Why? I don’t know. He gets bored faster than we do. He’s a complex man, it’s hard to be his friend. If he is so funny, it is because he never tries to please. This gives him a certain freedom, fascinating and arrogant.”.
Address: London, United Kingdom
Trafalgar Square
In the sketch of the man collecting bird eggs, the man drops a few dozen of these strange animals into the wild and they invade Trafalgar Square. The Square is home to several embassies, including the High Commissions of South Africa (South Africa House) and Malaysia (Malaysia House), Canada House (Canada House) and part of the Canadian High Commission in the United Kingdom. The Monty Pythons influenced many actors in their sketches, such as Alain Chabat, Albert Dupontel or Alexandre Astier. But the comedy group has also made its mark in other areas as well, since the programming language Python is named after them.
Address: London, United Kingdom
The Fantrippers Buying Board
London's guide to the 1000 cult locations for films, series, music, comics and novels
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Harry Potter, James Bond, Bridget Jones, The Persuaders!, Black Mirror, The Crown, Dr Who, Mister Bean, Monty Python, Sherlock Holmes, Blake and Mortimer, The Beatles, David Bowie, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Dracula, Oliver Twist…
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By Damien Duarte
Passionné par la culture pop depuis son enfance, ses références vont de Donald Duck à Batman en passant par Marty McFly. Fantripper dans l'âme, voyager sur les traces de Ghostbusters, James Bond ou des héros de romans comme Cotton Malone fait partie d'un séjour idéal et réussi !