Fondest Memory: Of course Coniston is famous for Donald Campbell and his famous "Bluebird".
Donald Campbell CBE was the obsessive holder of world land and water speed records and died in Coniston lake on January 4 1967 while trying to break his own record. Possibly striking a log the turbo jet powered hyfroplane "Bluebird" disintegrated at around 300 miles an hour.
He had broken the world water speed record seven times in 10 years when the accident happened. Having hit 202.32mph on Ullswater in July 1955, he bettered it on December 31, 1964, at Dumbleyung Lake, Australia when he reached 276.33mph.
His penchant for record breaking brought him back to Coniston for a final time.
His last reported words heard over the intercom were: “She’s going, she’s going.” His body was not found at the tome of the tradegy.
In December 2000 divers testing underwater cameras found the wreckage. In March 2001 Bluebird was recovered from the lake bed . The tail was undamaged but the front cockpit area was completely crushed.
The Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum Charitable Trust now want to provide a permanent home for the remains of Bluebird and are seeking permission for a 10m by 10m extension to the Museum to house it. The application is supported by a letter from the Curator of the museum stating that Bluebird is part of Coniston’s heritage and the people of Coniston "believe most strongly" that the craft belongs in the town as a "permanent memorial to a great British hero".
In August 2001 the Barrow in Furness coroner decided that based on DNA evidence the remains found near the wreck of Bluebird were those of the late Donald Campbell. His daughter, Gina Campbell, 51, from Leeds, can at last officially hold an official service following the loss of her father, who died when she was just 17.
This commemorative plaque can be found on the village green near the church.
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on Feb 25, 2003
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