On 4 January 1967, Donald Campbell set out across Coniston Water in a brave attempt to set a new water speed record of more than 300mph in his old warhorse Bluebird K7, the hydroplane in which he had successfully set seven records between 1955 and 1964.
The endeavour was, in fact, something of a publicity stunt as he was trying to raise money for a new Mach 1.1 rocket-powered car, but he was competing against the space race and wasn’t attracting commercial backers.
Technical problems and poor weather in the autumn of 1966 had hindered his efforts but he managed to take to the water on Christmas Day, when there were, of course, no officials to witness his achievements.
On the second kilometre of his 4 January run, he was moving at 328mph when something went terribly wrong – exactly what is still a bit of a mystery. Campbell – the only person to have set both water and land world speed records in the same year – was killed.
He had always maintained he wanted to ‘die with his boots on’, having watched his father, Sir Malcolm Campbell – who had also broken both records in his time, some in craft named Bluebird – decline after a major stroke.
Even though Sir Malcolm had been a distant father who claimed his son didn’t have what it took to follow in his footsteps, Donald Campbell worshipped his dad, and actually went on to better his achievements, of course. Between them, the two Campbells set 11 speed records on water and 10 on land.
This poignant toy probably sums up the young Campbell’s feelings. It didn’t cost anything and was made with love at Christmas 1929 to cheer up his father, who hadn’t managed to break any records that year.
The eight-year-old Campbell wrapped a pencil stub in silver paper, attached a drawing pin at each corner for wheels and wrote the craft’s name on an old matchbox. It’s a very touching object in the collection housed in the museum’s Bluebird Wing, established to tell the story of Campbell’s astonishing achievements and his close relationship with the local people.
Following the accident, the village was given the task of looking after the crash site, which the family wanted to treat as a grave, and locals became very adept at misdirecting interested parties to the wrong part of the lake.
In the late 1990s, the Bluebird Project took advantage of advances in diving technology and began searching the lake; in 2001, sections of Bluebird K7, still bearing the distinctive colour, were brought to the surface along with the remains of its pilot.
Campbell’s funeral was held at St Andrew’s Church in September 2001 and he was buried in Coniston Cemetery. His family bequeathed Bluebird K7 to the museum and it is currently undergoing full restoration.
Victoria Slowe is the director and curator of the Ruskin Museum in Coniston, Cumbria
Interview by John Holt. The Ruskin Museum and village of Coniston are holding a series of events on 4-7 January to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the last voyage of Donald Campbell.
The endeavour was, in fact, something of a publicity stunt as he was trying to raise money for a new Mach 1.1 rocket-powered car, but he was competing against the space race and wasn’t attracting commercial backers.
Technical problems and poor weather in the autumn of 1966 had hindered his efforts but he managed to take to the water on Christmas Day, when there were, of course, no officials to witness his achievements.
On the second kilometre of his 4 January run, he was moving at 328mph when something went terribly wrong – exactly what is still a bit of a mystery. Campbell – the only person to have set both water and land world speed records in the same year – was killed.
He had always maintained he wanted to ‘die with his boots on’, having watched his father, Sir Malcolm Campbell – who had also broken both records in his time, some in craft named Bluebird – decline after a major stroke.
Even though Sir Malcolm had been a distant father who claimed his son didn’t have what it took to follow in his footsteps, Donald Campbell worshipped his dad, and actually went on to better his achievements, of course. Between them, the two Campbells set 11 speed records on water and 10 on land.
This poignant toy probably sums up the young Campbell’s feelings. It didn’t cost anything and was made with love at Christmas 1929 to cheer up his father, who hadn’t managed to break any records that year.
The eight-year-old Campbell wrapped a pencil stub in silver paper, attached a drawing pin at each corner for wheels and wrote the craft’s name on an old matchbox. It’s a very touching object in the collection housed in the museum’s Bluebird Wing, established to tell the story of Campbell’s astonishing achievements and his close relationship with the local people.
Following the accident, the village was given the task of looking after the crash site, which the family wanted to treat as a grave, and locals became very adept at misdirecting interested parties to the wrong part of the lake.
In the late 1990s, the Bluebird Project took advantage of advances in diving technology and began searching the lake; in 2001, sections of Bluebird K7, still bearing the distinctive colour, were brought to the surface along with the remains of its pilot.
Campbell’s funeral was held at St Andrew’s Church in September 2001 and he was buried in Coniston Cemetery. His family bequeathed Bluebird K7 to the museum and it is currently undergoing full restoration.
Victoria Slowe is the director and curator of the Ruskin Museum in Coniston, Cumbria
Interview by John Holt. The Ruskin Museum and village of Coniston are holding a series of events on 4-7 January to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the last voyage of Donald Campbell.
