We may soon be touching down at Ozzy Osbourne airport
Shops at Birmingham Airport will have to start stocking bats if one man’s “masterstroke” to boost Brum’s heritage is taken up.
For while Liverpool has John Lennon Airport and New York JFK, the record company boss who discovered Black Sabbath is calling for Birmingham Airport to be named after Sabbath front man Ozzy Osbourne.
The call from Jim Simpson, boss of Big Bear Music, comes after plans for a Black Sabbath Day in the city were apparently shelved.
But doubting whether such an event would be a success in the first place, Jim came up with the re-naming idea.
He said: “I believe that there is a masterstroke that would instantly confound the cynics.
“Just re-name our airport! How does The Ozzy Osbourne International Airport resonate?
“The message that would carry is instantly international, confident, powerful, unforgettable and says ‘Hey World, we are proud of our own’.
“Ozzy might not always have been a paragon of virtue, but he is a genuine flesh and blood Brummie.”
The idea of celebrating the work of Ozzy Osborne, Tony Iommi and co was backed by the city council earlier this year as part of a wider ‘Destination Birmingham’ programme, which aimed to boost music tourism.
But while the man behind the plans, Coun Philip Parkin, fears they will no longer happen, he said he was open minded about re-naming the airport.
He told the Birmingham Mail: “It’s an interesting idea and I’ve got an open mind but I think something like that would need to be consulted on fairly widely because it’s a significant part of our infrastructure.
“I would be interested to know what people thought about that as an idea.
“I still feel in general we need to be making the most of the talent we have got and did have in this city and with something like this we have to ask people their opinion.”
Forseeing comparisons with Liverpool’s airport, named after Beatle John Lennon, Mr Simpson added: “Before anyone launches into a “Liverpool got there first with a John Lennon Airport” retort we should remember that their airport is distinctly unimpressive, provincial and bears no comparison with ours.”
Source: BirminghamMail
