Lennon airport statue unveiled

Ono is in Liverpool to unveil a statue of her husband, who was murdered in 1980

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The widow of John Lennon has unveiled a statue of the Beatles icon to mark the renaming of Liverpool airport in his honour.

The seven-foot (2.1 metre) statue -- which has an inscription from of the lyric "Above us only sky" from his classic song "Imagine" -- overlooks the check-in hall of the new £30 million ($43 million) terminal at what is now Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Unveiling the statue, Yoko Ono said: "The world needs communication and this Liverpool John Lennon Airport will 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. And the world needs peace.

" I think the statue is brilliant. It captures John and shows him moving, alive, rather than standing still like some statues."

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Ono has also bought Lennon's childhood home and given it to Britain's National Trust charity.

Lennon lived in the house, in Menlove Lane, Liverpool, northwest England, with his Aunt Mimi from 1945 to 1963.

The former home of fellow Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, also in Liverpool, is already looked after by the National Trust.

The National Trust is a charity that looks after more than 248,000 hectares (612,000 acres) of countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus almost 600 miles of coastline and more than 200 buildings and gardens of outstanding interest and importance.

Lennon said that he was only allowed to play his guitar in the glazed front porch in Menlove Avenue, where he composed and rehearsed songs, including Please Please Me.

The house would be held by the National Trust "on behalf of Liverpool and the nation," spokesman Simon Murray said.

"The importance of Mendips flows from its strong association with John Lennon who is an important figure in the history of popular music.

"The song-writing partnership of Lennon and (Paul) McCartney is probably the greatest in the history of pop," Murray said.

The trust would consult neighbours, Liverpool City Council and other interested groups about restoring and presenting the house.

It also hopes the acquisition will boost Liverpool's chances of becoming European City of Culture in 2008.