As we mentioned yesterday, Apple is moving their UK headquarters to leased space in London’s iconic Battersea Power Station.

If the name Battersea Station doesn’t immediately summon an image, take a look at this Wikipedia page.

With that image in mind, jump over to this album cover from Pink Floyd’s 1977 release Animals.

Note the flying pig on the album cover. That’s not just a drawing, but a real inflatable pig:

Photographs for the cover of Pink Floyd’s Animals album were taken in early December 1976. For the photo shoot, an inflatable pink pig, made by the Zeppelin company, was tethered to one of the southern chimneys.

The pig broke free of its moorings and rose into the flight path of London Heathrow Airport to the astonishment of pilots in approaching planes. The runaway pig was tracked by police helicopters before coming to ground in Kent. Whether the pig escaped, or was released on purpose to increase publicity, is not known.

The flying pig has long been part of Pink Floyd culture, making its appearance at many concerts, and even flying again over Battersea Station in 2011 to celebrate the album’s 35th anniversary.

Personally, I love this link between Apple and such an iconic rock album.

UPDATE: Here’s video of the original flying pig being raised above Battersea Station. Fantastic. Thanks to Pavan Rajam.