This morning my eldest daughter brought a fat envelope upstairs in which was a pile of paperwork from the Ruskin Museum. It contained nothing new, the crucial difference being that this time it not only targeted Bluebird Project but also me personally and therefore, by extension, my family.
I called up various assorted legal minds. First a barrister, then I had a lengthy conference with a litigation lawyer and finally we got an old friend KC on the phone top run it past him. All agreed on the way forward but, unfortunately, all also agreed that to take K7 to Elvington brought with it unnecessary risk of additional costly lawyerly activity that we can simply do without.
All agreed that this would be known to the other side so its arrival today is suggestive of this being no coincidence.
My immediate thoughts were for the ever-dedicated team who have grafted since Christmas to have the boat and all our equipment ready and to be properly drilled and rehearsed as a team to safely and professionally operate the boat for public and charitable benefit. Then I thought of everyone at Straightliners too who have worked equally hard to put on a great event. Of the people excited to visit, who've told their kids they're going for a great day out. Of the hoteliers and publicans and the people who have booked accommodation. It's a very long list of wounded parties. We've been up front about Elvington since before Christmas and invited the RM to be a part of a great event much as we have invited them, on numerous occasions, to sit with us and discuss a future that guarantees them, us and the public what they want to see, hear and feel.
By lunchtime tomorrow, if nothing has changed, we will, with the deepest of regret, be forced to let all those good people down and we don't want to do that but we do want you to know that we have done all in our power to promote and participate in what ought to be a wonderful event and a world-class celebration of both Bluebird K7 and Donald Campbell, plus the ongoing brilliance of some of Britain's present engineers.
Maybe the Museum will read this and reconsider. Maybe enough people will shout about it that the museum reads this and reconsiders or maybe lunchtime tomorrow will bring with it an announcement that we didn't want, and shouldn't have to make.
[Edit] We alerted the organisers of the Straightliners event yesterday afternoon and they made an all out effort to secure K7 for the weekend via the museum and even their solicitors but they were rebuffed. It is just gobsmacking that that could happen - I have no words.
But just to be absolutely clear - Bluebird Project is still committed to displaying K7 in the Bluebird Wing, we always were and that hasn't changed, ever. And we remain ever willing to discuss it and reach a deal. We've never wavered from that position either.
Bill
This group should be renamed Bullshit Bill and the Gammons. A shower of rabid fantasists and liars with no respect for anyone whose opinion differs from theirs, no respect for the truth, no respect for Donald Campbell or the thousands they have deprived of the pleasure of seeing his boat in its rightful place.
Feel free to delete this Bill you coward, thats all you can do, you certainly can’t defend your actions! I wonder, what will your legacy be? 😂 Give it back if you’ve a shred of decency,
Questions. Was the boat insured? If so was it paid out? If that's actually the case, who had the right to "gift it!"
It's such a shame after all the hard work that has been put in to this and that it was being done for a good cause too. Also as the wreckage is owned by LLoyds of London surely the ruskin should be as nice as pie to make sure they don't loose everything but they obviously can't see that and it doesn't surprise me, their overconfidence will be their undoing and that's a shame.
Timing.. is everything, with this. Clearly (IMO... YMMV) the RM intended this action to have maximum impact , publicity, whatever.
Seems quite a childish way to go on. Hiding behind Lawyers, refusing to meet or negotiate. Ridiculous.
Everyone has a different opinion, mine is that the legacy ended when it crashed, what went before is history, and there does not need to be any any new history created, now that its rebuilt it belongs on display alongside the CN7 at the National Museum not the Ruskin which is tinpot. The true legacy which will probably never be repeated is that both records were held in the same year by the same man. The vehicles should be together so that future generations can understand the enormity of the achievement. Or perhaps you will all argue for a few more years to satisfy your enormous egos.