QE2 Story Forum
Introductions and Our own QE2 Stories => Passenger & Enthusiast Memories => Topic started by: Peter Mugridge on Oct 21, 2021, 11:29 PM
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Many of you will already know from previous postings of mine that I spent six nights on board QE2 as part of my honeymoon in 2002.
Recently I have been scanning my honeymoon albums; I have considered posting the scans here, but I have an important question to ask first:
Should I post only the pages directly relating to QE2, or should I post the full set of pages given that the honeymoon was centered around the voyage and everything else arranged around that?
These scans, I should make clear, aren't just photographs; they include all the tickets, receipts, luggage tags, daily newsletters... everything - except, unfortunately, I never thought to keep the QE2 menus...!! They're not professional quality scans; they're just to create a basic copy really and some of them show a bit of glare from the scanner light reflecting on the protective film in the albums, but not too badly. All the important details are clearly visible.
Anyway, it will take me a few days to finish getting all the scans ready but in the meantime your thoughts would be welcome as to whether I post just the QE2 pages or the whole lot...
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What an exciting prospect! Very much looking forward to following your honeymoon voyage.
I shall be happy to read your story and see your scans, so do go ahead. I suggest though that you take it slowly, and if your records go day by day, then you could perhaps also post them in the same way, day by day, or even hour by hour, keeping us interested for 6 days or a lot longer.
Enjoy the memories :) .
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Also very much looking forward to seeing your memories in entirety ! :)
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Looking forward to seeing your memories and photos in full too!
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Please post the full set of pages so we can read all about it. Look forward to it
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That seems to be a landslide vote in favour of the full set...
I will try to make a start this weekend; I have processed about 65% of the images - but in chronological order, so I have enough done to get started.
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That seems to be a landslide vote in favour of the full set...
I will try to make a start this weekend; I have processed about 65% of the images - but in chronological order, so I have enough done to get started.
I am looking forward to seeing all the images of the cruise in 2002.
I seemed to remember that we thought were on the same cruise as you in 2002 but your cruise was a 6 night cruise and I have noted a 12 night cruise 1 September to 13 September - Mediterranean Memories 7225. It will be interesting to see if it was the same cruise calling at Lisbon, Barcelona, Ajaccio, Civitavecchia, Livorna, Cannes (cancelled).
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That seems to be a landslide vote in favour of the full set...
I will try to make a start this weekend; I have processed about 65% of the images - but in chronological order, so I have enough done to get started.
Yes Please and Thank You, Peter
Looking forward to it - and the Mach2 experience as well!
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I am looking forward to seeing all the images of the cruise in 2002.
I seemed to remember that we thought were on the same cruise as you in 2002 but your cruise was a 6 night cruise and I have noted a 12 night cruise 1 September to 13 September - Mediterranean Memories 7225. It will be interesting to see if it was the same cruise calling at Lisbon, Barcelona, Ajaccio, Civitavecchia, Livorna, Cannes (cancelled).
That's correct, it was the same one* - Cunard let us off half way and only charged us pro-rata because when we originally booked that sailing, it was a westrbound Trans-Atlantic and I had arranged everything else around it before Cunard changed it to a round the Med cruise. By flying from Rome to New York, we ended up arriving in New York just a few hours later than we would have done had Cunard not changed the voyage plan.
The reason for the change was it was leading up to the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and bookings for both the westbound and eastbound from Americans were virtually non-existent. That's also the reason for the unusual 12 night duration of the Med cruise; it was so that QE2 would be back in Southampton as originally planned, meaning no other voyages would be messed around as a result.
*I wonder if you're in the background of any of our pictures... ( we certainly got Su Pollard of Hi-de-Hi in the foreground of one quite by accident because Yola can't hold a camera straight... )
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To get us started with, since we are beginning at the beginning and not just at the point of embarkation, these initial pages show the itinerary for the whole honeymoon; this will allow the rest of the pages over the next few weeks to be seen in their full context - for the moment, however, this general outline of the 17 days will do as a starting point for the images that will follow.
I have already mentioned the amendment to the plans as a result of the Cunard schedules changing after I booked everything - see if you can deduce from the itinerary the more minor late adjustment that had to be made...
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Just checked my Discharge Book and i joined QE2 in NY the day you got married and signed off 24th October in S'ton, so was Ch Sec Off for your voyage - got any cake left?
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Luxury Honeymoon itinerary Peter - five star!
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Awesome ! :)
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Just checked my Discharge Book and i joined QE2 in NY the day you got married and signed off 24th October in S'ton, so was Ch Sec Off for your voyage - got any cake left?
No to the cake - sorry! :(
But goodness, what a small world it is... you must have at least walked past us on board a few times... I guess your busiest time on our voyage would have been watching out the starboard side when we entered the Med...?
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No to the cake - sorry! :(
But goodness, what a small world it is... you must have at least walked past us on board a few times... I guess your busiest time on our voyage would have been watching out the starboard side when we entered the Med...?
It really is a small World that three of us were on the same cruise. I remember that passengers were a bit on edge because we would be on the ship at the time of the first anniversary of 9/11. There were many rumours, including a submarine that just happened to surface every so often, was accompanying the ship, to special security being onboard - that would be Andy. The rumours got so extreme that the captain made an announcement to the effect that there was contingency plans in place and no need to worry. Hard to believe that next year will be twenty years.
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The next three images are the room, and the view from, the Park Lane Suite in the Hilton - this is where you can see, I fear, what I meant the other day when I said it would be a basic copy of the albums - the protective film on each page can under certain conditions reflect the light of the Xerox scanner and saturate the lighter areas of some photographs.
I could get round this by having the albums professionally scanned on specialist equipment, but the quotes I had for that were all in the range of £800 to £1000 and that was about three years ago... so almost certainly a lot more now... at that price, for now at least, it'll have to be the basic scans only I'm afraid.
Back to the subject... the suite in the hotel has effectively three rooms plus the bathroom area, and of course being almost at the top of the tower the view is considerable - unfortunately on that particular morning there was a bit of mist around and that - rather than the scan quality - is why the view fuzzes out on the attached images. That is, incidentally, a single panoramic view - but there's no room in the album to mount them all as one image!
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£800 to £1000 seems like a lot of money to get the album scanned but as it would be worthwhile doing perhaps shop around for a better price.
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Great topic Peter!
Don't suppose you still have the negatives safely somewhere do you? I suspect a service to scan them would be cheaper?
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£800 to £1000 seems like a lot of money to get the album scanned but as it would be worthwhile doing perhaps shop around for a better price.
Those were the lower prices, although that was for all five albums... some of the quotes probably wouldn't have been much higher in quality anyway as these were high street print shops which use similar Xerox machines to the one I actually did them on at work. A full professional scan quote came in rather higher than those prices...
Great topic Peter!
Don't suppose you still have the negatives safely somewhere do you? I suspect a service to scan them would be cheaper?
The photos aren't so much the problem ( I could easily remove them and scan them individually although yes I do still have the negatives ). What's the issue is things like the bulky tickets and luggage tags and things, some of which are 5mm thick, which would make any scan rather awkward without specialist equipment.
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It really is a small World that three of us were on the same cruise. I remember that passengers were a bit on edge because we would be on the ship at the time of the first anniversary of 9/11. There were many rumours, including a submarine that just happened to surface every so often, was accompanying the ship, to special security being onboard - that would be Andy. The rumours got so extreme that the captain made an announcement to the effect that there was contingency plans in place and no need to worry. Hard to believe that next year will be twenty years.
My 'dear lady wife' thinks that she might also have been on this cruise, she did 'force herself' to travel when possible! She worked on what an 'old' [well she seemed so to us at the time, now we're of a similar age!] lady whose husband had been Security Officer on QE2 some years prior to when i joined her in 2000. This was; "travel whenever you can dear, you never know when it's going to end." Her husband had been medically disembarked after a serious heart attack a couple of years before, he never set foot onboard again.
She's gonig to check het photos and see if she's correct or just going batty in her old age!
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The photos aren't so much the problem ( I could easily remove them and scan them individually although yes I do still have the negatives ). What's the issue is things like the bulky tickets and luggage tags and things, some of which are 5mm thick, which would make any scan rather awkward without specialist equipment.
I would recommend scanning those bulkier items with one of the various specialist apps available on smartphones (such as Microsoft Office Lens), that can do all sorts of things beyond what a normal photo is/a normal camera photo can do. I have been very impressed with the results from Microsoft Office Lens, and I use it for most of my scanning now given the impressive results compared alongside traditional scanner based scanning. The only thing to bare in mind is the colour temperature of the room you're smartphone scanning in (besides the overall light levels of course), if that's important to what you're scanning, as it's basically a very clever, heavily edited photo.
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I would recommend scanning those bulkier items with one of the various specialist apps available on smartphones (such as Microsoft Office Lens), that can do all sorts of things beyond what a normal photo is/a normal camera photo can do. I have been very impressed with the results from Microsoft Office Lens, and I use it for most of my scanning now given the impressive results compared alongside traditional scanner based scanning. The only thing to bare in mind is the colour temperature of the room you're smartphone scanning in (besides the overall light levels of course), if that's important to what you're scanning, as it's basically a very clever, heavily edited photo.
