QE2 goes "home" to Liverpool - 24 July 1990

[Cunarder Man]

Great to see this video! We travelled to Liverpool that day and stood for most of the day watching and enjoying the activities.

[Louis De Sousa]

Anniversary day remember it as if it was yesterday

[Rob Lightbody]

I am guessing some of our members have newspaper clippings from the day... I was wondering how we go about getting some of them onto this topic?

[Thomas Hypher]

I am guessing some of our members have newspaper clippings from the day... I was wondering how we go about getting some of them onto this topic?

Scan them unless there are legal issues with doing so? Maybe permission will need to be sought from the relevant newspapers?

[Rob Lightbody]

Scan them unless there are legal issues with doing so? Maybe permission will need to be sought from the relevant newspapers?

I think old newspaper clippings are fine.

[Mike McCann]

I was on board for my honeymoon. It was an amazing cruise, the highlight being the one million people on the banks of the mersey singing Ferry Across The Mersey as the fireworks went off and The QE2 cruised out of Liverpool. I have so much memorabilia form the cruise including newspapers from every port of call. The Liverpool Echo ran a special edition - pics attached.

[Rob Lightbody]

I found this video yesterday.

It's terrible quality, but it totally captures the moood on board a ferry that day, and the excitement of seeing her.  There are a few nice comments about how beautiful she is etc.

[Thomas Hypher]

I found this video yesterday.

It's terrible quality, but it totally captures the moood on board a ferry that day, and the excitement of seeing her.  There are a few nice comments about how beautiful she is etc.

Wonderful footage, particularly of her underway, really brings a smile to one's face and brings back several memories.

[Andy Holloway]

Visiting Liverpool on QE2 was one of the standout port calls of my time onboard.

The sheer numbers who wanted to come onboard as guests of passengers made it impossible to allow any passenger visitors whatsoever, and even crew were limited in numbers.

But the most memorable thing was seeing people stood, knee deep in water, as we sailed out of the Mersey just to be able to get a photo that couple of metres closer, just amazing.

On one of our visits to Liverpool, during a 'Round UK' cruise, due to the sheer numbers of Brits onboard, plus with the QE2 being at anchor, it was decided that there would be no visitors. However, 'local' crew who for whatever reason would be unable to go ashore would, with special permission from St Capt, be allowed only 2 'covert' guests!  All requests were to be made in person, through the Chief Security Officer, with the St Capt's decision being final!
In all i think we only had about 20 visitors, which was still a problem when 'certain' passengers found out, sadly some crew cannot keep their mouths shut!
Anyway to continue, as my wife was travelling with me on that trip we often had dinner with the St Capt and in conversation one evening my wife mentioned that she was going ashore to meet some very good friends from home who now lived on the Wirral, he was the Vicar of a parish in Upton.
The next day the St Capt ' said to me, why didn't my wife bring them onboard. To which i 'reminded' him of the visitors policy for Liverpool, his reply was if the Chief Security Officer - and his wife - couldn't be trusted to be discrete, then there was no hope for anybody else!
On the day, i was even able to make personalised visitors passes for our friends which they have to this day.
They thoroughly enjoyed their visit, including lunch in the Officer's Wardroom and tea in the Queens Room, before disembarking as late as possible. They were a bit let down with the size of The Chief Security Officer's cabin, imagining it to be much larger, more in line with the 'luxury' image on EVERYTHING on QE2!

We visited them late last year and to this day, over 20 years later, they still remember that day with great affection.

[Jeff Mahler]

I found this video yesterday.

It's terrible quality, but it totally captures the moood on board a ferry that day, and the excitement of seeing her.  There are a few nice comments about how beautiful she is etc.

In preparation for this visit, we had stacked loudspeakers on top of the stowed tender docks and blasted Beatle's music across the channel as we came in.
It took about 30 of us 6 hours to blow up those 10,000 balloons that morning in the Lido. We released them by opening the Magra-dome. This is the first time I've seen it from the outside, as as few of us were madly herding them out from the inside with brooms. I can' believe how long the release lasted. Thanks for the video.

[Rob Lightbody]

In preparation for this visit, we had stacked loudspeakers on top of the stowed tender docks and blasted Beatle's music across the channel as we came in.
It took about 30 of us 6 hours to blow up those 10,000 balloons that morning in the Lido. We released them by opening the Magra-dome. This is the first time I've seen it from the outside, as as few of us were madly herding them out from the inside with brooms. I can' believe how long the release lasted. Thanks for the video.

The balloons look fabulous, and it's even more fabulous to have a first hand eye witness!!  Does it feel like 30 years?

[Jeff Mahler]

Seems like a lifetime ago.

[Michael Gallagher]

Blue balloons for Everton and red balloons for Liverpool