Here's something you don't see every day...
As we're up in Newcastle, our mate Andy Kershaw invited us across to
North Shields to visit him on a very special project he's involved with...the
restoration of Donald Campbell's iconic Bluebird...the jet boat that claimed
his life during a world record speed attempt on Coniston Water in 1967...
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| World speed record attempt, 1967 |
Andy is involved in raising awareness of the project and also a possible
documentary about the whole thing.
Me, Gary and Merv drove over there this afternoon to have a look and
meet the team... my goosepimples had goosepimples on them when I saw the
boat...huge portions of which were all intact due to the depth the boat was at,
about 140 feet down...but also because of the coldness of the fresh water...
nothing lives down there to create rust or eat away at the wreckage, which was
also partially buried in mud...further preserving it...
It blew us away...and Bill Smith, the head of the team, who actually
found the boat, standing there on the lake bed in his pressurized diving
suit.... (what a rush that must have been!) was only too keen to answer our
questions and let us take pictures...
They're due to attempt some trials this August...yep...they’ve got it
running and are confident we'll see it on the water again...
A truly memorable hour of my life...
Baz
March 2018
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| Merv, Andy, Gaz, Baz and Bill (L to R) |