Hmmm... interesting.... can you get .jpg images from such a scan?
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Tonight, we have the bill for the one night stay in the Park Lane Suite at the London Hilton. Bear in mind that, in common with most of the main hotels in London that are geared up for business travel ( at least in normal times ), this was a half price deal because it was a weekend ( a Saturday night ).
Yes, that's right. The £420 for the one night was half the weekday rate for the same room at the time. That £420 is £700 in today's money on a purely inflation calculated basis... and the whole £17,000 bill for the honeymoon equates to about £28,400 today. OUCH!!!. It won't be an exact comparison, though, because that assumes the whole bill was in pounds Sterling whereas of course some elements were in US Dollars, such as the on-board expenditure on QE2 and local expenditure in New York.
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Hmmm... interesting.... can you get .jpg images from such a scan?
Yes .jpg by default, and maybe other formats such as .png if desired.
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Looking forward to the next instalment with the limousine and first class travel to Gleneagles.
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...and, indeed, here we have three images from the limousine ride across London.
Yes, of course it doesn't take an hour to get from Hyde Park Corner to King's Cross, but given that limousine hire is either by the hour or by the whole day, it would have been very remiss of us to not spend an hour swanning around central London wouldn't it? Otherwise it's nothing more than a very expensive taxi ride, and that would never do would it?! This was a smart black Lincoln Continental stretch, so a rather executive appearance to it.
Tip: Unless it's actually for a wedding ceremony or a birthday or hen party or something similar, never hire a white limousine. The black, powder blue or deep red coloured ones just look so much more businesslike and will get a lot more faces turning towards them wondering who is in it... ;)
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Stretching out in a stretch Limo Peter and looking very accustomed to this level of luxury.
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Awesome photos ! It is great to be included as a guest, so to speak, on Your Honeymoon ! :)
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The limousine having dropped us of at King's Cross, it was time to board the Highland Chieftain service for the next stage of the proceedings. Being a Sunday, as you can see from a close study of the tickets, there was a relatively short area of line closure for engineering works which necessitated a bus substitution for that stretch but the connections were well planned, if a bit tight, and we dashed north in First Class with GNER - these days, via three or four more names in the interim years, known once again by the more historical name of LNER.
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Having to transfer your luggage from train to bus to train must have been a bit of a nuisance . Did you forward your QE2 luggage to the ship? I seem to remember there was a service that gave you the option to have your luggage uplifted from your house and delivered to the ship.
Looking forward to seeing your Gleneagles accommodation, We stayed there 1996 and 1997 and loved the standard of the rooms and how each room was so different.
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It wasn't an issue really as we only had one medium sized suitcase each plus my shoulder bag and Yola's handbag; I packed bearing in mind that we would be flying twice during the honeymoon.
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Looking forward to seeing your Gleneagles accommodation, We stayed there 1996 and 1997 and loved the standard of the rooms and how each room was so different.
The Gleneagles Breakfast was the only thing that really impressed me on a stay in 2005.The room was very tired. Having stayed a number of years earlier when they had the Champagne bar it seemed much better then. The room overlooking the drive seemed to be very Tartan But now when your paying upwards of £400 a night it certainly needs to be good . A meal in their Desio restaurant was looking back a bit of a shambles when l took a friend there for lunch. He didn't see much wrong with it and was surprised when l asked for the service charge to be removed. It was only after i pointed out the various failures during the experience that he agreed with me.We had planned to have The Afternoon tea, and asking what the Vegetarian option was for tea was resulted in the reply that they would have to see what the chef could do.
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Here's your first look at what we found inside Gleneagles; of the three places in the hotel in which we could have dinner, we chose the Clubhouse for the Monday night ( from memory I think we used room service for the arrival day on Sunday owing to the time at which we reached the hotel ).
We had a look at the Falconry school - two of the birs can be seen in the enclosure behind us - and had an explore of the grounds after dinner; here I am looking at a map of the hotel's premises during that early evening.
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Today's installment is more of the paper side of things ( there will be more photos tomorrow or Tuesday depending on when I have time ); what we have here us the "welcome" card we found on our arrival and a couple of receipts followed by two of the daily newsletters - it wasn't just QE2 that did that sort of thing! :)
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The daily program is amazingly detailed. It is great that you kept everything in order to relive in detail your wedding trip. Prior to your wedding, how long did it take to make all of the arrangements ? :)
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Prior to your wedding, how long did it take to make all of the arrangements ? :)
Not all that long really... got engaged 15th December, had everything in place by the end of January. The re-jigging because of the change in QE2's schedule came in the spring - the slowest part of that was persuading Cunard to let us off half way pro-rata... once they agreed to that, it only took a couple of days to get the flight from Rome to New York sorted.
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Thanks, Peter ! I am very impressed with how every detail is in order ! :)
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Here we are on the Tuesday 27th August, exploring the extensive hotel grounds. There is a lot more to Gleneagles than golf, not least the landscape the place is set in and what you see here in tonight's image is just a taster of what can be seen there.
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This is the view from our room at Gleneagles; notice that even though it is late August there is still an appreciable quantity of snow on the top of the Ochil Hills not too far away.
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Here we are on the Tuesday 27th August, exploring the extensive hotel grounds. There is a lot more to Gleneagles than golf, not least the landscape the place is set in and what you see here in tonight's image is just a taster of what can be seen there.
Gleneagles is an amazing hotel resort with beautiful grounds to explore and would have been so special for your honeymoon.
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Gleneagles is an amazing hotel resort with beautiful grounds to explore and would have been so special for your honeymoon.
I agree, but it's a pity they've built housing and the associated two large car parks on about half their land in the years since my stay there. Apart from removing a lot of the area available to explore within the grounds, I feel it seriously dilutes the exclusivity of the hotel - and that exclusivity was always one of their major selling points.
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I feel it seriously dilutes the exclusivity of the hotel - and that exclusivity was always one of their major selling points.
Maybe it wasn't selling enough?
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Maybe it wasn't selling enough?
The hotel was quite full when we were there. I suspect the multitude of properties springing up had more to do with short term pound signs in the eyes of the accountants.
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Tonight, we continue our look around the then unsullied grounds of Gleneagles with a view of the hotel itself, the lake and a random part of the lawn area. Signs of the golfing heritage of the place are quite obvious in the first of these photographs. Look carefully at the back of the lake and you will also see a rustic style boathouse nestling on one bank.
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Today's installment is more of the paper side of things ( there will be more photos tomorrow or Tuesday depending on when I have time ); what we have here us the "welcome" card we found on our arrival and a couple of receipts followed by two of the daily newsletters - it wasn't just QE2 that did that sort of thing! :)
Just catching up - I love the daily newsletter, how fantastic! A foretaste of what was to come on QE2!
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I've visited Gleneagles exactly twice, and both times been blown away.
The first was in 1998 or maybe 1999, can't quite remember, a Christmas "do" with work. I had a luxury room to myself, we had a drinks party reception, a wonderful dinner, dancing and then in the morning, slightly the rough for wear, a lovely breakfast and time to use the spa and the grounds, it was fab.
Then just a few weeks ago I met up with friends at the Dormy (https://gleneagles.com/eat-drink/the-dormy/) for a weekend lunch. Again it was fabulous. A bit of a taste of a sea day on QE2, as people took their time over their lunches, and then could lounge in the adjacent bar area admiring the view and enjoying the company. Looking forward to returning soon.
And I've promised to take my Mum for afternoon tea, as soon as she gets her second hip replaced...
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Then just a few weeks ago I met up with friends at the Dormy (https://gleneagles.com/eat-drink/the-dormy/) for a weekend lunch.
Stay tuned, then - I have some images of eating in the Dormy coming up, probably in a week or so's time... but before that, there are some of dinner in the Strathearn - that'll likely be around the end of this week; I'm trying to resist the temptation to post post post but instead to drip feed it every 2 - 3 days.
That's partly to avoid swamping the forum but also to allow people who might not be on here every evening for hours like me to keep up to date with it at a leisurely pace. Generally, if I'm posting newsletters or similar and there's two or three such images in a row, I'll do them in one go but then space it out a bit with the photographs.
You can see from the file names that I'm going through them in order; and I can reveal that the final page will be Vol 5 page 30 while the first four volumes have 40 pages each, so there's quite a bit for everyone to anticipate yet. :)
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It really looks beautiful.
Sadly, it was not one of the places that we hit as a family during our return to UK breaks from the West Indies.
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Resuming tonight, I present two more days of the Gleneagles newsletter - the next time I post something in a couple of days time it will be more photographs.
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Fantastic to have the daily newsletter to jog your memory, even the temperature, a warm 19 and 20 degrees is noted.
Did you take part in any activities such as the clay pigeon shooting? There is an Equestrian Centre at Gleneagles that was owned by Princess Anne's first husband Mark Phillips when we stayed there in 1996 and 1997.
