Graham Chapman: I remember thinking "Why does Terry Jones laugh so much?" They [Jones and Palin] couldn't read out their material without laughing all the time.

After the insane schedule that accompanied the filming of "Holy Grail", the success of the film allowed Terry to take a year out of show business to follow another passion of his, Chaucer. He wrote a book called "Chaucer's Knight", about the character in "The Canterbury Tales", claiming the Knight wasn't the chivalrous gentleman as previously believed and in fact a mean mercenary.

The vast and varied collection of rare texts that Terry collected whilst writing "Chaucer's Knight" are an example of his love and ability to collect things. He also collects Rupert The Bear annuals as well as having interests in China, the Middle Ages, fossil fuels and CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale).

After his children were born, Terry created stories to amuse them, writing "Fairy Tales" for daughter Sally, and "Erik The Viking" for his son Bill. He also co-wrote books with Michael Palin, and worked regularly with acclaimed artists like Gerald Scarfe, Michael Foreman and Brian Froud, the latter most famously working with Terry on Jim Henson's "Labyrinth".

Films Terry has starred in since Python, are mainly ones he has also directed, like "Erik The Viking" (an adult version of the children's story he wrote), and a reworking of Kenneth Grahame's "Wind In The Willows", also starring Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, and the cream of british comedy.

Terry has continued to write childrens stories, my personal favourite being "The Fly-By-Night" and present varied programs on television like BBC 2's documentary on Gladiators, where much to everyone's delight, Terry got on his gladiatorial gear and flounced about with a little sword. He also does a lot of work for radio, particularly Radio 4.