THE date that would have been Donald Campbell's 86th birthday will be marked next week with special events at Coniston.

The village's Ruskin Museum will be playing host to the record breaker's daughter, Gina Campbell, and his nephew, Don Wales, when a new book about his exploits will be launched.

As previously reported, the team at the museum is fund-raising to reach the £750,000 required to build an extension and display for Campbell's boat, Bluebird, which was recovered from Coniston Water in 2001 and is being re-built.

The new book, Leo Villa's Bluebird Album, is a coffee table tome packed full of colour pictures taken by the chief engineer who guided both Campbell and his father, Sir Malcolm, to world speed records.

The author, David de Lara, bought the colour slides at an auction in 1992, and has reproduced them in the book, supplemented by images from his own archive, and other sources.

In addition, almost 30 full-colour images can be viewed in 3D by using glasses supplied with the book.

Written with assistance from Kevin Desmond, the book will be launched at a birthday party-style event, with cake and Bluebird beer. The £45 book is also available in a limited, numbered edition, signed by surviving members of the 1966/67 Bluebird team, and a percentage of its £120 price will be given to the Ruskin Museum appeal.

A CD will also be released on March 23 by a songwriter who would like to inspire patriotism, and has chosen Donald Campbell, who died trying to break his own world water speed record on Coniston Water, as his focus.

Jon Johnson and Glenn Boulton have joined forces as Kimbustion, and the duo have produced Bluebird's Return - A Tribute to Donald, Bluebird and the Lakes.

Mr Johnson, who hails from Sheffield, and Mr Boulton, of Chesterfield, have been working together for a couple of years. Mr Johnson enjoys song writing as a hobby, and Mr Boulton produces and sings the tracks, as well as working on the arrangement.

Mr Johnson, who runs a small engineering company, said that he had been to the Lake District to research the pop songs, which are interspersed on the CD with Pathe news recordings of the day.

"If it helps people get a bit of British patriotism and spirit back I will be happy," he said.

The CD should be available online via iTunes and from the website www.kimbustion.com .

Meanwhile, fund-raising by the Ruskin Museum has already collected around £12,000 and curator Vicky Slowe and her team are hopeful that regeneration body Cumbria Vision will contribute a sizeable chunk of the total.

Miss Slowe recently attended the Best of Lakeland Hospitality and Attractions Show and said: "There was huge interest about when they are going to see Bluebird."

The boat is now in the ownership of the museum, after the family trust to which she previously belonged decided to hand her over.

L If anyone wants to make a donation, cheques should be made out to The Ruskin Museum Bluebird Appeal and sent to The Ruskin Museum, Coniston. For details of the events next Friday, contact the museum on 015394-41164.