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No, we just walked round the grounds, visited Auchterader ( the photos are yet to appear on this thread... ) and generally relaxed around the hotel. We did try the swimming pool and outside hot pool. Come to think of it, that was the last time I've been in any swimming pool!!!
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No, we just walked round the grounds, visited Auchterader ( the photos are yet to appear on this thread... ) and generally relaxed around the hotel. We did try the swimming pool and outside hot pool. Come to think of it, that was the last time I've been in any swimming pool!!!
.....ahh the hot pool, I remember sitting in the hot pool in the middle of February, with the ground surrounding the pool covered in snow- it was brilliant even though it may sound a bit strange! :).
Looking forward to the next instalment.
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This is, as is obvious, a general view of the hotel from some way down the grounds to the south. The other picture is just a view across part of the lake - which can just be seen - and includes at the side one of the golfing flags in the hole.
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Golly - I hadn't realised I'd left it a week since I last posted something here!
This time we are having dinner in the Strathearn restaurant, the main restaurant at Gleneagles which is kept in a 1920s atmosphere with live music of the correct period and a full dinner jacket or suit is required to eat in there. Exactly what you would hope for and expect in a hotel of this stature.
In the third picture from the next morning we are starting to explore more of the hotel itself.
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This is, as is obvious, a general view of the hotel from some way down the grounds to the south. The other picture is just a view across part of the lake - which can just be seen - and includes at the side one of the golfing flags in the hole.
Absolutely gorgeous photos. Looks like the place was so tranquil!!
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The problem with a lot of places now is that they decorate in faux antique, which is obvious to most people anyway. Your genuine antique is at least a day old when placed in the shipping box!
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Great photos, and most interesting to read the daily programs ! :)
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Tonight I am showing you a rather leafy covered way which leads to the Club Bar, and the results of finding said bar. Mine's a lemonade, no slice, no ice in case anyone is wondering!
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Well done Peter for keeping the receipts to show your purchases and the prices as well.
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Well done Peter for keeping the receipts to show your purchases and the prices as well.
I figured at the time that it would help tell the story better and also add more context to everything... :)
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Two more pictures from in that bar, and one showing part of the interior of our room in the hotel...
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Being lazy..... ZZZzzzzzz....
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This time, we are having dinner in the Dormy Clubhouse - which was mentioned upthread - and followed up with a room service breakfast the next morning.
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All these scenes look so attractive -- you must be enjoying your honeymoon memories all over again. What a wonderful time you organised for the start of your married life!
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Shaving! Just look at the size of that bathroom; what you can see in the picture is only about a quarter of it... and the high quality original 1920s tiling on the walls... wow!
Next thing, we ventured outside the hotel to have a look at the nearby village of Auchterarder; the hotel regularly takes guests to and from the village in their minibus, which is also used for picks ups and drop offs at the railway station. There will be more pictures from the village in the next couple of postings.
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Awesome photos !
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Here, we are continuing our look around the village.
There's two more pages of this village visit to come, and I may well treat you to a double posting by doing them both in one go on the 24th to give you something to look at over Christmas...
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I am so glad you managed to go to Auchterarder - known as the long town because of the long high street that is over a mile long. I am sure there are many people who stay at Gleneagles but do not visit the town.
In Auchterarder there is a rather nice clothes shop (Bear Necessities) that stocks rather nice dresses for occasions, such as cruising!
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Great photos, Peter ! Thanks so much for letting us share your memories with the great photos, commentary, and memorabilia ! I very much look forward to tomorrow !
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Auchterader is a beautiful village. That whole area is!
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...and as promised, the bonus double posting. Unfortunately I'm having to split this over two postings; I seem to have a technical glitch only allowing me to select a single attachment at the moment...
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...so here's the other one.
I may leave it a few days longer than usual before the next post as I am aware people may not be online as much as usual over the next few days.
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Lovely scenes, Peter. Great to follow your honeymoon and see how beautifully you had arranged it all.
And now, you can look back and enjoy it with us all over again. Thank you for sharing the memories :) .
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Great photos, Peter, and I feel privileged that you are sharing them with us/me !
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Five star honeymoon so far - looking forward to the journey back to London to board the Orient Express to Southampton. As a train enthusiast this must have been an amazing trip for you. ;)
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Five star honeymoon so far - looking forward to the journey back to London to board the Orient Express to Southampton. As a train enthusiast this must have been an amazing trip for you.
Let's just say it's no coincidence that I was taking advantage of the boat train being the VSOE... ;)
...and we're getting ever closer to when we can see the QE2 portion of the honeymoon depicted here. :)
Hmmm... the smileys aren't working for me at the moment, nor is the like button - I'll edit this post later in the week and add the likes to your post and a few others at the same time...
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To resume tonight, we have another of the daily newsletters from our stay:
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There is so much to do at Gleneagles Hotel that the resort tour to find out what leisure facilities are available, sounds like a good option.
I like the little shopping arcade at the hotel where you can purchase items. Even though some of the items are a little bit expensive there is something for everyone's budget.
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I like the little shopping arcade at the hotel where you can purchase items. Even though some of the items are a little bit expensive there is something for everyone's budget.
That's true.... £50 for a glass paperweight for a start ( admittedly that was Caithness Glass, so... ). Plus a clothes shop where everything is made of the highest grade of Cashmere wool...
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Let's have a look round some more of the hotel now; here's the Reception area:
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Lovely photos ! For myself, never having been there, I am enjoying these photos immensely !
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Lovely to see you relaxing at Gleneagles, which is such a nice hotel to relax.
Your photos of the reception area reminded me of a time when the Gleneagles Eagle was in the reception area to welcome the visitors.
I have attached a couple of photos. I cannot remember the size of the Eagle or his name. But the handler was very pleased to answer questions and the eagle was willing to stretch his very large wings.
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The shopping mall has been mentioned on this thread already, but I don't think the Grand Ballroom has been?
Both are tonight's subject...
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A better one of the shopping mall, more general exploration of the hotel... now look at that corridor; if that is not a hint of what is to come on the next stage of the honeymoon, then I don't know what is. It is certainly very reminiscent of being on board a big ship isn't it...?
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You are right about the corridors reminding you of luxury liners and the ballroom is a fabulous space for events, weddings etc. (https://gleneagles.com/meetings/meeting-spaces/)
The hotel has such an interesting history (https://gleneagles.com/explore/hotel-grounds/history/)and it is interesting how it has evolved over time. Fabulous place for your honeymoon, thanks for sharing your photos and memories.
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Now we are having a look at the spa area.
That middle picture has a story; seconds after I took the picture, Yola realised that the "sculpture" was in fact a fountain. The water running down her arm and side was what gave her the clue...
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It is fascinating to see these pictures of Gleneagles, where I have never been and never expect to be. You had a wonderful time there, as befits a honeymooning couple, and you made excellent use of all the facilities and all the areas.
In order to reach QE2 before too long, would it be an idea that you keep posting the photos of a particular day all at once, and that you move the topic forward, one day at a time? I am already looking forward to the time you spend on QE2, the sights you had there, and of course also what the ship looked like at the time. Once you are on board, I suggest you move forward at a more relaxed pace, so that we can enjoy the ship with you, comment on the pictures and ask any questions we might wish to ask.
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In order to reach QE2 before too long, would it be an idea that you keep posting the photos of a particular day all at once, and that you move the topic forward, one day at a time? I am already looking forward to the time you spend on QE2, the sights you had there, and of course also what the ship looked like at the time. Once you are on board, I suggest you move forward at a more relaxed pace, so that we can enjoy the ship with you, comment on the pictures and ask any questions we might wish to ask.
We're getting quite close to that point; today's picture attached here is from 30th August - the day before we departed Gleneagles. This time, we are looking at the swimming pool. I'm in the water there somewhere in one of the pictures...
Unfortunately I still have some annoying and weird technical issue which prevents me from uploading more than one attachment to any given post and I can't work out what is causing it.
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...and following on from that, we have three more pictures in the inside pool, this time you can see me clearly, and one in the heated outdoor pool, which is so hot that you have to access it and leave it by another pool which is heated to a half way temperature.
Or is it two intermediate pools with graded temperatures? I can't remember...
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Here, we are getting into some of the paperwork from the stay; hopefully it's not too faint - the original isn't all that clear either...
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All very interesting, Peter ! I feel like my bags are packed and am an invited guest to your memories !
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Continuing on that theme, this one is much more readable; it's all the "extras" we ran up during our six nights at Gleneagles.
That's on top of the room rate of £493.00 a night that you can see mentioned on the bill, which was issued and settled upon our checking out on the 31st August.!
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Very interesting to see the various charges.
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Some brighter looking paperwork from the hotel this time... leaflets!
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The day before our departure... what else would you expect from a top grade hotel in Scotland but a piper...?
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Awesome !
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The last pictures at Gleneagles, dinner in the Strathearn again - after breakfast the next morning, we would be on our way back south...
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Wonderful photos !
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A bit of paperwork again tonight... these are our train tickets for the journey back to London...
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The GNER ticket wallet and a couple of snaps from on the way back to London...
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Great photos !
