London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 07, 2025

Man ends 20-year Llandegley airport sign joke that cost £25k

Man ends 20-year Llandegley airport sign joke that cost £25k

A man who spent £25,000 on a fake airport sign in mid Wales is bringing the joke to an end after 20 years.

For the past two decades, a billboard for Llandegley International has been a landmark near the Powys village.

It looks like an ordinary road sign, but actually signposts to an airport that only exists in people's imagination.

After spending thousands of pounds to erect and maintain the sign, the owner decided it's time to take it down.

Since 2002, if you travel eastwards along the A44 between Rhayader and Kington, you will see a sign directing drivers to Terminals 1 and 3 of Llandegley International airport.

But drive the two-and-a-half miles, as instructed, and you will end up not at an airport - not even an airfield - but just a field, on the outskirts of the village of Llandegley, Powys.


"In 20 years, I haven't had a single complaint," says Nicholas Whitehead

The man behind it, Nicholas Whitehead, is a journalist who used to edit the Radnor edition of the Brecon and Radnor Express and once wrote with Monty Python's Terry Jones.

He said: "It started off as a wild conversation with friends one evening in Llandegley.

"We thought of renting a sign for something that wasn't really there, possibly a project that didn't exist, and we settled on the airport.

"It started off as a bit of a joke, then we realised it was actually possible. It was made by Wrexham Signs, given the OK, one thing led to another and there it is."

Mr Whitehead added "as a journalist, whatever you do, someone, somewhere, is going to get upset about it".

However, this particular joke has seemingly been popular among locals and tourists alike.
Farmer Neil Richards says the fictitious airport draws tourists to the area


"In 20 years, I haven't had a single complaint about Llandegley International," he said.

"Loads of people love it, some people might not get it. But as far as I know, nobody is upset or angry about it. That's a first for me."


'A national treasure'


It has cost around £1,500 per year to maintain the billboard. After paying more than £25,000, Mr Whitehead has decided it's time to call it a day.

"I think the airport is established now - and I think the establishment should take it on," he said.

"It's not exactly a national monument - but it is a national treasure."

He hopes Welsh government heritage body Cadw may be interested in taking it over.

"It has become an item of Welsh heritage. It wouldn't cost them anything like as much as it's cost me. In terms of value for money, it's unbeatable."

"The sign is part of our community," says Holly Richards from Llandegley


At the nearby service station in Crossgates - a cafe popular with bikers - locals said they were sad to see the landmark go.

Holly Richards said: "I've lived in Llandegley all my life. The sign is part of our community.

"It's a bit of a running gag - people joke that they've just flown into Llandegley and they're flying back out tomorrow. It's a wonderful feature."

William Jones hopes to one day pass the story of the airport onto his own children


William Jones, 20, added: "Every time we see it, me and my mates have a giggle. I asked my mum all about it when I was young, and I'd like to be able to tell my own kids about it one day."

Farmer Neil Richards said it had helped put the village on the map.

"There's no end of people who have seen and heard about the sign who've stopped at our farm on the edge of the Radnor Forest, asking how to find the airport," he said.

"Apparently two American airforce planes landed nearby as part of a military mission in World War Two."

The airport has also taken off in a big way on social media.

Thousands of followers across Facebook and Twitter enjoy updates about Llandegley's impressive environmental credentials, and engage in flights of fancy about the "top secret" Terminal 2.


Mr Whitehead said these are the people who make the airport what it is.

"The sign is just a sign," he said.

"The sign can come down but the airport is still there. The airport exists in the same way that songs exist. If you set fire to the scrap of paper on which Paul McCartney wrote Yesterday, that wouldn't destroy the song.

"The song exists as a shared experience; it's indestructible. It's the same with the airport."

When Jill Dibling, a long-time fan of the airport, died of liver cancer, the sign was changed in her honour.

Her family in Llandrindod approved and were touched by the tribute.

The sign was altered in 2019 in memory of long-time fan of the airport, Jill Dibling


Mr Whitehead now plans to launch a campaign to gain official recognition for the quirky institution he founded.

With a lot of local support and a big online fanbase, it might not yet be the end of the road for Llandegley International.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
×