A Message from Captain McNaught, QE2’s Last Captain, which he prepared on 19th September 2010 specifically for the QE2 Talk which took place on 20th September in Clydebank College’s Cunard Suite by Guest Speaker Rob Lightbody of TheQE2Story.com, organised by Iain McGuinness of Clyde Walking Tours.
FAO: Rob Lightbody, TheQE2Story.com
September 20th 1967 was indeed a historic day, not just for Cunard Line, but also for the shipbuilding industry on Clydebank, and the christening and launching of a ship by HM the Queen was an occasion of great joy.
That ship of course was christened Queen Elizabeth 2, or QE2 as she became more well known, and the fact that you are talking today on this anniversary over forty years later, only goes to prove that this ship came to stand for all that was great about the shipbuilding industry on the River Clyde.
This fine ship had a career that lasted until 2008; she steamed over six million miles and carried over two and a half million passengers during her long career. She became the most famous ship in the world, and all of this because of the skills of the Clydeside shipbuilders, who were able to translate the artwork, designs and plans, into a living ship that grew on the slipways and then ruled the seas for all those years.
She has become an icon of the shipbuilding industry, a classic liner, and will be a ship that will be celebrated and talked about for many generations to come. She was at the time, a huge leap forward in ship design and technology, and the longevity and success of her career is testament to those that built her.
I hope you enjoy this event as you celebrate QE2, and thank you for the opportunity to say a few words of thanks to the people of Clydeside who brought this wonderful ship to life.
Captain Ian McNaught.