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Peter, did you travel to and from Scotland on GNER's HST 125s out of curiosity?
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Yes Thomas, the Highland Chieftain could only be operated by HSTs in those days.
Having said that, on the outward leg with the engineering works "break" between Newark and Doncaster, the first leg from London was on a class 91 + Mk4 rake, with an HST when we rejoined at Doncaster.
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Here, we have arrived back in London and the train crew invited us to try on their funny hats.
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One night in London, before joining QE2.
This was at the Thistle Victoria, perhaps better known under its previous name of The Grosvenor, which I believe it has recently re-gained under the new management of the Clermont Group.
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...and here's a look inside it; there will be a few more images to share from here over the next few days before we get to the bit you are all waiting for.
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5 star honeymoon continues. Brilliant!
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Great photos !
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Tonight's offering is more of the interior of the Thistle Victoria:
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A bit more inside the Thistle Victoria here; this is a good look inside the room we had.
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Yola wanted a picture of the incredible bathroom tiles, so here it is - with her for scale!
A bit of paperwork as well here.
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More hotel paperwork, this being the booking confirmation from earlier in the year...
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This time, we see the receipt that came with the above.
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...and upon checking out, the final bill.
Time now to make our way to Southampton!
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To board the boat train to Southampton, we need tickets... which come in a suitably posh looking ticket wallet!
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the Orient Express sounds fantastic but the best is yet to come! :)
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Yes... and not far off now. Here's a second helping for tonight....
Sorry the picture is sideways; that was the only way I could get both bits on one page when creating the albums and when I scanned the page I figured it would be easier to read the paperwork the right way up.
I am holding the ticket wallet that you can see in the previous page.
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A three course lunch, a glass of champagne and a bottle of wine for the journey - sounds good to me!
As it is such a lovely picture that tells part of your story, I have downloaded, cropped the picture and uploaded again.
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Thank you Lynda. :-)
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To board the boat train to Southampton, we need tickets... which come in a suitably posh looking ticket wallet!
The Boat train to QE2 was my first experience in 1986 to get to QE2 and it was just the regular Brtish Rail carriages, but we did pay a supplement on top of the free first class rail that was on offer to take the boat train.
Gosh l remember in 1992 l did the VSOE day trip to Dover , it was a grand experience We were taking the continental train passengers down to Dover and then taking the other passengers on the final leg of their journey home to London Victoria. For the day return it was then the princely sum of £135 The tickets were the then airline-style carbon copy type . Lenny was my steward, he back then featured on a lot of the Orient Express publicity material. Lunch was devine and l had my first Cointreau. and was met by Lee a QE2 waiter who l knew from the previous year, we did the Tea at the Ritz the day before, and ended up in Stringfellows night club and Heaven nightclub later. We fed pigeons in Trafalgar square, and l dragged him up Pall Mall to show him the Cunard office at 50a , it was nothing more than the red CUNARD on a name plate on the wall.
Looking back l paid a small fortune for the Parker pen and Orient Express bear from the tiny shop onboard,
If l recall the standard BR fare to Dover was around £10.50 return, the same journey l did as part of a day trip to Calais.
Now when you look at the price of the Caledonian Sleeper they are quite eye-watering .
Its always been on my bucket list to do the full Orient Express . While crossing the USA by Amtrak is fun, they do have something the Orient Express doesn't have , and that is onboard showers, now that's a fun thing to use on a moving train.
The old style airline tickets , Up in Orkney the local British Airways agent l used for booking holidays showed me that back office one day, and was messing about with the BA reservation system where he could book live seats and went a promptly reserved a seat on Concorde, and went ahead and wrote out the Airline ticket/ flight number etc on the carbon copy , l forget exactly how much the fare was but he said if l handed over the money the ticket was mine ! of course i didnt have it , l was erased from the screen and the ticket torn up. But l do remember it was actually cheaper to do the package of QE2. Concorde and the Waldorf Astoria in NY for less than the scheduled Concorde fare.
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That's fantastic detail, Myles - and yes you are right, the round trip package was cheaper than booking the Concorde by itself. Probably something to do with guaranteed sales filling up a quota of what they would have expected to be otherwise unsold seats.
Meanwhile, time for my next pictures. This lot is pretty much self-explanatory, I think? It's the boarding and starting of the journey to Southampton.
Yes, we were having lots of trouble with the flash not firing - as you may have noticed on some earlier photos, and you will see again later on... Most annoying, but at least in this instance it actually adds a bit of atmosphere to the picture.
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This time I am showing you the Orient Express ticket, made out for two.
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More Orient Express imagery tonight.
This may be a good time to mention that the marquetry decorations on the panels in each of the Pullman cars is unique to that car; every one of them has a different design.
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The journey on the Orient Express must have been a wonderful experience. I can feel the luxury and the panelling is a work of art.
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I have only just realised you will be coming up to your 20th anniversary this year! It must be such a pleasure to be reliving those amazing memories right now.
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Quite right! It's 20 years this year! Yikes!!!
Today, I depict the menu from the Orient Express - it wasn't just QE2 which did ornate decorative menus, as you can see... I believe all the VSOE menus were designed to match the marquetry in the carriages.
Speaking of which, there should be a fanfare after this posting because the next pictures in a couple of days from now will be the start of the main feature: checking in for QE2 at Southampton...
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Wow beautiful menu cover !
I agree fanfare required for the QE2 and as Tom and I were embarking on the same day I am especially looking forward to reliving the experience. :)
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...as Tom and I were embarking on the same day I am especially looking forward to reliving the experience. :)
You must let me know if you spot yourself in any of my pictures... or if you think you have any with myself and Yola in the background... :-)
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Well, here we are - checking in at Southampton.
QE2 awaits...
I do wish the person taking the second picture of us had timed the shutter press a little bit better, though!
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...and we're on the way!
As one might expect, the bit beneath the bridge was the obvious place to be for the first few minutes, specifically because I had "planted" my parents on Hythe Pier with a camera and that was the one place on the QE2 we could guarantee being seen - even if it would be impossible to make us out in the resulting pictures!
Hythe Pier can be seen in one of these pictures, and there's a luggage tag to balance off the page as well.
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Was this your first time on QE2, Peter, and if so, what made you decide to spend part of your honeymoon on the ship?
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Was this your first time on QE2, Peter, and if so, what made you decide to spend part of your honeymoon on the ship?
It was the only time on board in fact... it was the main plank of the plan; the Gleneagles bit was really just to fill in the time... that was to do with church availability. The whole plan was built around the QE2 voyage - remember it was a westbound TA when I booked it - and that gave me the option of two possible Saturdays for the wedding day depending on the church availability. In the event, it was available on the first of the two possibilities. Had it been the other one, the chances are I'd have booked Gleneagles anyway, but as a "winding down" week after the QE2 and Concorde instead of a "prelude" week.
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Now we are past Hythe Pier and the state of the funnel indicates that the power has been applied to take us down Southampton Water. Seemed like a good opportunity to try the Sun Deck out...
Yes, they couldn't spell her name right on the on board identity pass. Yes, I know we were supposed to hand those in when we disembarked...
The goings-on that you can see on the Boat Deck in the first picture on this page is the sailaway party.
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How exciting! Do you remember how you felt?
That's some smoke from the funnel!
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How exciting! Do you remember how you felt?
That's some smoke from the funnel!
There was definitely a big sense of satisfaction at getting a ride on QE2, that's for sure!
Getting the smoke in the photo was pure chance, literally a "right place, right time" happening. It wasn't planned, although I was aware that there would be a good chance of it happening shortly after departure.
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There was definitely a big sense of satisfaction at getting a ride on QE2, that's for sure!
Getting the smoke in the photo was pure chance, literally a "right place, right time" happening. It wasn't planned, although I was aware that there would be a good chance of it happening shortly after departure.
Taking a photo of your wife and getting a QE2 smoking funnel is good planning. Just as well the funnel is not sticking out of her head. When I take pictures of Tom I need to make sure I take account of what is in the background e.g. the Eiffel Tower sticking out of his head or the "leaning tower of Pisa" sticking out of his ear.
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Yes Lynda, that's very true - too many people don't think about what might be sticking out of things when they compose a photo!
Tonight we are still proceeding down Southampton Water; here we are passing the Red Funnel ferry ( Southampton - Cowes route ).
Also, a vessel familiar to some forum members - the SS Shieldhall, which was likely on a cruise planned to coincide with QE2's sailing.
I am then seen trying out a traditional steamer style deckchair...
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Awesome !
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...and we are back on the Sun Deck while still heading down Southampton Water; this would be shortly before the "S" turn at Calshot.
That evening, our first meal on board. It looks like I have the lamb? Not 100% sure; does anyone have the menu for that day? The one thing I didn't think to collect was the menus!!!
Later on as we headed across the Western Channel towards the Bay of Biscay we seem to have discovered the Yacht Club...
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More yacht club pictures, a luggage tag and our dining table details...
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Loving the memories.
We were Table 212 on the same voyage so must have been seated in the same area, I have attached a photo at table with table companions (I'm in the pink). What a small world. Can you remember your waiter's name?
