Sir Anthony fixes a date for Tommy

Jan 24 2008 by Wendy Horton, South Wales Echo

OSCAR-WINNER Sir Anthony Hopkins is on his way back to Wales to honour his comic hero.

The Silence of the Lambs star (inset) will fly in from the United States to unveil a statue of Tommy Cooper (below), next month.

The much-anticipated visit to Caerphilly, Tommy’s home town, on Saturday, February 23, has been announced by the Tommy Cooper Society. The group’s secretary Tudor Jones spent months forging transatlantic links with Sir Anthony through letters, faxes and late-night phone calls, in order to arrange the visit.

Only last week Mr Jones revealed he had received a late-night phone call from Sir Anthony himself pledging his commitment to the unveiling ceremony.

Tudor said: “We are delighted that Sir Antony has managed to find time in a very busy schedule to come to Caerphilly to unveil the statue. It is going to be a real red letter day for the town, enabling us to pay a long-awaited tribute to Tommy Cooper. The statue is larger than life – over nine-feet-tall – and will hold pride of place in the centre of the town overlooking the 13th-Century castle.

“Sir Anthony has told us that he is looking forward to the date and to joining members of the society for a private lunch, after the unveiling, at the castle’s Great Hall.”

It will be the second visit to Wales Sir Anthony has made in as many months as he celebrated his 70th birthday with a New Year’s Eve bash at Margam Castle.

It had been hoped the star would have fitted in the unveiling back then, but filming commitments meant he had to go back to the US. At the moment the finishing touches are being put to the statue, which has been created by sculptor James Done who was also commissioned to create Merthyr’s tribute to the late boxer Johnny Owen.

The statue is being paid for with money raised through events held by the Tommy Cooper Society. Money was also raised through the sale of paving slabs which make up the Caerphilly Walk of Fame at the Twyn where the statue will stand.

wendy.horton@mediawales.co.uk