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Clip description
Spike Milligan’s daughters describe the 'fairy letters’ – tiny letters in miniscule handwriting – their father used to make for them as children and leave around the house for them to find. As they talk about the magical world he created through his stories, some of the fairy letters are shown. Home movie footage of Milligan’s young family on holiday at sea is accompanied by one of his nonsensical songs. His eldest daughter Laura talks about their trips to Australia and Woy Woy where Milligan’s parents lived. According to her, it was the place where his heart was.
Curator’s notes
This clip beautifully illustrates the way in which Spike Milligan creatively engaged with his children throughout their childhood and the importance of family in Milligan’s life. Despite the difficulties of bringing his children up on his own for a number of years (see clip two) and his battle with bipolar disorder (see clip three), his four children continued to provide a source of inspiration and creativity which flowed into his work. The intricate and playful 'fairy letters’ are a strong example of this. Even as adults, Milligan’s two eldest daughters, Laura and Sile, affectionately remember the 'special place’ their father took them to through his stories, games and drawings.