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Wonderful photos and memories !
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Can you remember your waiter's name?
Unfortunately not... but later on there is a photograph of all our waiting staff together with Yola because she had a birthday on board... when I get to that image it may ring a few bells for you?
That's still some way ahead though... it's on Vol 3 page 29; the one I posted yesterday is Vol 2 page 24 ( 40 pages to a volume, so 45 images ahead... ).
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Loving the memories.
We were Table 212 on the same voyage so must have been seated in the same area, I have attached a photo at table with table companions (I'm in the pink). What a small world. Can you remember your waiter's name?
I think its remarkable that you were both on the same trip, in the same restaurant, sitting near each other, and also that you've discovered that all these very many years later.
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More yacht club pictures, a luggage tag and our dining table details...
I love the photo of dancing in the Yacht Club.
I loved it, it was so lively and I too danced there with a big smile on my face like your wife's (and I never dance normally!). Sad that no such venue exists on QM2.
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A newsletter! This from sailing day...
I think its remarkable that you were both on the same trip, in the same restaurant, sitting near each other, and also that you've discovered that all these very many years later.
Most definitely, Rob... I do wonder if any of the "lurking" forum member who never post might also have been on the same voyage...
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I was Chief Security Officer on that cruise, i'd signed on in NY on 26th August and then signed off 24th October in S'ton.
Was that the cruise when we got stuck in Palma de Majorca for 2 overnights due to high winds holding us onto the jetty? In the end Capt wright had to order a tug, but the local ones weren't powerful enough to pull QE2 off of the jetty so one had to be sent from Barcelona. Unfortunately, well not for the crew, by the time it arrived after the second 'overnight', the wind had changed direction and was actually blowing us off of the jetty! The tug just came into harbour, stood off just in case and then followed us back to Barcelona at a cost of something in the region of $10,000!
Ever after Captain Wright was 'affectionately' known as 'Overnight Wright'!
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I was Chief Security Officer on that cruise, i'd signed on in NY on 26th August and then signed off 24th October in S'ton.
Was that the cruise when we got stuck in Palma de Majorca for 2 overnights due to high winds holding us onto the jetty? In the end Capt wright had to order a tug, but the local ones weren't powerful enough to pull QE2 off of the jetty so one had to be sent from Barcelona. Unfortunately, well not for the crew, by the time it arrived after the second 'overnight', the wind had changed direction and was actually blowing us off of the jetty! The tug just came into harbour, stood off just in case and then followed us back to Barcelona at a cost of something in the region of $10,000!
Ever after Captain Wright was 'affectionately' known as 'Overnight Wright'!
Wow! That makes three of us on board, then!
I don't know about the Palma thing because we disembarked at Civitavecchia to fly to JFK - but Lynda would certainly be able to answer because she did the full cruise back to Southampton...
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I was Chief Security Officer on that cruise, i'd signed on in NY on 26th August and then signed off 24th October in S'ton.
Was that the cruise when we got stuck in Palma de Majorca for 2 overnights due to high winds holding us onto the jetty? In the end Capt wright had to order a tug, but the local ones weren't powerful enough to pull QE2 off of the jetty so one had to be sent from Barcelona. Unfortunately, well not for the crew, by the time it arrived after the second 'overnight', the wind had changed direction and was actually blowing us off of the jetty! The tug just came into harbour, stood off just in case and then followed us back to Barcelona at a cost of something in the region of $10,000!
Ever after Captain Wright was 'affectionately' known as 'Overnight Wright'!
I cannot remember being in Palma overnight but as it was 20 years ago, maybe I have forgot. I have a note on the itinerary that Cannes was cancelled because of weather conditions.
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...and here's the next newsletter.
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To complement the ship's newsletters, there was also a ship's newspaper outlining the main events in the World for the day. Here's our first one:
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Interesting to read the news headlines in 2002, especially the Tory leader urging action from Tony Blair and Tam Dayell voicing his opposition to the Iraq War.
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I did wonder when it changed from The QE2 Times. It was one thing l never looked at and could cruise along happily and not know what was going on in the outside world. I'm guessing in today's age such a newspaper isn't produced anymore on the other ships.
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Breakfast in the Bay of Biscay, meeting the priest on board ( Yola is Polish so to find that the resident on-board priest was Polish... ) and resting in cabin 5050.
The priest, incidentally, is still around - he's in Canada these days and is a very important senior priest, now semi-retired.
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The priest, incidentally, is still around - he's in Canada these days and is a very important senior priest, now semi-retired.
Gosh l remember a priest l encountered at check in for a party cruise , something clicked between us,a really nice guy and a great sense of humour, he was only on as a short term replacement and had one of the signal deck suites, he was moving cabins after the cruise, We did some God talk , l had always wanted to know about the confessional (not that im of the faith ) but he was delighted to answer my questions. Then had drinks in the yacht club and after the midnight buffet for a lark l tried on his dog collar, he told me once he was away and lost it and had to use an empty white bit of plastic cut from a fairy liquid bottle. Sadly he was exposed in the sun for perhaps giving too much attention to the lady members of his flock.
Another two Priests l became good friends with on a med cruise, went ashore in Alexandria, iv recounted this story on here before, but to cut a long story we got hijacked in a Taxi and the driver demanded extra money. We did eventually get out and his lasting words to me were "For **** sake run Myles" We could and did laugh about it later and he always said my face was a picture when he swore. Well it was the very last thing l was expecting to hear.
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What was your favourite breakfast on board?
I loved all the options of the breakfast menu and eventually settled for a couple of favourites. There was something there for almost every nationality and taste.
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What was your favourite breakfast on board?
I loved all the options of the breakfast menu and eventually settled for a couple of favourites. There was something there for almost every nationality and taste.
Oh gosh - I really can't remember, but knowing what I'm like it would have been the traditional bacon and eggs type breakfast...
...in the meantime, here we are relaxing in cabin 5050:
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After a game of Scrabble with some other passengers, Yola had a go at learning some of the "Grease" routines as part of the on-board entertainment schedule...
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More pictures tonight of the Grease routines event.
Next up in a couple of days will be a small, folded, pocket document on yellow paper of some great importance with which virtually every forum member will be familiar; would anyone like to try to guess what it might be...?
***** Having some trouble getting the image to attach tonight; I'll try to edit later to add it in *****
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More pictures tonight of the Grease routines event.
Next up in a couple of days will be a small, folded, pocket document on yellow paper of some great importance with which virtually every forum member will be familiar; would anyone like to try to guess what it might be...?
***** Having some trouble getting the image to attach tonight; I'll try to edit later to add it in *****
Thanks Peter, let us know if you continue to have a problem uploading images.
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Thanks Peter, let us know if you continue to have a problem uploading images.
I just tried again and still got an error message - I mailed the image in question to Rob last night ( as he's the only moderator I have an e-mail address for ) so hopefully he or one of the other admins can add it in...
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I just tried again and still got an error message - I mailed the image in question to Rob last night ( as he's the only moderator I have an e-mail address for ) so hopefully he or one of the other admins can add it in...
Peter, if you click the blue wording "Global Moderator" at the very bottom of the index page, you will find all our email addresses listed there, so you can choose any one of us. But if you want all of us to be able to see your email, the best thing is to address it to Admin@theQE2story.org, because we all have access to that mailbox, and whoever happens to go there first, will be able to respond immediately.
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Thanks - I'd forgotten about that...
...watch the inbox; it'll be there in a few moments...
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Peter I downloaded your scanned imaged and cut each of the photos individually so now we have the wonderful photos from Grease Routine:
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I am intrigued to learn more about the Grease Routine as part of the onboard entertainment
"Tell me More" (keeping in the spirit of the song from Grease)!
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Thank you for sorting out the troublesome image.
I can't really remember much about the Grease routines - that was Yola's thing really; from what little I remember they were doing some of the songs along with the actions that go with them.
Which of the songs? I honestly couldn't tell you - they all sound the same to me...
Now - is anyone going to guess as to what the next image might be, from the description I gave the other day...?
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No guesses as to what the bit of paper might be?
Come on... have a go... I'll leave it another day or two before I post it, but when I do I can guarantee that everyone here will recognise it immediately...
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No guesses as to what the bit of paper might be?
Come on... have a go... I'll leave it another day or two before I post it, but when I do I can guarantee that everyone here will recognise it immediately...
Next up in a couple of days will be a small, folded, pocket document on yellow paper of some great importance with which virtually every forum member will be familiar; would anyone like to try to guess what it might be...?
I think we need another clue! I cannot think what "a small folded pocket document on yellow paper" could be and I was on that cruise.
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I think we need another clue! I cannot think what "a small folded pocket document on yellow paper" could be and I was on that cruise.
Is it the map?
I remember using it constantly in 2007 on my first time back on board in 20 years. Despite thinking I would know my way around, the reality was rather different.
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...and Rob has it!
It's the map of the ship.
No point in making you all wait any longer, now...
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I think we need another clue! I cannot think what "a small folded pocket document on yellow paper" could be and I was on that cruise.
