Bill was in the Sun Hotel, Coniston, with his Granny in late December 1966 when he met Donald Campbell who was practising for his final, and unfortunately fatal, water speed record attempt on Coniston Water.

As a very small boy, Bill vividly remembers Campbell surrounded by friends in the hotel’s corridor, bending down to ask him : “Do you like cars?”  Bill said, “No.”  “Do you like boats?” “No.”  “Do you like chocolate?”  “Yes!”  This raised a big laugh from Campbell and his friends, and the man gave him a Mars bar – a huge prize for a small boy with such an unyielding attitude!

Coniston is only 9 miles and 15 minutes drive away from Sykehouse Cottage.  The Ruskin Museum in Yewdale Road has a new wing with many interesting photographs and displays of memorabilia about the Campbell family, the Bluebird and the Record Attempt.

If you want to read my post about the Ruskin Museum, click here.  Alternatively the link to the Museum’s quirky website for opening times and more information is here.