Hi All,
My wife and I were at the Southampton H.o.A. What a fine museum it is, for anyone looking for aircraft which had a connection with the Bluebird K7.
In this quite small building, they have shoe-horned so many aircraft that you would't believe. They include a 'Sea Vixon', a 'Sunderland Flying Boat', a 'Folland Gnat', a 'Supermarine S.6', a 'Saunders-Roe SR. A1 'Squirt' Flying Boat, and many more.
If you would like to see some pics, I've posted 35 photos on my forum at: http://www.rainbowcoloured.co.uk
Redards to all, Fred
'I'm just the pest, that won't go away'.
What have forum members been up to?
Re: What did you do at the weekend?
I have to agree with Fred 100%. The SR/a1 is THE very aircraft Donlad's Beryl came out of, and the sister engine was also on display there. I was very lucky last time I went (to photograph the S6). I had quite a few pictures of the S6 and S6b with me, that the museum hadn't got, so I let them have my "doubles" and was rewarded by joining the staff for tea, in the Ansett Airlines Sunderland, sitting in the original wicker passenger seats! Very much worth a visit.
Steve Holter, UK and France, and sometimes reality....................
Re: What did you do at the weekend?
Over the weekend, I overhauled the engine lubrication system on my 1946 Norton 16H:
She is no record breaker, having a 500cc sidevalve engine developing 12 HP and is flat out at 70 mph! But she is full of character and absolutely reliable. I only do about about 500 miles per year on this bike though - I have a Moto-Guzzi SPIII for clocking up serious miles.
The Norton's engine has a dry-sump system with gear type oil pump and the pump needed an overhaul to improve flow. I also replaced all the rubber oil piping between the oil tank and engine. The lubrication system now seems 100% again and I am beginning to think the bike will outlive me!
She is no record breaker, having a 500cc sidevalve engine developing 12 HP and is flat out at 70 mph! But she is full of character and absolutely reliable. I only do about about 500 miles per year on this bike though - I have a Moto-Guzzi SPIII for clocking up serious miles.
The Norton's engine has a dry-sump system with gear type oil pump and the pump needed an overhaul to improve flow. I also replaced all the rubber oil piping between the oil tank and engine. The lubrication system now seems 100% again and I am beginning to think the bike will outlive me!
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1 in 10 people understands binary. The other one doesn't
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Graham Milne
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Re: What did you do at the weekend?
Well folks, to carry on from this thread, I can tell you that I have just returned from a great long weekend in Coniston.
That's been my 3rd trip to Coniston, and it certainly won't be my last. Went out in a motorboat down the lake, passed the original speed recording markers left from many years ago, and that brought a lump to my throat. I'd previously been out in an organised tour down the lake and the Donald showed us where roughly Bluebird went down, so that was also a bit surreal.
Bluebird Cafe, or should that be Bluebird Portacabin (I assume they're still repairing the original cafe flood damage?) is still showing some lovely artwork of Bluebird and DC.
That bad-tempered swan is still kicking around, can't feed the ducks without the big rascal sticking his beak in, ha ha.
Spotted 'Predator' on her trailer in the boat-park, Bill she needs a wash my man!
I was woken early on Saturday morning by the sound of over 100 Mk1 and Mk2 Ford RS Escorts roaring through the village in convoy, it turns out there was a ford RS rally round the lakes. It took a good hour for all the cars to pass through. I went in to the Newsagent for a paper and the old lady behind the counter was commenting to someone that there seemed to be an awful lot of 'misfiring' cars going through the village! Ha ha, I had to laugh.
End result? A great weekend, but I'm home wondering where all my hard-earned pennies have gone. It seems I went slightly overboard on the Bluebird Bitter sold in the Black Bull, and I wasn't a stranger to the Yewdale across the road either. Oh well....
That's been my 3rd trip to Coniston, and it certainly won't be my last. Went out in a motorboat down the lake, passed the original speed recording markers left from many years ago, and that brought a lump to my throat. I'd previously been out in an organised tour down the lake and the Donald showed us where roughly Bluebird went down, so that was also a bit surreal.
Bluebird Cafe, or should that be Bluebird Portacabin (I assume they're still repairing the original cafe flood damage?) is still showing some lovely artwork of Bluebird and DC.
That bad-tempered swan is still kicking around, can't feed the ducks without the big rascal sticking his beak in, ha ha.
Spotted 'Predator' on her trailer in the boat-park, Bill she needs a wash my man!
I was woken early on Saturday morning by the sound of over 100 Mk1 and Mk2 Ford RS Escorts roaring through the village in convoy, it turns out there was a ford RS rally round the lakes. It took a good hour for all the cars to pass through. I went in to the Newsagent for a paper and the old lady behind the counter was commenting to someone that there seemed to be an awful lot of 'misfiring' cars going through the village! Ha ha, I had to laugh.
End result? A great weekend, but I'm home wondering where all my hard-earned pennies have gone. It seems I went slightly overboard on the Bluebird Bitter sold in the Black Bull, and I wasn't a stranger to the Yewdale across the road either. Oh well....
Looks like one of those new 'Japanese' sportscars..............
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Renegadenemo
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Re: What did you do at the weekend?
She's awaiting the attention of the engine guys to give her a good service then we may go and take a peek for Donald's instrument panel.Spotted 'Predator' on her trailer in the boat-park, Bill she needs a wash my man!
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
Re: What did you do at the weekend?
And nose badge............... 
Steve Holter, UK and France, and sometimes reality....................
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Renegadenemo
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Re: What did you do at the weekend?
Yes, definitely. It would be great to get that back.And nose badge...............
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
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Graham Milne
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:58 pm
Re: What did you do at the weekend?
Aye aye, who's the joker in the pack then? Ha ha. I'm just reading my post again, and the bit about when I took an organised boat ride down the lake seems to have been 'altered'......It certainly wasn't Donald who showed me where Bluebird went down, I wrote the word 'Sk1pper'.....and now it seems to have been changed to read 'Donald'......ha ha. (You'll notice I've put a '1' instead of an 'i' in case it happens again due to a 'bug' in the system......)
Bill, the 'Sk1pper' of that tour said Bluebird crashed almost opposite the house in the trees on the Peel Island side, halfway up the lake. Was he accurate in saying that?
Looks like one of those new 'Japanese' sportscars..............
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Renegadenemo
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Re: What did you do at the weekend?
He wasn't far away. It's actually a little north of there but there's no landmark so they use the house as being the nearest one. If you were heading north at the time you'll have gone through the crash site.Bill, the 'Sk1pper' of that tour said Bluebird crashed almost opposite the house in the trees on the Peel Island side, halfway up the lake. Was he accurate in saying that?
I'm only a plumber from Cannock...
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
"As to reward, my profession is its own reward;" Sherlock Holmes.
'It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.' W.C. Fields.
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Graham Milne
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:58 pm
Re: What did you do at the weekend?
Ah, interesting stuff. Exactly how deep is the water at that point? My partner asked me this last week when we were out on the lake, and unfortunately I didn't know. I told her it was 'deep enough' and changed the subject to something I knew 'something' about.....ha ha.
Looks like one of those new 'Japanese' sportscars..............