I can't ever recall seeing this before , and certainly never on yellow paper
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It was small, perfect for an inner jacket pocket, in cream posh paper
They gave you it at check-in in Southampton. You probably said no thanks because you didn't need it!
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I remember them being placed in our cabins - we kept some of them over the years and they are now in my QE2 archive from our trips, including the last one I used onboard that Captain David Perkins signed.
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Once again, the flash failed to go off - but once again that only added to the atmosphere with the attention drawn instead to the view from large windows behind us.
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A flat calm for the day at sea crossing the Bay of Biscay, and as the third picture demonstrates it did not take us long to find a certain part of the ship...
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Looks like a lovely relaxed day, and the two of you enjoying the ship.
I am curious. What did you get in the shop, and who is Tommy?
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Awesome photos ! And so fun to be following along on your cruise !
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Tommy would be the on-board tailor - we will see shortly that the dress Yola bought that day, for which the receipt applies, needed to be adjusted.
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...and here is Tommy making the necessary alterations to the dress... which were minor and only took a few minutes.
( I don't suppose anyone on here knows where Tommy is working these days? Given that we know from the receipt he was berthed in cabin 9535 and that this was September 2002 he should be traceable...? )
In the third image tonight, I appear to in a state of shock at the price tag being run through the till... Hmm... that picture is ripe for a caption competition isn't it...?
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With the dress now adjusted and fitting properly, it was time for the formal dinner that evening.
Yola's aim of the camera in the third picture wasn't that good, but she appears to have inadvertently caught a celebrity in the picture with me; everyone I have shown that picture to thinks it is actress Su Pollard of Hi-de-hi fame.
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You do have who appears to be Elaine Mackay in the second photo
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You do have who appears to be Elaine Mackay in the second photo
The American sculptor? I have to admit I had to Google her and could only find her obituary in 2017 which a more more recent photograph than ours, but yes - having looked at it I think she might possibly be...
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You do have who appears to be Elaine Mackay in the second photo
Elaine McKay was a crew member and social hostess.
She is mentioned among Lynda's wonderful inventory of the female crew of QE2, and you will find her here in my photograph :
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php?topic=9783.msg116759#msg116759
Maybe she was not yet working on QE2 when you were there for your honeymoon?
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Elaine McKay was a crew member and social hostess.
She was onboard during my early years and was always part of the Social Hostess Team, more often seen at the Captain's reception introducing the passengers to the Captain,Do they still do that onboard? She might have retired by the time you were onboard for your Honeymoon. Last l knew she was living in Dallas .
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You do have who appears to be Elaine Mackay in the second photo
Just to double check, we are talking about the second picture of Vol 2 Page 36?
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Just to double check, we are talking about the second picture of Vol 2 Page 36?
Indeed we are, I personally don't think the bottom photo of the same page looks anything like Sue Pollard.
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Indeed we are, I personally don't think the bottom photo of the same page looks anything like Sue Pollard.
Interesting; you're the first person who has ever said that.
Wonder if the passenger list is floating around anywhere...? ( Yes, yes, I know... data protection... )
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Interesting; you're the first person who has ever said that.
I say that simply because the lady doesn't have the"smile" Sue has, nor yet the short hair (she had curly hair in Hi de Hi ) and the lady in the photo seems very well dressed, Sue has a tendency for a bit more outlandish affairs . And i can't really see Sue Pollard blending in like everyone else, she would if any TV chat show is to be based upon, she would prefer to stand out.
Perhaps she was mentioned in the Daily programs?
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Perhaps she was mentioned in the Daily programs?
I don't think celebrities on board would get a mention unless they were, so to speak, on duty on board? If they were simply travelling as passengers, I'd be surprised if their presence was made official.
Meanwhile, here's another couple of views of us at that formal dining evening.
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I don't think celebrities on board would get a mention unless they were, so to speak, on duty onboard? If they were simply traveling as passengers, I'd be surprised if their presence was made official.
I should have added that perhaps she was part of the entertainment and as such would have been mentioned in the Daily prog. I have an actual passenger list, that was used by the Pursers Office from my Med trip in 1988 showing both Passengers and entertainers with their respective cabin numbers and port of embarkation/ disembarkation. They were mostly flown out to a port and flown home from a different port .
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One person who was definitely part of the official entertainment on this instance was Jim Bowen, and here he is doing a stand up routine with the backing of a band.
...and not a speedboat in sight!
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Here is more of the evening with Jim Bowen; note in particular the pianist playing while blindfolded.
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Three further images to wrap up that evening.
The next four images after this are more of the newsletters and other paper memorabilia, so I may well post those four at a faster rate, maybe daily if I can, as I know you'll all be waiting for the next images.
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The first bit of that paperwork I mentioned is the next edition of this familiar product:
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...and another familiar production here.
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Poignant headline - Incredible to think that a climate change catastrophe was warned about 20 years ago and the world is still heading for a catastrophe because more change is needed.
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Very true, Lynda. One thing to bear in mind, though, is that the main victims of climate change will be humans: the planet itself and much of the wildlife on it will survive. For most of the history of the Earth, temperatures have been considerably higher than they are at the moment.
Tonight's paperwork is a bit different and perhaps of greater QE2 specific interest....
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...and the last of the four consecutive bits of paperwork is this.
Then we're back to photos again - and it's probably obvious which part of the ship features next...?
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All of these are very interesting. I am glad you collected so many items.
Did you take any of the Spa treatments? I was treated to a Hot Stone Massage there once -- it was delicious, and I enjoyed being gently rocked by the ship while the hot stones did their thing.
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I didn't myself, but Yola certainly did!
Sorry about the delay between my posts here; been away from a few days...
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Continuing on the pampering theme, it is time for some sea water treatment!
The third picture looks ideal for a caption competition...
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Tonight I am showing you more pictures from that part of the ship.
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...and still more!
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One final set of pictures from in that pool...
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Having finished with the pool, it was time to dry off, relax a bit more and then emerge from the Spa fully refreshed...
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Apologies for the delay with this next installment; I was in Cardiff from Tuesday to Friday so had no opportunity to post anything.
By this point, as you can see, we have arrived in Lisbon.
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Earlier in the thread I mentioned the Polish priest; Yola being catholic and Polish herself... well... there was no way she would miss attending mass on board with that combination was there?
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Next up, we kept the programme for the theatre performance on this voyage and here it is with a very 1930s style design.
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There are lots of pictures of the Mauretania model, but not many with people next to it to show the scale of it.
Tonight, I remedy that!
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Very impressive size comparison -- great photos!
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Very good size comparison ! I didn’t realize the model was so large !
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Tonight we are lounging about again - and isn't that the Queen Mary's piano behind us in the first two pictures...?
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Tonight we are lounging about again - and isn't that the Queen Mary's piano behind us in the first two pictures...?
Yes, I am pretty sure that it is. And there is even a pianist! I cannot remember anyone ever playing that piano whenever I was on board.
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Yes, I am pretty sure that it is. And there is even a pianist! I cannot remember anyone ever playing that piano whenever I was on board.
I wonder if most people would have been terrified of touching it because of where it came from because they were worried about breaking it or something?
To continue... tonight, we are back to the paperwork. This letter was after I realised that the official bridge visiting port would be after we had disembarked ( remember we were only doing half the voyage; see the early posts in the thread for the background to this ). Well... one had to try, surely?
Later, there was a surprising turn of events but that will have to wait for the relevant part of the story to come round...
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A more familiar bit of paperwork here...
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Now this was a photo opportunity that I just could not resist; the Rock of Gibraltar through the porthole in the cabin...
We were only there for an hour or so in the morning, anchored outside - this was one of those short administrative stops rather than a port call.
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Back to the plans for the day...
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...and the daily news for the same date. With a surprising typo on it; it was in fact 4th September - not August. I wonder if the printer was made to walk the plank afterwards...
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Its good that you have kept all the paper work and the daily news, which lets us read some of the news from twenty years ago.
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Its good that you have kept all the paper work and the daily news, which lets us read some of the news from twenty years ago.
Thank you Lynda, and twenty years ago it is - almost exactly!! At some point very soon, we will be coming up to that exact mark...
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Back to the pictorial side of the story tonight. That day, 4th September, just happened to be Yola's birthday.
If you look very closely at the picture of the flowers, at the top of the bunch near to the lamp, you can see the card that is mounted below the picture in the album.
The flowers were pre-arranged a few days earlier - I guess birthdays and anniversaries would probably be the two biggest sources of business for the on board florists?
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Well done Peter for organising lovely flowers for Yola's birthday.
I had a look at our photos of passengers on deck for the Straits of Gibraltar, to see if you were in any photos, but could not see you.
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How wonderful to celebrate a birthday on a Honeymoon cruise !
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...the reason Lynda probably can't find us in any photos that morning is that Yola overdid things and had a fit as a result ( she is epileptic ) which necessitated her to have a few hours ( including overnight for observations ) in the ship's hospital.
