When Simon Brooks, 11, designed a Bermuda-themed `tail' for British Airways' (BA) new livery, they were so impressed they invited him to spend the day as their guest at Heathrow.

Bermuda-born Simon, who lives in London, is the son of Bermudian Paulina (`Poppet') Northover Brooks. "He's profoundly deaf, but seems to be very gifted at art -- and is British Airways-mad'' said his mother. "He's always been fascinated with the new aeroplane `tails' which feature art from around the world and he likes to know which country each one represents. Anyway, he decided to design his own, depicting Bermuda and it had a sea-theme, with a boat, fish and a sun. I sent it to the Graphics Department at BA and they liked it so much, they offered him the Grand Tour.'' Simons' artistic talent has also been recognised by the Bermuda Zoological Society. Just before he returned to the UK from his annual summer vacation with his Bermuda family, he was asked to design the the Society's Christmas card. "He has been attending the Aquarium's Aqua Camp and they noticed the artwork he'd done on his bluebird box'' Mrs. Brooks told The Royal Gazette .

Shortly before his arrival in Bermuda, Simon, accompanied by his mother and brother Alexander, made his visit to Heathrow's Terminal 4. After being given a tour of Concorde, he was excited to find himself trying out the captain's seat and talking over the cabin address system.

For Simon, who thinks he may opt for a career in graphic art, the most exciting part of the tour, however, was their visit to the massive paint bay, where staff were on hand to demonstrate how the pictorial livery is applied to each jet. He was presented with a model Boeing 777 and before he left the airport, BA's design section superimposed his design on a photograph of a Boeing 757 for him to keep.

He and his family were also among the first members of the public to visit Waterside, the massive, 200 million BA headquarters at Heathrow, recently opened by the Prince of Wales and unique in that it was built on a former rubbish dump, to become this century's largest nature reserve in the London area.

"We were entertained to lunch there and that was also very exciting for Simon,'' said Mrs. Brooks.

Simon, who has been fitted with cochlear implants and, with the help of a note-taker, will attend a mainstream secondary in London this month, spends every summer in Bermuda.

SIMON'S TAIL -- Simon Brooks (C), holds a model Boeing 777, presented to him by British Air. At right is mother Paulina Brooks and BA's Louise McMillan.