Steven Adler, QE2 Waiter, Queen's Grill 1981-1985

[adlersc]

Steven, are these the same as the ones you refer to in Reply 5 above and in these two messages :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,149.msg18066.html#msg18066
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,1027.msg18065.html#msg18065

I am really enjoying the clips -- particularly since I never had the chance to see the film when it made its original appearance. Thank you for having prepared them for YouTube and made them available to us!

Do you have great memories of Alan Whicker and his team on board? The way he comes across in the clips, he must have been quite a personality! Was he dining in the Queen's Grill, and were you his waiter?

Sorry yes but I added some more today

[adlersc]

Hi Steven,

Thank you very much for posting these.
Did you have to do special training in another restaurant, before working in the Queens Grill - 
Or maybe,  did you go there straight away when you started on QE2?
It looks as if it could have been good fun as well as very, very hard work!
Rosie

I was lucky that I started in the Columbia restaurant for 2 months and then I was asked to be relief Captain's tiger serving Capt. Ridley. All went well for that month and because of my previous experience working in 4/5 star hotels shoreside I was asked by the F&B manager to go to put in for the Queens Grill. I didn't however go straight in and spent 2 months as a bedroom steward looking after the entertainers on 5 deck.

I moved to the Queens Grill and loved it there so much....here I am with two of my passengers and my great working partner Terry (the silver fox) Dowding

[Twynkle]

Er....Captain's tiger... ??!!!!

Thanks Steven - and really hoping that you won't mind a few questions from this curious lower-deck inhabitant!
I would guess that the Queens Grill would be a very sort of exacting place to work
and bet the hours were long too!
Was there a time when Guests were expected to have finished eating in the evening?
'Spose it could have been an 18+hour working day with no days off!
Rosie

[adlersc]

Captain's Tiger is the nickname used for the Captain's personal steward.

Working in Queen's Grill could be long hours depending on what time your customers (punters as we used to call them) came in for their meals. Their choice was endless and they were used to a very high class of service. If they wanted to sit there till 1.00am then they did!! although our Restaurant manager had a way of moving them into the lounge for coffee and liqueurs/brandies etc.

I loved my time in the Queen's Grill and will treasure the memories working with my colleagues:-

[cunardqueen]

Who is the  Maitre D pictured second on the left with the glasses. He featured in the Fast Boat to china programme and always struck me as a fearsome devil, well he came across that way the progrmme. It looks like he ran the Grill on a very strict basis.
 Great to see some pics the passengers wouldnt normally see, keep em coming..and the stories as well.
Perhaps indeed we should have an Alan Whicker section!!!
Would be interesting to hear if he and his crew paid full price or perhaps had a discount, the publicity of that mini series must have paid Cunard more than they can ever imagine, and its still being talked about after all this time , now thats publicity !!!

[cunardqueen]

Dont suppose you remember a Mark Skelton and Peter Luff, waiters from the Tables of the World? My very first two waiters and what a pair !!!

[adlersc]

Who is the  Maitre D pictured second on the left with the glasses. He featured in the Fast Boat to china programme and always struck me as a fearsome devil, well he came across that way the progrmme. It looks like he ran the Grill on a very strict basis.
 Great to see some pics the passengers wouldnt normally see, keep em coming..and the stories as well.
Perhaps indeed we should have an Alan Whicker section!!!
Would be interesting to hear if he and his crew paid full price or perhaps had a discount, the publicity of that mini series must have paid Cunard more than they can ever imagine, and its still being talked about after all this time , now thats publicity !!!

The Maitre D was a Ron Pitcher and he certainly ruled with an iron fist. On the other hand he was so professional that if you worked on his section (as I did) your gratuities were huge (and I mean huge!!)

I believe (but don't quote me on this) that Whicker and his team paid 50% of the full fare but Alan himself paid extra personally to have a large stateroom on 2 deck..

[adlersc]

A few more photos from my collection.....Great memories

[bswan]

Hi Steven,

What wonderful memories you must have from you aboard the queen. My father and i made some good friends with the staff when we were aboard and would love to have seen behind the scenes, many fun times had i am sure. Thankyou for posting these wonderful photos,gives us an insight into the differences of the qe2 when you were aboard to when she retired.

[adlersc]

My pleasure.....It was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life...

[Beardy Rich]

My pleasure.....It was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life...

I'll second that. The work was hard and not much time off in between crew leave, but a fantastic experience. Best job I ever had!

[adlersc]

Some more photos from my time on board....













QE2 video clips featuring the crew on this link :- https://www.youtube.com/user/adl21er

[Paul White]

Steve, in your photo why is there a tender half lowered when that is the side against the quay?

That was quite often done to do repairs to the hull or propellors etc, or to paint the boats.

[adlersc]

Got a bit nostalgic again on seeing the latest video posted on the site so here's a few more of my photographic memories:-





THE QE2 RUGBY FOOTBALL TEAM 1984

[Rob Lightbody]

Brilliant photos Steven... yours always take me straight back to the Whickers World programme.  In my view, this was the peak of QE2's fame & prestige.

I love the first photo - with the 'black wall of portholes' behind you... oh and the hat suits you