Why was there a sewing machine on the bridge of the QE2?

[June Ingram]

A lot of great information !   

[Willum]

There were rolls and rolls of plain canvas and plastic coated canvas stored in the barn that could be sewn in to covers and bags along with the tools for making brass eyelets, and a palm and needle for stitching. Torn lifejackets were also repaired there. Master of the art was Cox'n John O'Keefe who made me a set of Morris Dancing Baldricks out of QE2 Canvas that I used when demonstrating English Traditions to the Passengers.

[Andy Holloway]

It was in the space on the Stbd side behind the bridge that was used by the Bosun and his team for, among many other things, repairing and storing the vast array of flags carried onboard. These could be anything from signalling flags to courtesy flags, remembering on a World Cruise just how many different countries were visited, and therefore how many different 'Courtesy Flags' were needed.
But, more importantly, it also housed the kettle and tea/coffee making facility for the bridge, without which no Bridge could function efficiently!!

In fact, those sharp eyed among you will have spotted the 'coffee boat' in the background with a wide selection of different teas to suite every taste among the Bridge watch keepers.

Officers uniforms were 'tailored' by the Upholsterers who were situated on 2 Deck Fwd, Port side inboard, just before the crew staircase door.

[Andy Holloway]

I had no clue!

Trevor, there were a vast number of little 'out of the way' places that all had original 'design' uses but over the years became used for many, many different purposes, far from their original concept.

One, down on crew deck, were a couple of 'cells' that were included in the original plans to house 'miscreants', but, with the changes in regulations regarding punishment and how you dealt with crew, they had not been used in years, if ever. Eventually they became storage for the Security Dept, where items only used occasionally and anythnig of value were stored.
On one occasion we had a message from S'ton Office saying that a passenger on a Trannie would be  bringing an item that needed secure storage from S'ton to NY.
On embarkation day i was called to the Gangway to meet this Gentleman and escorted him down to the  cells to secure his 'package'. We then sealed the double locks, he with one key and me with the other so it needed both to be present to enter the cell. We then covered the locks with numbered security tags and he took photos of the seals with their numbers for proof of security. Twice a day we would meet, check the seals were intact and sign his log book, then he went back to enjoying the crossing with his wife.
Once in NY another man came onboard to witness he breaking of the seals and then to accompany the 'passenger' to a secure location in NY.
The passenger, and his wife, were travelling courtesy of his employers, a firm of Industrial Litigation Lawyers taking a piece of evidence in a multi million dollars law suite in relating to a fractured hydraulic hose. The item had to have a secure transit between locations and it was deemed that QE2 was the most cost effective and secure method.
So this man and his wife, in their early 30s, travelled to NY on QE2 and stayed a couple of days, before flying home Business for about 30 minutes 'work'!!

I even  managed to get him an invite the The Captain's Cocktail Party as well as the last night Wardroom Party.

[Lynda Bradford]

Love the information that has been posted about the use of the sewing machine and also Andy's post of how the "cells" were used to store valuable items. 

Trevor, there were a vast number of little 'out of the way' places that all had original 'design' uses but over the years became used for many, many different purposes, far from their original concept.

One, down on crew deck, were a couple of 'cells' that were included in the original plans to house 'miscreants', but, with the changes in regulations regarding punishment and how you dealt with crew, they had not been used in years, if ever. Eventually they became storage for the Security Dept, where items only used occasionally and anythnig of value were stored.
On one occasion we had a message from S'ton Office saying that a passenger on a Trannie would be  bringing an item that needed secure storage from S'ton to NY.
On embarkation day i was called to the Gangway to meet this Gentleman and escorted him down to the  cells to secure his 'package'. We then sealed the double locks, he with one key and me with the other so it needed both to be present to enter the cell. We then covered the locks with numbered security tags and he took photos of the seals with their numbers for proof of security. Twice a day we would meet, check the seals were intact and sign his log book, then he went back to enjoying the crossing with his wife.
Once in NY another man came onboard to witness he breaking of the seals and then to accompany the 'passenger' to a secure location in NY.
The passenger, and his wife, were travelling courtesy of his employers, a firm of Industrial Litigation Lawyers taking a piece of evidence in a multi million dollars law suite in relating to a fractured hydraulic hose. The item had to have a secure transit between locations and it was deemed that QE2 was the most cost effective and secure method.
So this man and his wife, in their early 30s, travelled to NY on QE2 and stayed a couple of days, before flying home Business for about 30 minutes 'work'!!

I even  managed to get him an invite the The Captain's Cocktail Party as well as the last night Wardroom Party.