{"product_id":"als-to-lord-camden-regarding-his-plans-and-trials-in-bluebird-1800158","title":"ALS to Lord Camden regarding his plans and trials in ‘Bluebird’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA single sheet of writing paper (20 x 25cm), printed to one side only; header with Donald Campbell’s name, telephone extension number, and Betchworth address; followed by 21 lines of typed text, addressed in blue ink to ‘My Dear Lord Camden’ and signed to the bottom ‘With all good wishes \/ Yours ever \/ Donald’; sometime affixed into an album or mount, with evidence of rusted staples to the upper edge; spotting and a couple of nicks, corner creases and short closed tears to edges; a wonderful survival. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn important early letter from Donald Campbell to Lord Camden, dated 1954, shortly before he went on to set the first of seven world water speed records in July 1955. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAddressed to Lord Camden at The Royal Automobile Club in London, Campbell refers to a “confidential brochure drawn up some time ago to provide background information for the many firms associated with the project”. This is now sadly lost, but Campbell does go on to provide further information regarding the conditions surrounding his upcoming speed tests. “The recent floods in the north have severely damaged the new slipway at Ullswater”, he writes, “in the circumstances, we have decided to postpone initial trials until the first week in the New Year. This will also give the “lads” a chance for a well-earned rest. They have had but one day off in the last eight weeks.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn to the son of Sir Malcolm Campbell (who himself had set 13 world speed records in the 1920s and 1930s), Donald was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. It was after his father passed away in 1948 that he began the first of his speed record attempts. Using a modified version of his father’s old vessel, Bluebird K4, he began initial testing, but soon developed his own metal jet-powered Bluebird K7 hydroplane to challenge his closest rival. His first success came on the 23rd July 1955 at Ullswater where he achieved a speed of 202.32 mph. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePredating this first successful attempt, the present letter is addressed to Lord Camden, fellow member of the Royal Automobile Club and Chairman of the RAC’s Segrave Committee. Camden was responsible for presenting the prestigious Segrave Trophy, which Campbell was awarded three times during his lifetime, and once posthumously. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn total, Campbell broke eight world speed records on both water and land in the 1950s and 1960s, and remains the only person to have set both world land and water speed records in the same year. He might have set more, but his life was sadly cut short in 1967 when, aged just 45, he crashed at Coniston and was instantly killed. His body was not recovered until 2001. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKU: \u003c\/strong\u003e1800158\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fold the Corner","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56990278189380,"sku":"1800158","price":795.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0943\/8711\/0212\/files\/1800158_47b32a2d-522b-4659-8d68-935be3a958a7.jpg?v=1784202943","url":"https:\/\/foldthecornerbooks.co.uk\/products\/als-to-lord-camden-regarding-his-plans-and-trials-in-bluebird-1800158","provider":"Fold the Corner Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}