Michael Palin recalls a day at Lord’s with Aussie cricket legend Keith Miller and Peter O’Toole

Friday, July 26th: With many misgivings I pack my bag with ‘Sahara’ clothes and props and leave in a BBC car to be photographed for the Radio Times cover. A warm day that could end up hot. To studios beside the Westway and another effective Sahara back-cloth, as well as a rather threadbare camel, called Sarah (doesn’t seem a suitable name for a camel) provided by two of the team who did ‘Fierce Creatures’. Terry the Tarantula [the spider that was my co-star in the film] is alive, well and working, they tell me.

Make-up lady, who has been in business, she says, since 1971, makes polite conversation. ‘So, I hear you were once with the Monty Python team.’ This is followed up after a bit of a pause with the classic, ‘Tell me again, who were the others in the Python team?’ ‘Well, John Cleese was the best known.’ She nods emphatically but I have the impression that I might as well be talking Mandarin Chinese. ‘And Eric . . .’ She brightens here. ‘Eric Secombe?’

The camel seems thankfully a lot more on the ball. Her head comes as close to mine as they can make it. Occasionally Sarah burps and it’s as if the gas from decayed remains of everything she’s ever eaten is funnelled out.

By midday the photographer is satisfied. Sarah is given another carrot and I’m driven to Radical Media in Wardour Street to be interviewed for the DVD of ‘Time Bandits’. Two old farts on the sofa reminiscing. Not for the first time I’m impressed by Terry’s memory and his extraordinary energy.

Friday, July 27th
To Lord’s where, for second year running, Roger and myself are guests of Sir Paul Getty. This year it’s for day three of the First Test Match against India.

High cloud, but enough to keep the sun at bay. The ball is swinging and India, up against an England ‘reserve’ attack, don’t have much luck. Tendulkar is out for 16 and by lunchtime England’s first innings of 478 looks unassailable.

Keith Miller and Marie arrive after lunch. Keith bubbling, very pleased to see me, so much to talk about that he spills white wine on his suit. His face reminds me of Spike’s at the end of his life. Like that of an ageing saint. His eyes, wide and bright but unable to co-ordinate with the rest of his ailing body, look out with fierce intensity, as if imploring the rest of him to come to his rescue.

The Indians are trying desperately hard to stay in. ‘Did you ever stonewall, Keith?’ I ask him. He twinkles at the thought and leans his cadaverous face towards me: ‘Only when I was pissed.’ He also revealed that whenever possible he signed his autograph across Don Bradman’s photo, because he knew it would irritate him. Hopefully, if I go to Oz in January, we will meet up in Melbourne.

Peter O’Toole, another great friend and fan of Keith Miller’s, comes to pay homage and raise a glass. His face is pale, his skin light and delicate, but he looks a boy beside Keith. He tells of Noel Coward’s remark to him after seeing ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ – ‘Peter you looked so lovely. It should have been called Florence of Arabia.’

Throughout it all Sir Paul G, with physio and nurse in attendance, presides impassively. Wheelchair-bound, grey-skinned, but, like Keith, once you’re close in, he’s lots to say. Invites me to come and see his library for which he’s just bought another 1603 Shakespeare Folio edition. I think he is quite fond of me, but as he can’t move, other than to shake hands, his friendship has to be conveyed by discreet signs.

The weather is good, the Test is going England’s way. We’re attended to constantly with offers of tea and coffee, wine, beer or champagne, Pimm’s, canapes and so on. ‘A day in heaven’ as Roger sums it up.

This is an extract from There and Back: Diaries 1999-2009 (Orion) by Michael Palin. Buy a copy from bookshop.org here.

Or buy a copy from Blackwell’s here.

Michael Palin is our star guest at the Idler Festival, which takes place at Fenton House and Gardens in Hampstead, Friday 11 to Sunday 13 July. See the timetable here. Book tickets here.

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