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Yoko with Cherie Blair, wife of Britain's
Prime Minister Tony Blair
From BBC:
A statue of John Lennon now overlooks the check-in hall at the airport
that bears his name, after being unveiled by his widow Yoko Ono on
Friday.
Ono was joined by the prime minister's wife Cherie Blair when she
revealed the seven-foot bronze sculpture at John Lennon Airport, in
the former Beatle's home city of Liverpool. The statue stands on a walkway in a new
£32.5m terminal in the airport, which was renamed last year.
The unveiling comes after the news that Ono has bought Lennon's
childhood home and donated it to the National Trust.
The statue was created by sculptor Tom Murphy and shows Lennon in his
trademark round glasses and a casual suit with greased-back hair.
Ono told the BBC: "It's not like an ordinary statue - it has the
feeling of John on the move. "What a beautiful idea."
Communication
Ono said the renaming of the airport would "promote the growth
of international communication for Liverpool and for the world".
"Communication and exchanging will lead to understanding and
understanding will create love and peace. The airport's new logo is a sketch of
Lennon's face, and its slogan is "Above us only sky", taken
from his classic hit Imagine.
Asked whether the humanist sentiment might offend religious groups,
Ono said that people of all religions should "hug each other".
"It is a time for all people of all religions to hug each other
and if you are not religious then hug a tree or something, " she
said.
Airport owners Peel Holdings said the change of name was a
"fitting and lasting tribute" to the murdered star.
Memorial
Cherie Blair, who helped Ono unveil the statue, said that Lennon had
been an influence during her "rebellious teenage years".
Another memorial to the murdered musician is in the pipeline after
Ono bought the house where Lennon lived as a child: Menlove Avenue, where Lennon
lived with his Aunt Mimi.
| From Liverpool
Echo - by Neil Hodgson, March 15, 2002 |
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YOKO ONO today unveiled the "brilliant" statue of John
Lennon that will greet visitors flying into Liverpool.
She was in
the city today with Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair for the
official ceremony at the city's airport - renamed Liverpool John
Lennon Airport last year.
The seven
foot high Lennon statue completes the first phase of the
airport's expansion, which includes a £32m passenger terminal.
Cast in
bronze, it was crafted by Merseyside sculptor Tom Murphy and
will be positioned on the main passenger walkway to greet people
entering the airport.
Speaking in
the shadow of a huge electronic advertising hoarding which
flashed an image of John and the slogan Give Peace a Chance,
Yoko said: "I hope this will promote world peace for
Liverpool and the world and lead to understanding that will give
love and peace."
She described
the sculpture - the only statue of John ever to be approved by
her - as excellent and brilliant.
She also said
she was glad Mrs Blair could join her. She added: " I have
been a big admirer of Cherie's for a long time."
Mrs Blair,
dressed in a red trouser suit said: "This is such a special
occasion to be here back in Liverpool.
"I was
born in Bury but at six weeks old I came to Liverpool so all
through my rebellious years it was a tremendous time to be in
Liverpool, because the Beatles and John Lennon represented the
best of the Merseyside character."
She added:
"Liverpool is a great vibrant city and I am particularly
pleased to be here today to witness the renaming of the
Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
"As a
teenager I saw Yoko as a hero of mine on the television."
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LIVERPOOL,
England
From Reuters:
Yoko unveiled a bronze statue of John Lennon on
Friday (March 15, 2002) to mark the renaming of Liverpool airport in his honor.
Lennon in a suit and T-shirt,
accompanied by the lyric "Above us only sky" from John's
iconic song "Imagine," complete the airport's rebranding as
"Liverpool John Lennon airport."
The statue of the songsmith in his New
York days, striding out with long hair swept back, overlooks the
check-in hall in a new $43 million terminal.
"This is a very joyous day,"
said Lennon's widow Ono, who recently bought his childhood home in
Liverpool and donated it to British heritage organization the National
Trust.
Almost 2.5 million passengers a year
are expected to pass through the re-named airport.
The Beatles were early jet-setters,
routinely greeted at airports by legions of screaming fans.
But globe-trotting became a means of
escape from the paparazzi for Lennon and Ono, chronicled by Lennon in
"The Ballad of John and Yoko."
"John will be up there in the sky
laughing at the whole thing -- in a good way," said Mike Byrne,
director of the Beatles' museum in Liverpool, adding he was delighted
that years of campaigning for the name change had finally borne fruit.
Yoko with newly unveiled Liverpool John
Lennon Airport Statue
From Liverpool Echo
More:
YOKO Saves
John Lennon's
Childhood Home
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