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John Major considered renaming Heathrow Airport after Churchill
John Major considered renaming Heathrow Airport after Sir Winston Churchill, according to confidential papers that have been revealed today.
Major asked aides to look into the idea when he was Prime Minister in 1996, according to information released from the National Archives in Kew.
The idea was suggested by London businessman Harvey Spack, who said Sir Winston Churchill Airport would be a better name than ‘stupid’ Heathrow.
The businessman believed: "New York has Kennedy Airport, Paris has De Gaulle and we have the stupid name of Heathrow!
"It should be renamed with the name of the greatest man of the century, who has no truly great memorial in our country, the Winston Churchill Airport or Churchill Airport."
He added: "I can only see this as a tremendous boost to the ‘feel food factor’ for all of us."
The PM said the idea was ‘intriguing’ and replied to say he was looking into it.
The idea was not adopted, although the archives do not say why.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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