A letter from the Deputy Editor – April 2026

Motoring and carriages seem to come to the fore this month with the Clerk reminiscing about Eric Morecambe and his cars, young automotive award winners being applauded and our Car Club colleagues setting off to see Bluebird K7 run on Coniston Water on 16th May.

Putting Bluebird back on Coniston Water has been a long time in the making and has given many people sleepless nights. The logistics of putting a world water speed icon back onto the piece of water where its pilot was tragically killed, has long been debated – should it even be taking place?

But the whole saga goes back many years with Gina Campbell agreeing to the boat being salvaged provided that her father’s body was recovered, and working on the basis that if the boat was not recovered then souvenir hunters would dive on it and remove items from it. It was a difficult decision.

Gina and the Campbell family decided to gift the boat to the Museum and the person who raised it, agreed to restore the boat so it could go into a special wing that the museum funded to house what many see as a national icon.

Problems then ensued between the museum and the person who raised the boat and who had restored it, with many delays before the boat arrived at the museum two years ago. Since then, the museum team has worked with the National Park residents and numerous bodies to put the boat back onto Coniston Water and run it.

It has been a mammoth task with all sorts of roadblocks. But starting on Monday 11th May the famous hydroplane will take to the water for a series of runs each day, ending on 17th May with world water speed contender Dave Warby at the controls.

The Museum and its team have had a difficult task and have gone through a lot to make this happen.

Supporting young people is something that we do well and this month is no exception with three young student winners receiving their design bursary awards at the recent Automotive Dinner.

The Automotive Awards Committee Chairman, Assistant Giles Taylor recently increased the number of awards to cover three of the most eminent automotive design courses in the UK. This was recognised at the dinner and it will be interesting to see how these three students develop in the future.

A few years ago, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type and working with Liveryman Ian Callum CBE and then Chairman of Classic Motor Cars Ltd, Peter Neumark, we encouraged young designers to come up with artwork to celebrate the event.

One young student, Claudio Barbato designed a stunning sculpture of an E-Type, a copy of which I have and treasure. Today he is a very successful designer with a well-known automotive company. It just goes to show what can happen when young people are supported and encouraged.

Also, on the car front as I mentioned earlier, the Clerk Lt Col Craig Hallatt reminds us that comedian Eric Morecambe would have been 100 this month and he looks at two of the cars that were in Eric’s stable, a Jensen Interceptor and Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Both played important roles in his life. It’s a great overview and there is now a lot of interest in classics that were owned by the rich and famous.

Steward Mark Jurd takes you on yet another historical journey, as he tells us the story of Charles Sandford Windover, the driving force behind a coach-building family which set up its company in Grantham.

Liveryman Andrew Blatherwick has sent a very interesting report on the Brooklands Innovation Academy. The report reveals how the event inspires young people and generates increased awareness and interest in STEM subjects – in which we provide a strong contribution. We are taking part in the Innovation Day again this year on 7th October, so please put that date in your diaries.

Finally, Liveryman Alistair Boyes, our Livery Shooting Captain has sent a report about a day spent at the Honesberie Shooting School with participants shooting more than 100 targets.

This triggered shooting memories of my own, being a boarder at Bisley School, now a prison! And in later years, looking after public relations for Bisley Shooting Ground.

Thank you to all of our contributors this issue. I encourage you all to put pen to paper about the various Livery events with which we are involved, and other activities and stories you think fellow Coachmakers would be interested in.

Deputy Editor
Freeman David Barzilay