Freddie Mercury memorial to be unveiled in Feltham
A memorial to rock legend Freddie Mercury will be unveiled in Feltham town centre next month.
The Queen singer lived in Gladstone Avenue and will be remembered with a Hollywood-style star outside the library in The Centre, Feltham, which will be unveiled on November 24.
Mercury came to Feltham from Zanzibar with his family in 1964 when he was 17, and studied art at Isleworth Polytechnic, which is now West Thames College.
Councillor Paul Jabbal, chairman of the committee that arranged for the memorial, said: "I am delighted that at last we are honouring Freddie Mercury's memory and his achievements with a permanent memorial.
"As well as celebrating his life and success, it can serve as a reminder to local people that it doesn't matter where you come from, if you work hard you can succeed in whatever you do.
"I'm looking forward to welcoming his family, friends and some band members to Feltham to show how proud we are to be associated with such a legendary artist."
The lack of a permanent monument of any shape or size in London is a pure disgrace - and I am writing from Belfast. A garden door with graffiti just doesn't cut it. The fact that Thames Valley doesn't have something up (correct if I am wrong, I hope I am) celebrating Freddie, Townshend and Ronnie is even more astounding.
We seem to have forgotten on these islands how to do the celebratory monument, in a land once renowned for public art - preferring as it does, the ubiquitous "well-what-do-YOU-think-it-represents" abstract pieces....
QUEEN guitarist Brian May is to visit Feltham for the unveiling of a memorial to former bandmate Freddie Mercury.
The big-haired rocker will be guest-of-honour at the ceremony on November 24 in which a Hollywood-style star will be laid in tribute to his flamboyant friend, who died of AIDS in 1991. Mercury's mother Jer Bulsara and sister Kash Cooke have also said they will attend the event.
The family lived in Gladstone Avenue in Feltham for 10 years in the 1960s and 70s and Mercury studied art at Isleworth polytechnic, which is now West Thames College.
He then met Brian May, who was born in Hampton, through a friend at Ealing Art College and they went on to become half of one of the biggest rock bands of all time, Queen.
The tribute to Freddie, who was born Faroukh Bulsara, was the brainchild of Councillor Peter Hills, a massive Queen fan and former chairman of the West Area Committee that is providing the funding.
"It's great news that Brian May is coming," he said. "It's almost like a double whammy for Feltham and it should be a great day."