I am re-reading Potter and Frost at the moment and noticed that the contract for the building of QE2 was signed on 30 December, 1964. That's fifty years this year. It might be worth noting that date as a significant date in the QE2 calendar and might be worth some comment generally. In a way it was at the moment the contract was signed between the owner and the shipbuilder that the ship's life started.
Happy Christmas to you all.