January 2017- Displaying K7

[Renegadenemo]

I suspect Bill will disagree

On the contrary - I like that idea though how we're supposed to commandeer the yard whilst the other tenants try to go about their business will take some figuring out but I'm sure we could sweet-talk them. I'm very keen to do something not only for the anniversary but also for the North East engineering and media community who have engaged with us so powerfully and for so long. We'd never have got this far without the likes of Bettablast and MKW, to name only two of many, as well as our friends at BBC Newcastle and the local papers. I'm assuming that in the not too distant future the business community from the Cumbrian side will engage similarly as their turn approaches so it all looks like a sensible and well-ordered way to go about things to me.

[lsrdatabase]

hi all,
I feel I must make comment. Regardless of whether there should be a special event before the ‘Big One’. A New CD/DVD on the lines of several mini presentations, on various projects within the K7 Rebuild/Refurbishment would be a great idea, and would make a superb record of what has been achieved.
Regards, Fred

[Renegadenemo]

So hopefully we’ll come up with a plan that’ll suit as many folk as possible, whatever form it eventually takes.

We sat on the back of Predator in the yard today enjoying the sunshine and sipping our tea while we thrashed the question of the 50th around the team. This after we'd thrown the question out there for consideration by the wider audience, and our conclusion...

We're going to go for a curry on the 4th after the workshop and toast Donald and his boat with a few pints of lager and anyone who cares to join us is more than welcome.

[quicksilver-wsr]

Cheer up, Mike! My experience has been that people don't tend to give too much feedback when you ask. The vast majority don't want to put their heads above the parapet. They have ideas and views - and they are, more than often, very positive ones - but my experience is that if you leave it up to the common horde to be your sounding-board, you'll be none the wiser and end up doing nothing ... as has now happened.

British people are a lot better at talking about folk behind their backs than they are at coming out publicly with an honest opinion.

You gave the opportunity to chip views and ideas in. What you did by offering that chance was right.

As for the traditional moans of the nobodys who slag the project off, why on earth would you care now? They have long-since proved to be on the wrong side of history. Left to wallow in their own negativity, they have only their cries of discontent to keep them company.

In my view, you are doing the right thing now not getting deflected by things. Have a curry - celebrate Donald and the boat. "Keep Calm and Keep Restoring Bluebird"

Nigel

[Renegadenemo]

In my view, you are doing the right thing now not getting deflected by things. Have a curry - celebrate Donald and the boat. "Keep Calm and Keep Restoring Bluebird"

And that's exactly what we'll do, though there'll doubtless be plenty of moaning that we're not hanging up bunting and running a gas turbine in the town square.

[captain sparkle]

Well, the invitation to contribute ideas here has spread a little further through social media etc, and still so far the feedback has been precisely nothing. At the time of writing this thread has only BBP team members posting on it, barring 'sbt', and Fred who just wanted a DVD!? The only other feedback we've had is renewed whinge that Coniston is on it's knees and it's somehow all our fault.

Truly, I wonder why we bother.

I don't feel worthy!!
Bet I'm not the only one, either.
Anyway, for what it's worth, I would like to see some sort of 'open day', at the workshops, the weekend after. Obviously some folk would have a long way to travel so weekend would be best, and the one before would interfere with other things.
So put that in yer pipe an' smerk it!



...and your solely responsible for the breakdown of civilization, not just Coniston!
In fact, the whole universe is close to imploding!

repent! repent!!

[Richie]

Surely the chamber of commerce at Coniston are not putting all their faith in a metal hydroplane to fix their economic woe's ?

That would be both foolish and deluded.

[Renegadenemo]

Surely the chamber of commerce at Coniston are not putting all their faith in a metal hydroplane to fix their economic woe's ?

A high-risk strategy, to say the least, considering that after the initial flash in the pan I really can't imagine it making a big difference unless of course we get the old girl out on an annual basis or something and make an event of it. Even then, she won't last forever and the time would come when we'd have to say enough is enough for wear and tear reasons.
The terms of our donation ensure that we will remain very much hands-on for maintenance and conservation purposes and for occasional running up of the systems to keep the big tin machine fighting fit but that won't pull millions of people or pounds into the region either.
I have wondered, for many years now, when you consider that we have the big shop window, the popular website / forum and the online shop that sells our merchandise all over the world, why we've had so very few business from that side of the world wanting to jump on our bandwagon. There's very few links, because we receive no requests, and not a single company offering local produce has ever asked to have it represented on our shop so I guess they must be OK. After all, life marched on for the 34 years the boat was presumed lost so surely it can do likewise now.

[quicksilver-wsr]

The economic recovery has yet to impact many areas - none moreso than remote rural areas. Coniston will be feeling that pinch, along with a great many other small towns in rural locations.

True enough, Bluebird is a huge element of Coniston's heritage and identity - and, tourism being so important to the town economically, K7's return to the place it is synonymous with is bound to be a big boost. But one thing's for sure, and that is that if the boat is presented in second-rate condition it will not do justice to either itself or the town, and so the only way to progress is to make darn sure the boat is superbly restored ... no corners cut.

Beyond K7, the town has to fight the same fight that so many rural towns are fighting. It's how it is.

Nigel

[Richie]

I have found with situations of complaint, it is usually the ones who complain the loudest, demand the most........contribute the least.

I won't put dates forward but IMHO K7 is on the final furlong, look how far she has come, by a handful of people on the tools and even less on the periphery donating or assisting in other ways.

It's like restoring carriers (or anything for that matter I guess) I had to rebuild mine on a zero budget, with zero experience and zero tooling, it took me five years to get it back to where it is now (about 90% done and I will put my neck on the line and say the standard is quite good given the entire project has been a learning curve) on the other hand I have associates who have restored carriers in under a year. They had a team of trained staff, a massive budget and the tooling required. Large sums of money were chucked at the project, the result was a rapid turn around and a good standard of restoration

You do the mathematics. We have the staff, we have most of the tooling..... The third part of the triangle would always help us speed things along. That said people must realise what is being done with K7 has never been done before to this kind of level of restoration.