This happened roughly at the time when we started moving from the anchorage at Gibraltar. It would probably have helped if she hadn't ignored the advice of the doctor on board when she started feeling woozy ( just after the pictures in the previous post ) to just rest for the whole day; within 30 minutes she was "feeling OK so I'm not wasting the day lying around down here" and about 30 minutes after that we had to summon the doctor back and he immediately admitted her, as you can see.
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Lots of us can relate to overdoing things on board QE2, and not wanting to miss anything by resting!
On our 10 night "dream come true" med cruise in 2008, I got to about day 5, and had an enormously long lie in, completely missing half the day in order to recharge the batteries!
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While all that was going on there was still the important matter of ensuring we could catch our flight for the next stage of the honeymoon.
Sorted.
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Another day, another port... and another printing...
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Moving swiftly on to the newsletter, just so I can through these bits and on to the next photographs a bit quicker...
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On the 5th September we were docked in Barcelona all day and here are the first three photographs from that.
For all the stops, we stayed on board - we figured correctly that with most of the other passengers ashore it would be much easier to make use of the facilities on board.
Besides - why spend a few hours rushing around and clockwatching hoping you don't literally miss the boat when it's very easy these days to visit these places for a longer, more relaxed, stay and be able to look round properly?
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There were several other ships docked in Barcelona that day; here are some of them:
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Twenty years ago today...!!
More views of the neighbouring vessels in Barcelona as we sailed.
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Fabulous memories of QE2 in Barcelona in 2002 and as this is the year you celebrate your 20th Anniversary the pictures are very special.
We were all on deck for the sail away from Barcelona (see picture) so I can relate to the photos in your album. It was our first time in Barcelona where we did a tour and the first time on a Mediterranean cruise on QE2.
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I see in the right of your photo the same ship that is in two of mine... looks like you might be just out of shot on both my pictures which include some other passengers?
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In response to a couple of messages off list... I will resume posting images on this thread next week after the state funeral of H.M. The Queen.
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Resuming the story, this is the last set of photos from the Barcelona sailing.
That evening, the Mauretania restaurant crew ( can't really call them staff, can we...? ) did a birthday thing for Yola, a day late due to her stay in the ship's hospital. It seems word got round the ship quite quickly!
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Wonderful memories, and what a lovely gesture!
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Another day means another round of newsletters and daily notes, so here goes...
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Was that the call into Ajaccio when we had really heavy towards the end of the visit?
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Was that the call into Ajaccio when we had really heavy towards the end of the visit?
If the missing word is rain, then no - the weather was perfect all day - as will be seen in a couple of days or so.
First, however, I'd better get this newsletter out of the way:
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Now it gets interesting... word of Yola's stay in the hospital had reached the highest level and in a surprising reversal of the previous letter, this materialised in our cabin after breakfast...
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What a wonderful surprise to get an invite to the Bridge.
Looking forward to hearing more.
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If the missing word is rain, then no - the weather was perfect all day - as will be seen in a couple of days or so.
It was but, it could equally have been; Heavy Shopping Bags, Heavy night in The Yacht Club or Heavy plate of food from the Lido Buffet!
I'll have to check my QE2 log again, it must have been another call into Ajjacio, but i only remember going there a couple of times, ah the joys of old age!
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Lynda - that was certainly "big grin territory".
Andy - as security chief, would you have been present on the bridge whenever there were visitors? In which case if our call was your other visit, you might be in a photo or two of ours...? Even if not, you'll certainly know every single office who appears in the pictures. Some of them might even be on this forum...
Meanwhile, here are the first photos of that day, some time before we went for our visit. At this point the ship was still preparing for departure.
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Lynda - that was certainly "big grin territory".
Andy - as security chief, would you have been present on the bridge whenever there were visitors? In which case if our call was your other visit, you might be in a photo or two of ours...? Even if not, you'll certainly know every single office who appears in the pictures. Some of them might even be on this forum...
Meanwhile, here are the first photos of that day, some time before we went for our visit. At this point the ship was still preparing for departure.
Not usually, especially if the visits were while the ship was in port, too busy with gangway operations.
I had an uncanny knack of avoiding photos!
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Not usually, especially if the visits were while the ship was in port, too busy with gangway operations.
I had an uncanny knack of avoiding photos!
Ah, but we weren't technically in port - we were allowed up there for the actual sailing... ( which must be extremely rare on any ship, let alone on the Holy Grail of liners? ).
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I would say the caption on this page says it all doesn't it...?
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Tonight, more bridge views - including that iconic mast from an angle very few will have seen.
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More bridge visit images tonight; unfortunately I was not quick enough on the shutter to snap the dolphins that followed us out from port. They're much faster at jumping in real life than you'd think from watching them on television!
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A final set of images of the bridge itself; this lot showing the inner sanctum with all the controls.
Who is the First Officer? Is he on this forum?
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Thanks for the pictures Peter. I have enlarged a couple of the photos just a little in the hope that someone can identify the First Officer.
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A bit of detail about the bridge itself:
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The last few pictures taken from on the bridge as we left Ajaccio behind on our last evening on board QE2.
Notice just how perfect the weather was that day.
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Thanks for the pictures Peter. I have enlarged a couple of the photos just a little in the hope that someone can identify the First Officer.
I believe this is Captain Peter Russell but when he was serving as Staff Captain (hence the four stripes the fourth stripe nearest the neck being narrower in width compared to the Captain's stripes being four of equal width) under Captain Paul Wright before being promoted as one of QE2's last appointed Captains in 2005.
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Was Ajaccio an anchor port like Propriano (also in Corsica) was?
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Was Ajaccio an anchor port like Propriano (also in Corsica) was?
No, we tied up alongside normally - though I believe QE2 did anchor offshore on at least some other visits to Ajaccio.
( ...and I think we should perhaps move swiftly on from the question of the First Officer on the day of our visit... )
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Including this one, we will have six consecutive posts with paperwork / newsletters / whatever before the next photographs, so I will try to get through these in quick succession.
Tonight's post shows a leaflet which will probably have been one of the most collected on board:
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Ah, but we weren't technically in port - we were allowed up there for the actual sailing... ( which must be extremely rare on any ship, let alone on the Holy Grail of liners? ).
Hi Peter -These are So Lovely
Have been waiting since 2008/9 to see them!!!!!!
Happy After Silver Wedding Anniversary too!
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Wonderful photos and remembrances, Peter ! Thanks again for sharing !
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Hi Peter -These are So Lovely
Have been waiting since 2008/9 to see them!!!!!!
Happy After Silver Wedding Anniversary too!
Thank you... but it's not our silver yet; that's another five years away. :)
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We now move on to album volume 4 with this; an instruction sheet which not very many people will have received as only a handful of passengers left the cruise at Civitavecchia - and this being a maiden call, and us being the first off ( as we were in a hurry to get to Fiumicino airport ), meant we were the first people ever to leave QE2 at this port.
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The ship's newspaper again, our last before disembarking...
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The ship's newspaper again, our last before disembarking...
how were you feeling? And when did you think you'd be back on board?
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how were you feeling? And when did you think you'd be back on board?
I definitely thought we'd be back on board at some point, but a year later our daughter arrived, then three years after that our son.... then QE2 got withdrawn...
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I definitely thought we'd be back on board at some point, but a year later our daughter arrived, then three years after that our son.... then QE2 got withdrawn...
And have you ever thought of the new Cunard ships, and has this trip down memory lane made you think you might? The cruise I had to cancel a few weeks ago even went to some of your honeymoon stops!
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And have you ever thought of the new Cunard ships, and has this trip down memory lane made you think you might? The cruise I had to cancel a few weeks ago even went to some of your honeymoon stops!
I have, but at the moment the twin problems of money and time are putting it all aside... I'd certainly like to do QM2 just "because" and QV because of the comments from various people that the atmosphere is most like QE2 plus I also believe that's the one with a more traditional interior decor?
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This appeared in our cabin rather belatedly the night before we disembarked. Just as well I had enough cash on me... I don't have a credit card anyway, just a debit card.
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This appeared in our cabin rather belatedly the night before we disembarked. Just as well I had enough cash on me... I don't have a credit card anyway, just a debit card.
Very directly to the point! And as you say, rather belatedly.
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Well, what do you know? All of a sudden the system is now letting me do multiple attachments again, and I am now also able to use the like button again - several months after both those features stopped working.
That's actually rather timely because today we have the bill referred to in the letter from the Purser, and it's spread across two attachments:
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...and now we're back on pictures, so there will be a breather of a couple of days now.
Here is our final, early, breakfast on board at Civitavecchia and then waiting in prior to disembarking.
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We have now transferred to Fiumicino from Civitavecchia by fast car; it's surprising how many drivers in Italy get out of the way quickly if they see a big black Mercedes gaining on them... the transfer only took about half an hour!
Here we are in the lounge awaiting boarding. We also see the tickets, although unfortunately a bit faded - probably thermal printing?
Delta and Alitalia were operating a code share on the route and our flight was one that was operated by Alitalia; we had a 767 registered I-DEIL - which is still in service today with Omni Air International, registered N378AX.
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Thanks Peter for the latest update of your luxury honeymoon itinerary.
