A bit of positivity is needed in this thread. I must comment that it was great that the BBP team attended Straightliners, regardless of the RM's impending legal action which prevented K7 from being taken. From all reports, it was still a great weekend. The BBP's stall was swamped with interested people and well-wishers who wanted to meet the team (apparently there was a queue to shake The Evil Overlord's hand!), and bought merchandise in support of the BBP - they even got the BBP team to sign their prints of K7 on Loch Fad. Ian Lazenby took his father Ernie's model of K7 on the Sunday, which included an engine start as a tribute to the late Ken Warby. It was great to watch from a distance, and I would have loved to have been there myself. Well done to the team on a successful weekend, despite the major drawback of not being able to display K7. It just goes to show, you can't keep a good group of people down.

Stupid is, as stupid does. - Forrest Gump.

So Bill issued legal proceedings against himself, preventing K7 from going to Elvington? Makes sense...🙄

"The Ruskin Museum would have preferred that this matter be resolved without the need to resort to litigation. However, we have been left with no choice but to issue [proceedings] in order to find a resolution for all.". - Jeff Carroll quote from the BBC website, dated 23/2/23. So why didn't you go through proper mediation channels to resolve this problem before issuing [proceedings] then, Mr. Carroll? The fact is that RM trustees have always had the option to mediate, but have flatly refused nearly every single time. There is more than enough evidence in the public domain to substantiate this. Perhaps Mr. Carroll needs to be reminded that he very publicly stated that any sort of mediation or discussion was off of the table with the BBP a couple of years ago, when both he and Bill were interviewed by BBC radio and mediation was suggested by the on-air presenter. The museum trustees have also stated in their "open letters" that they would not discuss, nor mediate with the BBP. Has every avenue been exhausted before issuing legal proceedings, Mr. Carroll? I don't think so. Not even close.

You are correct. You have to wonder how he got them though? Interesting to note the stuff he's trying to flog on FB lately. If you buy a t-shirt from the BBP, you know where the proceeds go - back into the boat. I have wondered where the proceeds from the wares the Campbell family are selling go to. Personally, I think the sale of the block mounted photo of DMC on the first run, minutes before he crashed is a bit ghoulish, but that's just me.

MGB, I do agree with your point(s), but there is also the downside for the troll perpetrator - that is his identity is known, and it only reflects badly upon himself and those he supports or is involved with. Remember, this forum is publicly viewable, so there is no escaping or talking his way out of it if it ever hit a wider audience and came under scrutiny. From that perspective, let him hang himself.

@Renegadenemo you'd hope so. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that way. It almost appears as though they want the Deed of Gift broken. Effectively, if the RM demand the salvaged parts of K7 back, they're in breach of contract with the CFHT. Perhaps that is their ultimate aim? If it's not, then they need to step back and stop poking the bear.

@Engine 711, in a legal sense, no. Emotions don't come into it. Hence the suggestion JC is compromised, and should step aside. His personal relationships are clouding his judgement perhaps, and he is not acting in the interest of the RM.

@Engine 711, I don't think they should be involved at all, period. It's between the RM and the BBP. Speaking of the RM, you rarely, if ever hear from any of the other trustees regarding this debacle, only Jeff Carroll. One has to ask if he's acting alone. Given he is personal friends of the Campbells, perhaps he should also step aside and allow a neutral trustee to speak with the BBP? One could easily come to the conclusion that he is compromised and might be acting in the Campbells interest, rather than the RM's.

@Engine 711, just spotted your edit. Actually, it should only be the RM and BBP involved in these discussions, as the CFHT hold no legal title to K7, unless the RM don't comply with the Deed of Gift. The CFHT need to take a huge step back and let the RM and BBP sort their differences out. Their "influence" isn't allowing these talks to happen, so one has to wonder if they want the terms of the DoG to be breached? If that isn't the case, stepping back and keeping quiet would be within their interest.

No idea. As I said, it's the only thing I can think of, albeit, totally unrelated.

@Engine 711, all good. I wasn't speaking about you so much as a few more prominent people who regularly trot out "What DMC would have thought/wanted" to the mainstream media.

@Engine 711, I've never been one to put words in a dead man's mouth, so who knows what DMC would have made of it? It's about time all sides stopped doing that. To be honest, Donald is long gone. He's not coming back. While he is much missed by his family and those who admired him; it is unfair to use him as, for lack of better word, a "tool", when trying to influence public opinion. Donald may be gone, but K7 has been brought back to life by a loving and dedicated team. She has a bright future, but some people stuck firmly in the past or who hold grudges over inane things are hampering that.

The only "Great Gathering" I can think of is getting the surviving LNER A4's together to celebrate the anniversary of Mallard breaking the speed record for steam locomotives.

@Engine 711, indeed. Either way, they aren't doing themselves any favours by trolling this forum. This is all publicly viewable and only hurts their own cause.

No idea. Also note the syntax has changed. Either it's another person posting from the same account, or he has sobered up?

@Engine 711 sorry, my bad. I didn't mean to tag you in that post. It was more a general comment for those gathered as to who it is. Ah yes...Starship Bluebird...😂

@Engine 711 if you haven't worked it out, "brianthegun" is Brian Eastham.

What a shame. A great opportunity to reset completely dashed.

It doesn't matter. We've all been involved to some degree, Best leave it go. It'll fix.