A letter from the Deputy Editor, February 2026

It seems only yesterday that I was writing my last letter to you in December. Christmas seems a long while ago, we are now well into the New Year, and there has been a lot going on in the past month.

Coachlines once again reports some of the great activities that we carry out and our push to be “a Livery investing in young people.” This I believe we are doing thanks to the awards and bursaries that we are giving to young people, an initiative driven by the Charity Committee. But this can only be sustained and increased if we all play our part and help raise the funds that we need by taking part in livery events, as the Master Richard Chalesworth MVO, points out in his message.

A good example of our work with young people, is illustrated in two Arkwright awards sponsored by The Coachmakers, and which were presented at events in Reading and Leeds, attended by members of the Charity Committee, as reported in this edition.

The Charity Committee has seen several changes. It has recently appointed Assistant Roger Woodbridge to Chair the committee. Junior Warden Eric Wallbank, who has chaired the committee for the past five years and who has developed the breadth and depth of the charity offering, stays on as Deputy Chair.

In his message this month, the Master talks about his visit to the annual Saddlers’ Showcase at Saddlers’ Hall. He explains that there are still a surprising number of craftsmen and women, in many cases quite young, in the business of making saddles, bridles and other harnesses in this country and beyond. The visit was also a good opportunity to have conversations about support that other liveries, and the harness world may be able to provide to us in our 350th year.

The Master also joined the Motor Centenary Award team at the Royal College of Art in Battersea to interview candidates for the award.

This month Assistant Sir Kevin Leeson KCB CBE, Chairman of the Membership Committee, makes an urgent appeal to our cadre of Freemen pointing out that among our 436 paying Coachmakers, there are 98 Freemen who are not part of our under-35 cadre, but who were sworn as Freemen more than two years ago, and have yet to progress their Coachmaker membership to being clothed as Liverymen. He points out that as we approach our 350th anniversary the Livery is keen to maximise our Liverymen total.

There is more from Honorary Assistant David Barrett reporting on the recent dinner at Watermen’s Hall.

The Festival for Bluebird K7 which will see it back on Coniston Water for the first time since the crash in which Donald Campbell died, moves forward with less than three months to go.

It’s a frenetic time for all involved with lots going on but one of the recent highlights was the visit of Dave Warby, current World Water Speed Record contender, to the UK for the first time.

Dave saw Bluebird K7 at St Athan in Glamorgan, where it is being prepared for the runs on Coniston Water in May. He then travelled to Coniston to see where Donald set many of his records.

I had the privilege of having dinner with Dave and some of his team at the Crown Inn in Coniston where beneath a photograph of Donald, pictured before one of his runs, Dave talked about his feelings. “This week has been an emotional roller coaster, visiting the UK for the first time, seeing and touching Bluebird which I idolised as a child, and then coming to Coniston where it all happened,” he said.

Accompanied by his partner Lesa Wilkins and water speed record team member Peter Jarrett, Dave added: “To my father, Donald Campbell was a real hero. It was his quest to break the world water speed record that inspired my father and then me.”

Dave said: “As a child I spent hours with a Jetex model of Bluebird K7. Then as I got older, I worked with my father on building his record-breaking hydroplane which we built in the yard at the back of our house.”

As a child, Dave grew up in a world where he heard names such as Donald Campbell, Malcolm Campbell, Lee Taylor, Sir Henry Segrave, John Cobb – and what they stood for.

There are still some places left for the Bluebird K7 festival car run. This is a one-off opportunity to see Bluebird running subject to weather conditions. If you are interested, then do please book your place on the website.

On another car matter, Past Master Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey has been working with fellow Coachmaker Liveryman John Worth the Chairman of the Classics in the Walled Garden event, which supports the NSPCC and Luton Hoo walled garden project.

This will be the 17th year of this popular and informal gathering of classic and supercar enthusiasts, who bring their cars along to be admired in a great setting, and which raises money for two good causes.

Deputy Editor
David Barzilay