Start of image description, A photograph from 1958 shows baby Adrian in the arms of his mother, Dorothy. His father Fred holds up his 4 year old sister, Hilary. Adrian’s hair is styled with a side parting, Hilary’s hair is cut with a bowl style fringe, his mum has short, thick, wavy hair, and his dad is bald with hair on the sides., end of image description

Hilary, Dad, me and Mum sporting the four hairstyles available in Bradford in 1958.

 

Start of image description, A young Adrian is held by his father as his mother stands beside them in Nicosia. Fred has a holstered gun at his hip and a lanyard is attached the gun., end of image description

Me, Dad and Mum in Nicosia, 1958. Dad very pleased with his gun. Is that lanyard supposed to hang there? Is it safe?

 

Start of image description, Adrian, aged around 2 years old, sits on a wall outside their home at the Wolseley Barracks in Nicosia. Adrian is frowning at the camera and wearing a sweater and a pair of shorts., end of image description

Wolseley Barracks, Cyprus, 1959. The house that became known as ‘the Cockroach House’.

 

Start of image description, Adrian, aged around 3 years old, stands in a field holding a small bouquet of wildflowers. He has very light, blond hair and he is wearing a white t-shirt, dark shorts, and sandals with white socks., end of image description

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them . . .

 

Start of image description, Adrian, aged around 4 years old, stands on the driveway outside the garage and pulls a pram with a baby doll inside. His father stands inside the garage, polished his beloved Citroen car., end of image description

Giving the girl’s name thing a good testing. Dad is in the background washing his beloved car – the boot catch of which will become his nemesis.

 

Start of image description, Adrian and family visit Bolton Abbey on an overcast day in 1961. Adrian, aged 4 years old, strides along the path ahead of the other members of the family including Grandma Ed, his mum, his sister Hilary, and Grandad Ed. The family are wearing jackets and raincoats., end of image description

Onward, Christian soldiers! Me out front, naturally, then (left to right) Grandma Ed, Mum, Hilary and Grandad Ed. Bolton Abbey, 1961.

 

Start of image description, Adrian poses with his dad on the sofa of their home before the Christening of his young brother, Matthew. Adrian wears a white shirt with a black bowtie and rests his arm on the back of the sofa. His father wears a shirt and tie., end of image description

Dad and me ready for Matthew’s christening, channelling Flanders and Swann.

 

Start of image description, A young Adrian, aged around 8, poses on the roof of the family flat in Bahrain on a bright, sunny day. He is wearing a cowboy hat and pointing a gun. He has a sword in a scabbard at his hip., end of image description

On the roof of the flat in Bahrain, 1965. Gun, sword and hat – all the tools.

 

Start of image description, Adrian performs a somersault as he dives, presumably into a swimming pool below. He is captured by the camera as he hangs upside down in the air, eyes on whatever is beneath him., end of image description

A young berserker in training.

 

Start of image description, Adrian is pictured with a friend in their uniforms for Hutton Junior High School in Bradford in 1968, aged 11 years old. They are standing in the garden and Adrian, wearing glasses, leans on his friend’s shoulder. Both are wearing knee-high socks and mid-thigh-length shorts., end of image description

Off to Hutton Junior High, 1968. With these shorts, these glasses and this hairdo, no one will dare say I’ve got a girl’s name.

 

Start of image description, Adrian stands on the edge of a hedge at Pocklington Grammar School, aged around 16 years old. His hair is swept from left to right in a side parting and he wears thick, black framed glasses. He wears a suit and tie and poses with his arms by his side., end of image description

Pocklington. This young groover is keen to break into the hard/cool set, and is prepared to stand in a hedge until it happens.

 

Start of image description, A teenage Adrian stands arm in arm with his grandmother outside her house. She has thick, white hair and wears a cardigan, and she is smiling. Adrian wears thick, black framed glasses and squints in the sunshine., end of image description

Me and Grandma Sturgeon. Looks like she’s just won at canasta. Again.

 

Start of image description, The Edmondson family stop during a safari in Kenya. The small Renault 4 car has its doors open and five figures are clustered around it, standing on the dusty road and looking out across the vast savannah., end of image description

Tsavo National Park, Kenya, 1972. Six of us packed into a Renault 4. Lions in the long grass wondering if they need one of those special keys you get with a tin of corned beef.

