Possibly the most extraordinary food scene in cinema was filmed in Porchester Hall, west London, in July 1982, with Terry Jones directing and performing as Mr Creosote, the supreme over-eater, for The Meaning of Life.

The hall had been converted into L'Elegance restaurant, where, over three days, I was allowed to watch the Pythons toying with, spraying and dodging minestrone soup, which stood in for semi-digested food.

John Cleese, waitering, exclaimed, after one delicate take, "This sketch is the pits." Many thought the proceedings "not even funny" and the smell "diabolical". Others angled to be in the firing range of cold soup.

Jones, when he didn't have a Creosote suit on, could be seen in his underpants, looking like an alien as only his face, neck and lower arms were covered in prosthetics (by Christopher Tucker, The Elephant Man's make-up artist). When I enquired what the meaning of life was exactly, Jones simply replied, "Not going to Oxford."

He'd shared his first lodgings, when coming down to London, with Delia Smith's future husband, and had become quite a foodie. When it came to shooting Creosote expanding, prior to explosion, the machinery dug into him nastily and he exclaimed "Jesus!" and everyone panicked.

Besides the fine French cuisine prepared for the 30 actor-diners, lunches of lasagne, meat-and-two-veg and salads were available from a van for the 155 crew. During such lunches, Eric Idle might mime his 'Penis Song' while Graham Chapman sang 'It's Christmas in Heaven'. The Pythons have since said their happiest times were when dining together.