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| Tommy Cooper statue is unveiled | Tommy Cooper statue is unveiled |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A statue of the comic Tommy Cooper has been unveiled in his hometown - just like that - by Hollywood star Sir Anthony Hopkins. | A statue of the comic Tommy Cooper has been unveiled in his hometown - just like that - by Hollywood star Sir Anthony Hopkins. |
| Cooper - thought by many to be the greatest comedian of his generation - was born in Caerphilly, south Wales. | Cooper - thought by many to be the greatest comedian of his generation - was born in Caerphilly, south Wales. |
| The 9ft (2.7m) bronze was sculpted by James Done who said Cooper would have been "the highest paid jester in any kingdom." | The 9ft (2.7m) bronze was sculpted by James Done who said Cooper would have been "the highest paid jester in any kingdom." |
| Cooper died of a heart attack during a TV show in 1984. | Cooper died of a heart attack during a TV show in 1984. |
| It ended a career built around magic routines which went wrong. | It ended a career built around magic routines which went wrong. |
| The statue has been placed in the centre of the town | The statue has been placed in the centre of the town |
| He was born in 1921 in Llwyn Onn Street, Caerphilly, before leaving with his family as a small boy to live in Exeter. | He was born in 1921 in Llwyn Onn Street, Caerphilly, before leaving with his family as a small boy to live in Exeter. |
| The Tommy Cooper society was set up five years ago aimed at erecting a statue of the comic in the town of his birth. | The Tommy Cooper society was set up five years ago aimed at erecting a statue of the comic in the town of his birth. |
| It raised £45,000 to pay for the life-size statue. | It raised £45,000 to pay for the life-size statue. |
| Standing on a 4ft (1.2m) plinth, the statue depicts the late comic wearing his trademark fez and be located opposite the castle in the centre of the town. | Standing on a 4ft (1.2m) plinth, the statue depicts the late comic wearing his trademark fez and be located opposite the castle in the centre of the town. |
| The society's patron, Sir Anthony unveiled the statue after giving an impersonation of the late comic. | |
| Adopting an uncanny Tommy Cooper voice he said: "Before I start I just want to say this; this. Or that. Or this is as funny as that." | |
| Sir Anthony then had the crowds in uproar with a comic set that recalled Cooper's finest moments. | |
| Later Sir Anthony said: "I just want to say what an honour it is to be here. | |
| "Tommy Cooper was a one-off. He was a kind of tragic comedian; that great big face of his and great big hands and his boots and that ridiculous fez. | |
| Crowds turned up to see Sir Anthony unveiling the statue | Crowds turned up to see Sir Anthony unveiling the statue |
| "I wish I had met Tommy Cooper but I never had that great privilege. But I have the privilege of coming here with his first cousin Bet and she is going to help me unveil his statue." | |
| He said the comic was a "one-off" and compared him to some of the greatest comedians of all time such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. | |
| "He was the comedian's comedian because he was such a self mockery artist," he added. | |
| Cooper's daughter Vicky is a honorary member of the society and in a letter to the society, she recalled how proud her father was of his Welsh roots. | |
| The society's secretary Tudor Jones said: "She said her dad looked upon himself as a Welshman from the top of his black curly hair to the bottom of his size 13 boots." | The society's secretary Tudor Jones said: "She said her dad looked upon himself as a Welshman from the top of his black curly hair to the bottom of his size 13 boots." |
| He added: "Tommy was always larger than life so it is fitting that his statue will stand proud in the centre of the town where he was born. | He added: "Tommy was always larger than life so it is fitting that his statue will stand proud in the centre of the town where he was born. |
| "This will be a long awaited tribute to Tommy from his home town of Caerphilly." | "This will be a long awaited tribute to Tommy from his home town of Caerphilly." |