A bit of local interest.

[Chippy_Tea]

Donald Campbell's restored Bluebird set for Scotland run.

Donald Campbell's Bluebird will take to the water for the first time in more than 50 years this weekend.

The record-breaking hydroplane has arrived on the Isle of Bute in Scotland, where it will undergo tests.

Campbell, 45, was killed when the Bluebird K7 - travelling at more than 300mph - flipped and crashed on Coniston Water in 1967.

A team has been working on the restoration on Tyneside after it was salvaged from the lake in 2001.

Campbell was attempting to break his own water speed record of 276mph when he crashed.

Lead engineer of the North Shields project team, Bill Smith, said: "We have had five years of cataloguing everything that was salvaged and another 10 years of putting her back together.

"Every part has been cleaned and repaired. She looks absolutely beautiful now and she is how she should be."

The team has posted a photo of the restored boat being put on to a trailer for the journey to Scotland on social media.

Read full article - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-45037080

 

[Dutto]

Seeing the original black and white film on TV in 1967 was one of those horrible moments that last a lifetime!

No matter how often I've seen it since then, I still get a cold shiver up my spine.

I think Bluebird should have been restored and put on show in a museum as a memento of a very brave man; rather than be launched and run.

Personally, I don't think they could have shown less respect for Donald Campbell's memory if they had stuck an outboard on the back of his coffin.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

He died doing what he loved as many sportsmen and women have over the years i don't share your view that restoring bluebird shows disrespect and as you can see below neither does his daughter.




Lake District National Park team leader Steve Tatlock said there had been a long history of powerboating and record-breaking in the Lake District and a change had been made to the Coniston Water byelaws to allow the proving trials to take place.

He said the park was looking forward to receiving an application: “Although Bluebird won’t run at record breaking speeds during her proving trials, the sight of her travelling at speed across Coniston Water is sure to be an emotive and emotional moment and likely to attract the attention of many, not least the world media.”

Donald Campbell’s daughter, Gina Campbell, said she didn’t have the final say but wanted the proving trails to take place on Coniston Water.

She said: "My dying promise and wish is to see that boat back on Coniston for the people of Coniston to glean whatever they can from it in terms of support and publicity and customers to boost the village."

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/lakes...-1967-0fb4aa9b-e440-4b56-90ad-7c413119787d-ds

For those too young to remember it here is the crash Dutto refers to above.