What an experience so far and now as you wait in the airport for the flight to New York another adventure begins.
I have copied your honeymoon itinerary below to remind us of your fabulous journey so far.
..... on to New York
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Thank you Lynda, and yes - we're getting close to the end of this thread now aren't we?
There is yet one further very fleeting appearance of QE2 to come in it, though... ( teaser! )
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Specific seat instructions for the airline from Goodwood Travel, ticket stubs plus luggage tags for the flight to New York.
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While the flight was sitting at the gate awaiting pushback, I took advantage of the particularly well angled view from my seat to get a few aviation pictures done...
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...and we're on our way to New York!
Look very carefully and you might just see a tiny white sliver by the end of the arrow in the 6th photo here; yes - that is QE2 as seen from the aircraft!! She doesn't show up very well on the scan, but is a bit more obvious on the actual photograph. Enlarge the picture and you may just see her and also make out the black* of the hull.
If only we had then the sort of camera that is commonplace now, with lots of zoom power without weighing a tonne...
*Yes, I know it's not actually black...
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Peter, I am very much enjoying being along on your honeymoon memories !
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Now up to cruising altitude, we retrace our steps a bit by flying right over Ajaccio! Although the trouble with being directly over somewhere is that you can't actually photograph it...
Then on via the Monaco and Nice area and, believe it or not, London - no ETOPS in those days so we had to go a slightly longer way round than a direct great circle would have been. Not complaining; it gave additional photographic opportunities, as you can see - and will see further in the next posting in a couple of days from now.
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Now we are passing over the rest of London, and I think it's obvious what is what in those three pictures even without the labels; somewhat interesting being able to actually photograph from 35,000ft up, the hotel in which we had spent our wedding night two weeks earlier!
A few minutes further along and we see the landscapes of the Brecon Beacons area and the Irish coast slip underneath us as we headed out across "The Pond".
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Amazing photos !
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The first two pictures here are the last images of Ireland.
Some time later that day, we arrived over the spectacular landscape of Newfoundland... which is the next four pictures here.
Note I've used local times on the pictures. Just so you don't get confused if you're comparing them between postings. :)
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We have now moved down to overflying Nova Scotia; apologies for the obvious scanner glare on these.
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Not far to go now as we pass over the Boston area... spot Logan Airport in one of these pictures...
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Not far to go now as we pass over the Boston area... spot Logan Airport in one of these pictures...
Another place with QE2 connections! We watched the planes coming and going right there from on board QE2 in 2008 :) .
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Another place with QE2 connections! We watched the planes coming and going right there from on board QE2 in 2008 :) .
I have to ask... did you hold any tea parties...?
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Hmmm... looking on Google Maps, I have a feeling that despite what the label says here, this is in fact not Newark airport - can anyone identify it please? I'm also not now sure that the previous one is Boston Logan after all...
Uncertainty aside, the view is definitely good.
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We are now on final approach to New York JFK...
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Well, we have landed - just a few hours after the originally planned QE2 voyage would have docked in Manhattan - and made our way to the hotel in the manner which you will by now have expected.
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Tonight I will show you some of the impressively decorated interior of the hotel.
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Well... you can't go to New York and not visit Liberty Island can you?!
There was a big irony here... this, the most potent symbol of freedom in the world, and you have to go through full airport style security in order to visit the island - including belt removal and x-raying. Oh, and the statue itself was closed for security reasons, so there are no views here from the platform inside the crown. It's ground level only!
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If you visit Liberty Island, you also visit Ellis Island - the historic immigration processing centre which is now a museum about, well... unsurprisingly it's all about immigration into the United States.
Once back on Manhattan after that, we walked to the Trinity church to see the world-famous stained glass window and then round to have a look at Wall Street.
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Yola asked to visit Ground Zero; I don't think she was prepared for the scale of the site.
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We had been on the Twin Towers in 2000, before they were attacked in 2001. We visited again in 2003 and can relate to what you are saying about the scale of the site and the loss.
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The next day we went looking round more of New York; just one image tonight but the next post will have at least three images... and it's probably obvious from the third picture here what those three images will all be of...?
We are getting close to the finish of this now; after tonight there are only 30 more images left to show you...
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...and if you guessed a full panorama of the view from the top of the Empire State, you guessed correctly. :D
Here it is:
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Amazing view from the Empire State Building and it looks like you had a good clear view.
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Amazing view from the Empire State Building and it looks like you had a good clear view.
Yes, it was a bit misty so not a full horizon view, but still an awful lot of miles and well worth the time to ascend the building.
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Just before we left the Empire State Building, I spotted this pigeon having a rest right at the top!
We then had a short subway ride to the American Museum of Natural History, as you can see from the leaflets shown here.
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Now we are inside that museum and here are a few images showing us with some of the exhibits.
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That evening we ate at an Italian restaurant in New York, but I can't remember which one and as you can see, the receipts are too faint on the scan to read them... I'll have to have a look at the actual album again...
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Paperwork time again tonight I'm afraid!
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A last few pictures at the Peninsular Hotel... and we are now nearly at the end of all this; only 18 more attachments still to come to complete the honeymoon...
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Peter, I would love to know a bit about the planning for your luxury honeymoon. Did you consider what the 5 star option could be and then make your choice?
The London Hilton
First Class travel to Gleneagles
Orient Express
QE2
NY Peninsular Hotel
Limousine transfers all the way
I am intrigued what other 5 star option could you have had! or is the best yet to come?
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I planned it 100% around the dates of QE2's voyages! In other words, I looked at the voyages first then built everything else around it; had the church not been available on the 30th August I had the following Saturday as a back up plan which would still allow the same Southampton departure - in that instance the Gleneagles bit would have been the last component rather than the first component.
There is still a rather big bit to come and which does tie in to QE2 in a way - have a look at the itinerary at the very start of the thread... ;)
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The final bill from the Peninsular as we checked out.
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Time to check at JFK in to go home...
...and once again the camera flash failed at a critical moment!!! Twice!!! ::)
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...and we're off!
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So wonderful to be along on your remembrance trip. I feel like I should help out by carrying some of the luggage !
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The mandatory "stand next to the machmeter" picture - although the display hasn't come out all that well... this was at Mach 2 at 52,000 ft.
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Needless to say, the curvature of the Earth was very apparent from that sort of altitude.
Then, as we slowed and descended, I had a chance to photograph some local landmarks.
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A bumper crop for you tonight... memorabilia from the flight, including the tickets. £4,163.80 each. At that rate you'd think they'd knock off the 80p wouldn't you...?!
...and yes, I had permission for the safety card. They always kept a few extra on board for people asking for one.
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A bumper crop for you tonight... memorabilia from the flight, including the tickets. £4,163.80 each. At that rate you'd think they'd knock off the 80p wouldn't you...?!
...and yes, I had permission for the safety card. They always kept a few extra on board for people asking for one.
Wonderful memories of your first class honeymoon from start to finish.
£4163.80 for First class travel in 2002. I wonder what it would cost today?
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£4163.80 for First class travel in 2002. I wonder what it would cost today?
Very difficult to compare because Concorde had its own specific pricing structure and this was part of a packaged price which included the QE2 element so that may not necessarily have been the same price as buying that same flight on a flight only basis; we will probably need an expert travel analyst to tell us. It would definitely be interesting to know.
Well... just six images remaining to post now to conclude this; should be at least two of them tomorrow night...
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We had an excellent view of central London as we lined up for the approach to Heathrow.
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Much closer to Heathrow now and as we get very low, more details are visible on the ground.
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Back in Blighty - a few of the other aircraft we saw after landing while taxiing to the stand.
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Now of course we just had to have a look up front after we had reached the terminal and the aircraft had been shut down... and for once the flash worked when we needed it to. ;D
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So wonderful to be along on your remembrance trip. I feel like I should help out by carrying some of the luggage !
Same here! Such a wonderful experience to have been had!
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...and to conclude, one of the ticket wallets:
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...and to conclude, one of the ticket wallets:
Thank you for letting us travel with you on your honeymoon! I hope it brought back a lot of sweet memories for you, particularly since it was your anniversary year.
I wonder could you tell us in your own narrative the standout moments for you in each of the three phases : before QE2, on QE2 and after QE2? What remains very vivid in your memories, what do you sometimes talk about because it made such a big and lasting impression?
Thank you for your collection of photos and documentation, you must have put a lot of effort into it soon after your marvellous adventure. It is a great record.
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Good conclusion with the Concorde wallet photo. Thanks for sharing your memories!
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I wonder could you tell us in your own narrative the standout moments for you in each of the three phases : before QE2, on QE2 and after QE2? What remains very vivid in your memories, what do you sometimes talk about because it made such a big and lasting impression?
Yes, I can do this no problem.
I'll give it a few days to give people a chance to ask any questions they might have after reading the whole thread, which I just checked and I can see has taken me about 18 months to do! Then I can answer as many things in one go as possible.
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Thank you so much, Peter, for allowing us to “accompany” you and Yola as you relived your honeymoon during your anniversary year ! I found it a wonderful experience and very meaningful.