 

Start of image description, Adrian poses with his sister Hilary in 1972. She is 18 and he is 15 years old. He is perched, arms folded, on the arm of the chair she is sitting in., end of image description

With Hilary in Uganda, 1972. I’m thinking about the Goon Show scripts I have in my suitcase.

 

Start of image description, A performance of the play Rhinoceros at Pocklington School features 5 students on stage. Adrian is standing on the right, dressed in a light-coloured jacket, cravat, and summer hat. He is turned towards his co-stars and gesturing to them., end of image description

Me (far right) at school, playing The Logician in Rhinoceros and doing a fairly reasonable impression of Jacques Tati.

 

Start of image description, Adrian and his band-mate, Ian, sit and play guitar and sing during a rehearsal of their band, Peace of Thorn at Pocklington in 1975. On the right of the image in the background is a large box with a face painted on it., end of image description

Pocklington, 1975. Left to right: the homemade bass cab, Iain, then me playing the old egg slicer. I’m not singing – I’m crying out in pain.

 

Start of image description, Adrian stands centre-stage and plays his bass guitar, his long hair framing his face. Ian plays the drums in the background. Another hand, holding the neck of a guitar, can be seen on the right of the photo., end of image description

Peace of Thorn being majestic. Ian on drums, Iain’s hand to the right, me front and centre, in my Melody Maker clothes and national health specs, hoping my fingers won’t bleed too much. I know it’s a bit blurred but, frankly, so were we.

 

Start of image description, A group of 12 Pocklington students stand behind the bike shed and smoke. Adrian, wearing a dark three-piece suit, stands in the centre with shoulder length hair and his hands thrust in his pockets. A cigarette hangs from his lips., end of image description

Pocklington School Smoking XI 1974/75.

Dave, who took over on bass (middle row, first from left).
Andy, whose house I stayed in when I ran away (back row, first from left).
Me (middle row, third from left).
Iain, guitar hero and the boy who said ‘Nah’ (front row, second from left).
Bike shed on the right.

 

Start of image description, Adrian poses with his friends from Twentieth Century Coyote at The Band on the Wall in Manchester in 1976. Adrian sits in the centre with Lloyd Peters and Mark Dewison to his right and Mike Readfern and Rik Mayall to his left. Mayall has shoulder length hair and wears a long cape., end of image description

20th Century Coyote at The Band on the Wall in Manchester, 1976. Left to right: Lloyd Peters, Mark Dewison, me, Mike Redfearn, Rik (in a cape, naturally).

 

Start of image description, Twentieth Century Coyote perform at The Band on the Wall in Manchester. Rik Mayall stands centre-stage wearing a cassock and holding a violin case. The remaining members of the group wear bikinis over their clothing and a selection of hats including a deerstalker., end of image description

The only photograph in existence of Coyote performing. Mark, Rik, Lloyd, me. Everyone in bikinis except for Rik (in a cassock, naturally).

 

Start of image description, Adrian smiles and leans on the mantelpiece above the fireplace of Rik’s parents’ home in 1979. Mayall grins and wears a black and red striped scarf tight around his throat. A print of R S Lowry’s Northern River Scene hangs above them., end of image description

At Rik’s parents’ house in 1979. Out of Uni and straight into . . . ah . . . well . . . just four paid gigs in the first year.

 

Start of image description, Adrian laughs during a performance at the Fringe Club in Edinburgh. Rik looks on with a confused expression., end of image description

Performing at the Fringe Club in Edinburgh, 1979.

 

Start of image description, Rik grins maniacally and pulls a face and Adrian laughs as they sit backstage in their dressing room at the Comic Strip Club. The pair are wearing matching dark suits., end of image description

In the Comic Strip Club dressing room, wearing the sweaty plastic suits. Something funny is going on.

 

Start of image description, Adrian and Rik perform their Dangerous Brothers routine on stage. Adrian is leaning forward and screaming and Rik stands at the microphone, eyes wide and his fingers splayed at his sides., end of image description

Another relaxed performance by the Dangerous Brothers.

 

Start of image description, Adrian and fellow Comic Strip star, Dawn French, float in a swimming pool during a tour of Australia in 1981. Adrian wears a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat., end of image description

Me and Dawn touring Australia with the Comic Strip in 1981. I believe the rest of the gang went by coach.

