Donald Campbell’s legendary hydroplane, Bluebird K7 starred in the Lady Mayor’s Show on Saturday (8th November) which was broadcast live on BBC 1 to over 20 million people.
Bluebird was brought to the Show by the Ruskin Museum, who houses the boat, and entered by The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers. They were assisted by the Worshipful Company of Carmen, who provided back up in the form of a 100-year-old D Type bus.
The daughter of Donald Campbell, Gina Campbell, who sadly could not attend the Show, said: “I give huge thanks to all that helped to get my late father, Donald Campbell’s iconic boat Bluebird K7 included in the Lady Mayor’s Show on Saturday. She was entered by The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers, who were assisted by The Worshipful Company of Carmen and I am very grateful to them.”
She added: “I am very proud that she was invited to take part in this amazing display of all that is British. I am so sorry that I could not attend in person due to minor health issues. But the Ruskin Museum and other members of my family were able to take part in this special occasion.”
Accompanying Donald Campbell’s famous boat in the Show were his nephews, Don Wales and Peter Hulme.
Peter said: “It was a true honour to accompany K7 in the Lady Mayors Show on Saturday, and for the people of London to be able see Bluebird close up and marvel at such an iconic piece of British engineering and design.”
Don said: “The Campbell Family is honoured that Bluebird K7 is part of the Lady Mayor’s Show. It was a great opportunity to show my uncle’s boat to not just London, but the whole country, and I am sure he would be proud. The Lady Mayor’s Show has helped bring Donald Campbell’s name and achievements to a new generation.”
Bluebird K7 is a jet engined hydroplane that was piloted by the speed ace Donald Campbell. Between 1955 and 1964 he broke the outright World Water Speed Record on seven separate occasions in Bluebird K7, four of them on Coniston Water in Cumbria. In 1964 Donald Campbell became the only person ever to break the World Water and the World Land Speed Record in the same calendar year.
Steve Fitz-Gerald, Past Master Coachmaker said: “It was an honour for Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers to participate in this year’s Lady Mayor’s Show. We were supported by our partners, the Ruskin Museum who house Bluebird K7, The Worshipful Company of Carmen and the Surbiton Royal British Legion Youth Marching Band.”
The day before the Show, Dame Susan Langley DBE, Lady Mayor of London, welcomed Bluebird K7, to Mansion before she left for her admission as Lady Mayor at the Silent Ceremony.
In front of K7 in the parade was the Surbiton Royal British Legion Youth Marching Band playing the Bluebird K7 March (3rd movement of the Bluebird K7 Suite for Orchestra) by Lt Col Craig Hallatt, Clerk of the Coachmakers.
Next year in May, the boat will run again for the first time since Donald Campbell died trying to beat his own speed record. 2026 was chosen as it is the 70th anniversary of Donald Campbell’s first World Water Speed Record on Coniston Water.
