'Donald Campbell- The Final Record Attempt' by Neil Sheppard

[ace_chris]

Came across this website this afternoon, looks like an interesting project;

http://www.bluebirdk7.com/

[Renegadenemo]

I can second that. Neil has been very good to us and fully deserves his project to be a success. Good luck, Neil

[sheppane]

Thanks for your kind words guys. I was going to announce the website go-live this evening, but had a small washing machine crisis.

Anyhow... The Book ' This Rather Stony Path. Donald Campbell - The Last Record Attempt should be out in the spring.

As you all know, my photograph collection is rather large, and I have been lucky enough to get permission from 5 plus photographers to publish their images for the first time, many of them in colour. Metro Imaging have very kindly offered to prepare the photographs for publication. The quality should be superb.

I have been given unprecedented access to many previously unseen documents about the last attempt from many individuals intimately involved in the project.

A proportion of the net proceeds of the book (between 50 and 100%) will be donated to the Ruskin Museum Bluebird wing appeal fund

Keep visiting the website for updates. Once again, thanks for your kind words. I means a lot to know there will be a lot of interest and support out there.

Neil

[Piston Broke]

(Will tweak the thread heading here to make it clearer to anyone passing that it's about a forthcoming book.)

Glad Neil is doing the book Because Mike can't even spell

'This Rather Stony Path' - fortchoming book by Neil Shepherd

[Renegadenemo]

'Fortchoming'... Dictionary.com didn't have an entry for that one. But seriously, there will soon be a new and ongoing organisation competing for everyone's loose change because the wheels are in motion to establish a conservation trust or similar to take care of the BBP's stake in K7.
She's not going to be wholly owned by the museum - and I've explained to them already that we're retaining a stake in her - because we need to ensure that the museologists can never reduce her to a dead machine or ship her off to the Science Museum if times get hard. The present staff won't be presiding over her forever so we need to look ahead. We need unfettered access for inspection, maintenance and any other specialist attention our big tin boat may need over the years without having to fart about with bureaucracy and so it will be. Watch this space...

[sheppane]

The Format of the book is 8' x 10'. About 200 pages, 25,000 words and approx 200 illustrations. Big enough to display the images to full effect, accessible enough so you don't need a coffee table to read it!

A proportion of the Charitable contribution mentioned on the website will be going to the Bluebird K7 Conservation Trust...

[sheppane]

Meant to say before- nice website design!

What format of book are you planning Neil- knowing you as an images man, I keep picturing a huge photo tome like the Leo's Album book, with comprehensive captioning?

(Will tweak the thread heading here to make it clearer to anyone passing that it's about a forthcoming book.)

Thanks Mike.

Sandra, my wonderful girlfriend should take ALL the credit. I think it's superb as well...

[lsrdatabase]

Hi Neil,

Good on yah! I always felt you were the one to write the definitive book on K7, and doesn't it feel good to contribute to something that has occupied so much of our leisuretime hours.

I'm quite sure there are those that think we are only doing it for what we get out of it, how wrong they are. Although at times, we are thought of as being quite mad. But, if this is madness it'll do for me.

The many hours spent in preperation and research can never really be estimated, but when your working on something so close to your heart, it doesn't matter anyway does it?

'This Rather Stony Path' , I can't wait to get my copy!

Kindest regards, Fred


'I'm just that bloke, who won't go away!'

[quicksilver-wsr]

I'd like to add my voice of support behind Neil's book.

Although I don't know you personally, Neil, I know you know your facts and will make a great job of it.

Having earned my living for a large proportion of my adult life as an author, and got involved in the publishing side too, I know how a book project becomes a labour of love and takes a lot of dedication to see through to a successful result.

The Campbell story never dies and it continues to inspire decades after Donald's passing. This book is certain to be well-received, and will remind everyone of what it took to forge a legend.

[Pullman99]

Wonderful to hear that you are producing a book Neil. The timing of its publication could not be more appropriate and I trust that it will receive the response this work clearly deserves. My order will certainly be there.

As one of many who have continually been fascinated and motivated by Donald Campbell and his achievements; for me it was the CN7 car from 1960 that captutred my imagination at about the same age as Neil was when he first heard of K7. I must have had one of the first Corgi models of CN7 and it should still be in its box somewhere!

I have a copy of "With Campbell at Coniston" by Arthur Knowles but do not have the revised and extended edition "The Bluebird Years" produced by Graham Beech. I know that he is / was a travel writer but does anyone have any further information on how or why this new edition was produced? In the early 1980s I received a call from Arthur Knowles enquiring about my interest in the 1935 Bluebird car and he mentioned that he had been asked by Lady Dorothy Campbell to produce a biography although I am not sure how far this project progressed.