006.1-Newsletter March 2021
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Southwater Dabblers Email Updates Email Update Number 6 On 23rd March 2020, one year ago, we entered the first National Lockdown to control the spread of the COVID 19 virus. A day that will live with us all for a long time to come, so let us pause for a moment of reflection, and think about those nearest and dearest to us, as well as those that have been and continue to be affected by dreadful threat that COVID 19 is to all our lives. It has been fun working on this 6th edition and we begin with an exciting feature that has come together by pure chance, it will run for a couple of editions of these updates. The aim is to celebrate the achievements of Donald Campbell, land and water speed record holder, also a local resident, who lived in Horley, Leatherhead and had close ties with Tilgate, he would have been 100 years old on the 23rd March 2021. To start the tribute to Bluebird K7 and Donald Campbell there is a fantastic true story contributed by Derek Palmer. Dabblers Post Bag - Letters to the Editor Hi Just read with interest the latest newsletter. As ever it is informative, funny and educational. I am amazed at the response the members are making to this, it just shows that we enjoy receiving information. On which note would there be a space for the committee to put a bit about recent meetings even if we cannot sail at the moment there must be items discussed that are of interest. Just a thought. Re the videos I have viewed them, and they are safe to watch, just be careful of other suggested sites. Keep up the good work Derek Palmer Thank you, Dave, for another great newsletter, I did spot the 5 changes in the snowmen picture, was I first and if so what’s my prize? Cheers Alan In update 5 we were introduced to a Fiesta Yacht called Miss Steve, well fantastic news, fellow Dabbler Paul Kelsey has written in to say; Hi Dave, another great edition, well done. Fiesta 650 is now mine. I bought it and all the electronics from Alan Woodroffe back in 2014. It is now named "Sudo" which is French for "South Water" I believe! I enclose a couple of photos taken in high winds. Best wishes, Paul Kelsey Well Paul it looks to me as though you bought a submarine! Miss Steve – Fiesta 650 – Sudo looks stunning, the photos are just fantastic. If you would prefer to make contributions via a phone call, rather than email, I am more than happy for you to call me on Tel 07934758623, and for you to tell me your stories for inclusion in these updates. Or alternatively, I am quite happy to go old school and receive photos and letters via snail mail – Royal Mail – give me a call to arrange, all items will be safely returned. The format of these updates is fluid and can be anything we would like it to be, there is virtually no limit to the numbers of words, photos or stories that you can contribute, just send them over in a format that’s easy for you, email them to [email protected] Look Forward – To the next issue Possible Headings for the next issue include: • Dabblers Post Bag - Letters to the Editor • Look Forward – To the next issue • Lakeside Café – Pull up a chair and share – the home for all the things we like to talk about over a coffee and bacon roll at the lakeside café. • My First Model Boat – your story about your first model boat or how you got into model boating. • Be Calmed – Tales of Sail • Grey Funnel Line – Dabblers warships from around the World • Dabblers Dock Yard - Home for the Dabblers New Builds • Dabblers Dry Dock - Home for Dabblers Repairs and Renovations • AC, DC & RC - Three bright sparks form the dark arts • Hot & Bothered - Getting Steamed Up • Bluebird K7 and Donald Campbell – your stories, photos and memories • Dabbler Photos – • Dabblers Other Interests - • Competitions • Competition Results • Naughty Buoy – Humour and Jokes • Memories From Yesteryear • Your Fantasy Model – a money and time no object model you would like to see at Southwater • Dabbler Trumps – The fun way to share details of your boats on one side of paper Please feel free to suggest any other headings and topics you would like to see covered, if there are headings that you wish to alter, amend or delete then please do say so. Entries for the next newsletter by the 9th April please To keep up to date with events please check the Dabblers Website on a regular basis http://dabblers.co.uk/ My First Model Boat – Bluebird K7 - Derek Palmer I have attached my "rambling memories of meeting Donald. In the 60s I chatted to Leo Villa on several occasions after he received his OBE and met Donald's daughter who took the world water speed record for women in the 70s? She was sponsored by the Film and camera Co "Agfa" She was on their display stand at Earls Court Boat Show. Small world isn't it? Derek Looking back over the years recently, I remembered my first model boat. I lived in Horley, Surrey and a local resident was Donald Campbell (yes that one) In the previous year (1955) he had broken the World record for speed on water. I was a Sea Cadet at the time and a few months after the record he visited my local unit. I was luckily chosen with a small group to go to Tea and to see Bluebird up close. You can imagine how impressed we all were. We were all introduced to some of the key members of the team, Ken Norris and brother Lewis(designers) Leo Villa (Engineer) as well as his second wife. We were then shown round Bluebird which was sitting outside in the evening sun I was sat in the cockpit for a photo, but the press photographer did not turn up in time so no picture. I did not care because I had sat in the same seat as my hero. So, I Just HAD to make a model of it didn’t I. In the 1950s you could buy packs of assorted off cuts of balsa wood for a few pence and a tube of balsa cement add a couple of dads used razor blades later I had a very crude model. How to power it? Friends suggested rubber bands. Complete disaster a lot of splashing and no other worthwhile movement. Wait up! What is this in the comic? A Jetex Motor. Well! Bluebird was jet powered wasn’t it? Pocket money raided and off to the shops I went full of enthusiasm. If anyone experienced these little motors, you would know that water and Jetex fuel cells were not a bright idea. Many lengths of the fuse and my stock of the fuel blocks later it was back to the drawing board (back of my maths book) The decision was made to raise the mounting and try again. By now I was doing a paper round and could afford to restock the fuel etc. Now where to try it out properly. Because of my Sea Cadets Units close association with Donald Campbell, we had private use of Tilgate Lake which belonged at the time to the Campbell family. We used the lake for sailing and rowing practice. This is now a public facility. One weekend I took my boat to Tilgate lake to try out the model. This time success the motor fired first time and due to drag of the flat balsa board it only managed about 10 feet before the fuel ran out. That was the temporary end of model boats for some time. Pictures? I was only 12 and did not own a camera. What a shame. After my mother passed away, I found out that both her mother and she worked for the Campbell’s in the 1930s. Nan in Sir Malcolm’s workshop cleaning tools and replacing them on the shadow board. Mum driving Sir Malcolm to and from Horley Railway Station in his blue Bugatti. What stories they could have told me. In March, this year Donald Campbell would have been 100 years old. His family were pioneers in both motoring and Boats. Facts: Bluebird K7. The first Turbojet hydroplane Length: 26ft 4 ¾ Beam: 10ft 6in Height: 4ft 8 1/2in Weight: 2 1/2tons Power: Rolls Royce “Beryl” * Thrust: 3,750lb. Source of supply: * Ministry of Supply who sold two to the Bluebird team. Speed record: 202.32 mph Ullswater 216.2 mph Lake Mead USA Information Copyright of “BP book of the Racing Campbells” by Richard Hough Published 1960 Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. Addendum: Donald’s daughter Gina Campbell held two World speed records in Agfa Bluebird 1. 146.49 mph (235.75 km/h) Agfa Bluebird Gina Campbell QSO (GB) Lake Taupo 1990 2. 122.8 mph (197.64 km/h) Agfa Bluebird Gina Campbell QSO (GB) Holme Pierrepont 1984 Additional Information - for the curious – Dave Steggles Jetex models - https://uk.fabtintoys.com/jetex/ The Jetex motor is a solid-fuel rocket motor produced for use in model aircraft. Originally developed in 1947, by Wilmot, Mansour & Company Ltd of Southampton, it was first available to the public in June 1948. The most popular motor, the Jetex 50, was introduced in May 1949, with Jetex power kits for a model plane and model car. A solid pellet of guanidine nitrate provided the power for these engines, it burnt to release a variety of gases in copious volume, leaving no solid residue or ash.