John Cleese to Thatcher – Famous faces to visit Norwich

From politicians to comedy stars, here are some of the famous faces who have paid a visit to our fine city.

John Cleese

John Cleese visited Norwich as the crew filmed for Monty Python (Image: Newsquest)John Cleese visited Norwich as the crew filmed for Monty Python at the Norwich Castle in the early 1970s. 

Cleese is pictured here on the Castle mound at his desk. A number of the linking scenes used in ‘And Now for Something Completely Different’ were filmed in Norwich. They also used Elm Hill for the Beethoven sketch.

The group also visited Norfolk to film in Winterton and Heydon.

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher visiting Norwich (date unknown) (Image: Newsquest)Margaret Thatcher, who was accompanied by her husband, Denis, was greeted at the train station by Mr Ian Coutts, prospective Conservative candidate for Norwich South.

In 1981, Thatcher was also at Norwich Airport 1000, where she attended an exhibition of Lotus Cars.

The ex-Prime Minister visited Wisbech on March 10, 1978. Thatcher was still leader of the opposition and a year away from becoming prime minister. 

Richard Briers

Richard Briers prepares for his role as Dame Nanny Goodlife in the Babes in the Wood pantomime, 1978 (Image: Newsquest)

From The Good Life to Shakespeare, actor Richard Briers was a huge name on both stage and screen and he also played a role in many of Norfolk’s arts venues over the years.

Briars made a number of appearances on the Norwich Theatre Royal stage in a variety of plays, including Richard III in November 1973, Absent Friends in July 1975, and Prospero in an acclaimed production of The Tempest in 2002.

Gene Pitney

Gene Pitney at The Talk in 1974 (Image: Newsquest)American singer-songwriter and musician Gene Pitney, who had 22 top-40 hit singles in the UK, played at The Talk in 1974.

The venue once hosted The Kinks, The Who and Cream, when it was known as the Melody Rooms in the 1960s and later hosted glam rock royalty such as Slade and Sweet in the 1970s.

Terry Wogan

Terry Wogan visiting the new BBC Radio Norfolk office in Norwich in September 1980 (Image: Newsquest)Terry Wogan, who was hailed as a “national treasure” after his death from cancer aged 77, visited the new BBC Radio Norfolk office in Norwich in September 1980.

He also made a guest appearance on the radio’s first breakfast show on  the same trip, with John Mountford – the regular breakfast DJ.

Muhammad Ali

Muhammed Ali signed autographs and met the public in the supermarket T. W. Downs in St. Stephens, Norwich in 1971 (Image: Newsquest)Muhammad Ali visited Norwich as part of a promotional campaign for Ovaltine in 1971.

He arrived by train and was taken to the then T W Downs supermarket in St Stephen’s, where thousands waited for autographs.

But despite the big crowds for his visit on October 19, 1971, Ali declared that the Norwich public were the most civilised he had met on his long autumn tour.

‘Most places have mobbed us, pushed the policemen over and become uncontrollable. Here I haven’t been shoved around. That shows you how civilised the people are,’ he said.

Katie Price

Katie Price (Jordan) with copies at her book in Norwich in 2006 (Image: Newsquest)Reality TV star and model Katie Price visited Norwich to promote her book “Jordan: A Whole New World” in 2006.

Price, who gained recognition in the late 1990s for her glamour modelling work with appearances on Page 3 in The Sun, also visited Norwich in 2010 for another book signing.