28 May 2012 Bluebird Heritage Parade - Haymarket, London

The date marks one hundred years since grandfather decided to name the car in which he raced at competition "Blue Bird."

He christened his car Blue Bird (at that time he was spelling it as two separate words.), painting it blue, after he and grandmother went to see the play The Blue Bird by the Belgian playwright, Count Maurice Maeterlinck, at the Haymarket Theatre in London.

He was so inspired by the play’s theme that, on the way home from the theatre, he woke the local ironmonger and bought all the blue paint in the shop. In the small hours of the morning, he painted his racing car, naming her “Blue Bird”. With the paint still wet, he drove down to “Brooklands” race circuit in Surrey, England and won his very first race!

The parade on June 12th is expected to attract crowds along The Haymarket (passing the theatre of course) to welcome a line of Bluebirds which are coming to London specially for the event. These will include the Bluebird from Beaulieu and my own beloved Bluebird power boat. (You will note that grandfather changed the name Blue Bird from the original two word spelling to the one word Bluebird recognised across the world today.)

My cousin Don Wales and I will be speaking at The Haymarket Theatre at 2pm.

The following vehicles will be on display in front of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on June 12th 2012

Lorraine Dietrich Vieux Charles III (1912)

This is believed to be Sir Malcolm Campbell’s original ‘Blue Bird’. It is housed at Brooklands’ Race Circuit where Grandfather won his first race 100 years ago.

Sunbeam 350 HP (1924)

Grandfather achieved his first Land Speed World Record in this car in 1924 on Pendine Sands, South Wales.

Bluebird K3 (1937)

Grandfather then achieved his first Water Speed World Record of 126.33mph in this boat on Lake Maggoire, Switzerland in 1937.

Agfa Bluebird (1984)

My Bluebird boat means a lot to me; I won the National and The European Championships in her, as well as the 1984 UK Offshore Boating Association Championship. She still looks as fine today as she did in her Agfa livery, so it will be great to see her joining in the parade!

Bluebird Electric (2000)

My cousin, Don Wales, broke the UK Electric Land Speed Record in this vehicle during the millennium year. The car reached speeds of 137mph on Pendine Sands, where grandfather had become a record breaker in 1924.

Bluebird GTL Formula E (2012)

100 years after Sir Malcolm’s first win in ‘Blue Bird’, the Bluebird team unveil their latest vehicle. The Bluebird legend continues…

This event is made possible thanks to the support of Westminster City Council, The Ritz London, The Brooklands Museum, The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Mr Richard Nash, Karl Faulkes Halbard and The Campbell Trust.

Please note all vehicles are all subject to confirmation