2.5.12

The Legend of Donald Campbell.

When I was very young I was often told the stories of Donanld Campbell and his record breaking speed attempts in his Bluebird K7 on Lake Coniston in Cumbria. He was a big name in my hometown and brought a lot of attention with his record breaking charm and charisma. Although he died long before I was born (tragically in January 4th, 1967 in his final speed attempt), I was fascinated with this legend of a man and like a lot of young boys wanted to be just like him.
I knew that as part of my memory project I had to dip into my fond memories of Campbell and somehow show this in through photography. The obvious route was to visit the Donanld Cambell Memorial Museum. And so after a quick phone call, and a very friendly response, I made the breathtaking drive through the North Lakes.
My morning was spent being shown around the displays in great detail in what turned out to be a wonderful insight into a legend and a very pleasurable day. Photography wise there wasn't a lot of choice and I knew that a simple shot of one of the display cases was all that was needed. Upon leaving I bought several books and spent the next few weeks reading in depth about Donald and his achievements. The strange thing was that I couldn't bring myself to print the images until I had read all that I could right up to Campbell's death in 67. I guess the printing side was a sort of closure as I knew that once made I would no longer need to do any more research. It would be the last chapter in what, for me, is still one of my fondest memories.

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