 

Start of image description, Adrian, arms folded and wearing a sun hat, stands on a rock at the edge of a cliff in Devon. Pete Richens is seated on a rock to his right, looking down. Robbie Coltrane is in the centre of the photo, with Pete Richardson on his left and Sophie Richardson visible in the background between them. The men are all in shirts and long trousers, except for Pete Richardson, who is wearing shorts that stop mid-thigh., end of image description

The Comic Strip Presents . . . Pete Richens, me, Robbie Coltrane, Sophie Richardson, Pete Richardson and Pete Richardson’s shorts. We filmed nearly everything on the Devon coast . . .

 

Start of image description, The group of 5 actors pose in front of the door to 10 Downing Street. Rik Mayall is wearing a knee-length, brown leather coat and is pulling a face at the camera., end of image description

. . . except for ‘Mr Jolly Lives Next Door’, which we filmed partly outside 10 Downing Street in 1987. Glynn Purcell, me, Stephen Frears, Rik, Basil Ho Yen. No permit, we just turned up very early and told the coppers we were ‘with the film crew’.

 

Start of image description, A sequence of 7 publicity stills for the Bottom Live tour. Each photo features a version of Adrian either holding the cricket bat, or hitting Rik in the face with it. Rik has marked his 4 preferences with a red dot. Adrian has marked his choice with a red cross. A small sticky note says, This one. The chosen image features Adrian casually smacking Rik in the face with the bat and Rik throwing his arms up as he falls backwards., end of image description

Choosing a photo from the contact sheet for the Bottom Live tour. Rik has four choices, I have one – this was generally the way of things.

 

Start of image description, Adrian, wearing a dark pin-striped suit and red shirt, stands at the front of the stage and speaks into the microphone during a performance by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band at the London Astoria in 2006. The stage is bathed in pink light. The photograph is taken from the stage wings, with the rest of the band and their stage set-up on the left of the photo, and the audience visible on the right., end of image description

The Bonzos in 2006: including Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell, Sam Spoons, Rodney Slater and Neil Innes – with me, out front! ME! WITH THE BONZOS!

 

Start of image description, Adrian and Troy Donockley smile and laugh as they perform on stage as The Bad Shepherds. Adrian is shown playing a mandolin and Troy plays a cittern., end of image description

Me and Troy as the Bad Shepherds. Not a sheep in sight. That’s how bad we were.

 

Start of image description, Adrian performs on stage with The Idiot Bastards. Adrian, Phill Jupitus and Neil Innes are wearing sombrero hats. Adrian and Neil both have mandolins, and Phill appears to be holding some sort of pipe. Behind Neil, Rowland Rivron is sat at a drum kit. Only his right arm and left hand are visible., end of image description

The Idiot Bastards: me, Phill Jupitus, Rowland Rivron’s hand and Neil Innes.

 

Start of image description, A younger-looking Adrian holds a glass of wine and is captured mid-sentence at a party. He isn’t wearing his glasses. Jennifer Saunders stands to the left, looking at Adrian and smiling as she smokes a cigarette. Other guests are visible behind them., end of image description

Trying to impress Jennifer at a party in the eighties.

 

Start of image description, Adrian and Jennifer sit on the sofa with their 3 young daughters, Ella, Beattie, and Freya, and 2 small terriers, in the living room of their home. All three girls have shoulder-length blonde hair., end of image description

Success!

 

Start of image description, Adrian, wearing glasses and a flat cap, smiles with wide-open eyes and mouth as he takes a selfie of himself with Rik looking over his shoulder. Rik is giving a smarmy smile with his eyes half closed., end of image description

Our last photo together. We’ve just had one of our lunches. He still doesn’t understand. And neither do I.

 

Start of image description, Adrian poses with his friend, David, and a huge platter of oysters in a restaurant in Paris. Adrian is wearing a pin-striped jacket and looking down at the oysters with an expression of amazement while David, in a jumper and shirt, smiles for the camera, end of image description

In Paris with David, enjoying the best that life has to offer.

 

Start of image description, Adrian and David lean over the platter of empty oysters, their faces drawn in mock sadness., end of image description

‘“O Oysters,” said the carpenter . . . but answer came there none—’