I am now getting on in years and I thought that I had better explain that El Lole was one of many racing drivers I admired, his name was Carlos Reutemann and along with Donald Campbell was one of my heroes.
Ah, both of them just a little before my time, though I was a huge Nigel Mansell fan and willed him on with Murray Walker on BBC2 on a Sunday afternoon until he finally won the championship. Was never fussed about Senna's brilliance or The Professor's clinical approach and why does everyone think Ferarri is so wonderful? Nope, the slightly beleaguered brummie did it for me. I liked Damon and Jenson and there's no denying Lewis's brilliance - but Nige remains my all time favourite.
As for those who hide behind social media making mischief - I view them as a bit of sport, to be honest. I mean, lets get right to basics - anyone who flaps their lips without the balls or backbone to do it under their real name just rendered themselves as pathetic and meaningless as whatever they just said. And our BBP following Internet sleuths, hackers and troll-hunters always find out who they are anyway so we out one now and again just for savage amusement - don't we, Mr. Head.
I'm a happy, family guy. I collect butterflies, breed chickens, make metal flowers and have successful business interests and the very best friends - I'm happy in my own skin and as far from the evil overlord as it's possible to imagine but if these morons want to cast me in that role I'll relish playing it for them because we all get a laugh out of it. It's all water off a duck's back and a giggle at the same time.
Regarding common sense - we have plenty of it or we'd not have brought the project as far as we have. Donald had all but sunk into obscurity in the 34 years following his death yet we dragged him back from the brink along with his boat in a 15 year labour of love that eventually saw his name and boat on pretty much every TV in the land on prime-time, One Show BBC splendour for the first time since 1967 and even then it was for all the wrong reasons.
We'd built the whole Bluebird / Campbell thing back up to fever pitch but what happened next? did the museum fall over itself to keep up the momentum by moving Heaven and Earth to make sure we capitalised on the extremely successful 2018 crew training exercise in getting us onto Coniston Water in 2019?
Did Gina lend her influence to the effort to open doors and make it happen?
Nope - the museum dropped the ball then fell for the Qualcast Kid's money making scam and all but bust themselves whilst Gina, aided and abetted by Mr. Head committed her dreadful act of treachery on 4th January - of all the inappropriate days to do such a thing too - and in so doing cast a terrible black stain over her father's lovingly rebuilt legacy not to mention flabbergasting and losing the respect of pretty much everyone who witnessed it. What boggled my brain most of all was trying to understand the thinking. I mean, did anyone imagine for one living second that when Mr. Whoppit came flying out of the pram that anyone in the BBP would even contemplate taking their eye off the ball? We built
K7 to run into the futre because she's too young to sit in a crusty old museum - now who was it who said that? Incidentally, The Kid took grave exception to that remark because he was already smarming up to the museum with his Beaulieu scheme and it didn't do him any good at all but I digress.
Now where were we? Ah, yes, common sense.
Let's just suppose that common sense was to prevail all of a sudden. Job-one would be for everyone to draw a line in the sand, step over it and never look back - we can do that. For all my battles with the HLF back in the day I still keep in touch with, and have a friendly relationship with, the head honcho who turned our bid down, it isn't difficult. Next, the museum would pick up the phone to discuss just how we are all going to work together going forward because there's no reason why everyone can't win. Then Gina would acknowledge that she made a massive misstep and start building bridges quick as you like with the help of Mr. Head who ought to realise that his contribution to the tarnish and delays is also considerable by now.
Oh, and return Novie's number plates and beg his forgiveness for treating him like dirt on her shoe after his quarter-century of unwavering devotion - but that's a story for another day.
Trouble is, common sense grows at the speed of dark so while we wait we'll just enjoy one another's company in the workshop and very soon on the little support boat for a few trips out to sea and just keep on keeping on until we can pick up the threads of the big tin boat job once again.
Happy days.