Ah, Stony Stratford! The very nerve centre of bohemian debauchery—or at least it was for a fleeting moment in cinematic history.

You see, the cult classic Withnail & I (1987), that pinnacle of British despair and wit, owes more to our High Street than one might suspect. Two pivotal scenes of unparalleled drunken brilliance were immortalised here.

The Crown Inn became the “King Henry Pub,” where Withnail, played by the inimitable, Richard E. Grant, and the ever-suffering Marwood (Paul McGann) wove their tapestry of inebriated absurdity. And just across the car park, at 1 Market Square, the erstwhile Cox & Robinson pharmacy was reborn as the Penrith Tea Rooms, the site of that moment—“We want the finest wines available to humanity!”—an outcry for decadence if ever there was one.

These hallowed buildings remain largely unmolested by the ravages of time, standing as proud relics of this bacchanalian pilgrimage. The town’s Georgian façades and timeless allure proved the perfect backdrop for Bruce Robinson’s vision of a 1960s Britain teetering on the brink of chaos and ennui.

So, next time you find yourself meandering past the Crown or the old pharmacy, do raise a glass—or a bottle—to Withnail and Marwood. Imagine their staggering silhouettes haunting the cobblestones, a testament to our town’s small but glorious role in the grand farce of storytelling. Cheers, Stony Stratford! You’ve earned it.