The Chart Room, Quarter Deck.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thomas, so you were on board between myself and Rob... you didn't happen to look through the charts in the chest? If you did, and the envelope for Rob was not there, we could time its disappearance a bit better  ...

And yes, Michael, what were the 8 ports?

Let me try a guess : Southampton, Liverpool, New York, Halifax, Quebec, Cobh, Cherbourg, Lisbon.

I am thinking along the lines of the historic ports. If I thought of the modern ports, the list would be different.

[Michael Gallagher]

The charts: Southampton, New York, Liverpool, Hong Kong, Sydney, Le Havre, Montreal and Boston.

[Thomas Hypher]

Thomas, so you were on board between myself and Rob... you didn't happen to look through the charts in the chest? If you did, and the envelope for Rob was not there, we could time its disappearance a bit better  ...

And yes, Michael, what were the 8 ports?

Let me try a guess : Southampton, Liverpool, New York, Halifax, Quebec, Cobh, Cherbourg, Lisbon.

I am thinking along the lines of the historic ports. If I thought of the modern ports, the list would be different.

Directly in-between with no other voyages I think as well! Haha 

[Twynkle]

Thomas, so you were on board between myself and Rob... you didn't happen to look through the charts in the chest? If you did, and the envelope for Rob was not there, we could time its disappearance a bit better  ...

And yes, Michael, what were the 8 ports?

Let me try a guess : Southampton, Liverpool, New York, Halifax, Quebec, Cobh, Cherbourg, Lisbon.

I am thinking along the lines of the historic ports. If I thought of the modern ports, the list would be different.

Hi Isabelle
What a lovely thing to do for Rob...
Just guessing - I wonder whether the Charts are still there...?
Also Who of the TQS Membership might either be on board now - or due to join the QE2 soon?
Maybe there could be a MayDay call out -"Please could you check out All the drawers in the Chart room Chest"!

Thank you, Michael.
This is so good -you are extra kind and thoughtful, with both your time as well as such valuable  information.

[Alex Tarry]

Hi Rosie,

We didn't check all the drawers, but I did check the top one...which I can reliably report, not only didn't have any gifts for Rob in it, but was sadly...empty!

Sorry to be the bearer of chart-free news...

Alex

[Trevor Harris]

I have a very special memory of the Chart Room.

In July 2008, when I had not yet met Rob but had corresponded quite a lot with him, I put a little gift for him into this chest of drawers, which would have been designed to hold the various sea charts :

(Removed image from quote, myself. )
This is one of Ed Derbyshire's photos from his recent visit to QE2 Hotel -- apologies for that, but I am not aware of any other photos of this particular chest of drawers.

Rob was on board only a couple of weeks later, and we believed that no one would ever look into the drawers, so my little package would be quite safe in the meantime. When Rob searched the drawers, however, there was nothing there for him... and the Purser's office was not aware of anything either... We had our suspicions, and I would be curious to know what happened... but there we are! It was always a slightly risky business.

A very special chest... with some very special memories! Good to see it again .

Hopefully you didn't put it in the very top drawer!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Hopefully you didn't put it in the very top drawer!

I actually found a mention in my old emails!

...in the Chartroom cabinet (second or third drawer from bottom, the one that contains the Japanese charts).

Japanese charts? Could it have been Hong Kong (see Michael's list of charts above)... I am inclined to doubt it, as I read Japanese (slowly) and know the Japanese geography quite well...

Mysteries abound!

[Pete Hamill]

Isabelle, That 3 nighter where QE2 docked bow to bow with QV at Zeebrugge was our last trip aboard - and I didn't take anything out of the drawers in the Chart Room