BLUEBIRD should come home to Coniston but under the firm agreement she is regularly run at speed on the lake, funds and serviceability allowing (Letters, August 8, 'Bring Bluebird back').

To see her run on other stretches of suitable water both in the UK and further afield would be great, allowing a far bigger audience to see this most unique and interesting craft.

I also will never forget those black-and-white grainy newsreel images of that fateful day in 1967. I was only ten years old.

Bluebird does not need to be installed in a building and given a number; she needs to be run on water, the spray taming the smell of burning paraffin, fingers in ears to keep out the noise of a gas turbine whining away.

While there are still people like Bill Smith to rebuild and service her and Ted Walsh to pilot her, we are still in with a chance to see her perform again. I do hope so.

John Marx

Crosby Garrett