Statue

Spike Milligan statue

Erection date: 4/9/2014

Inscription

{On the back of the bench:}
Spike Milligan, 1918 - 2002

{On Spike's left thigh:}
John Somerville 2014

Site: Spike Milligan statue (4 memorials)

N3, East End Road, 17, Stephens House

Spike lived in Finchley and often visited Stephens' House - then called Avenue House. Together with the extensive grounds it had been left to the local council by Henry Charles 'Inky' Stephens.

Spike's bench is in the garden, very close to the cafe. Spike and this young fan had quite a long conversation.

The bench is seething with little people and references to Spike's life. A number of faces are modelled on the drawings that Spike made of the Goon characters: we spotted Bloodnock, Bluebottle and Neddie Seagoon. The three soldiers probably refer to the origins of Goon humour in the army days of Spike and Secombe; Sellers was in the RAF. We've treated the 3 Goons with scripts as a separate memorial (mainly so we can show you another photo). The elephants, if they refer to India, Spike's place of birth, should have smaller ears. We think the fairies must refer to the Elfin Tree, now in Kensington Gardens which was saved, restored and listed following a campaign led by Spike.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Spike Milligan statue

Subjects commemorated i

Spike Milligan

Goon. Born as Terence Alan Milligan near Bombay, India, his father being an I...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Spike Milligan statue

Created by i

Finchley Society

Formed to protect, preserve and improve buildings, transport, roads and open ...

Read More

John Somerville

Sculptor based in Barnet.

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Spike Milligan statue

Also at this site i

Jean Scott

Jean Scott

In memory of Jean Scott (1921 - 93) founder of The Finchley Society.

Read More

Octavia Hill - Finchley

Octavia Hill - Finchley

Hill's family were living in Brownswell Cottages in 1851. These were on Finc...

Read More

Spike's statue - Goons

Spike's statue - Goons

This little group shows Secombe, Milligan and Sellers, holding "Goons" script...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

FCO - C unknown

FCO - C unknown

SW1, Horse Guards Road, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Foreign Office was completed in 1873 to the 1861 designs of Sir George Gilbert Scott, with Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt for the St James’s...

Sarah Siddons statue

Sarah Siddons statue

W2, Paddington Green

Oh dear, the poor girl needs to spend some more time in make-up. The pose is inspired by Reynolds' 1784 painting 'Mrs Siddons as the Trag...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Temple Bar memorial - Victoria

Temple Bar memorial - Victoria

EC4, Fleet Street

The south side is the most weathered and sullied by traffic fumes which explains the poor condition of the marble statue of Queen Victori...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Colin Campbell

Colin Campbell

SW1, Waterloo Place

This is a rather grand memorial: the statue with Campbell resting his telescope on a palm-tree stump, being atop a fat pink marble pillar...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Herbert Chapman

Herbert Chapman

N7, Hornsey Road, Emirates Stadium

{On the base of the statue:} Herbert Chapman - Arsenal Manager 1925 - 1934.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators