RE: [Leica] OT - Queen Mary 2

["Gerry Walden" <gwpics@lycos.co.uk>]

Seth

Your emails brought back many memories to me of ships from the past that
have visited Southampton, and which I have had the pleasure of viewing over
the years. I have been interested in shipping ever since my father took me
to the docks as a very young boy to see troops arriving back from the Far
East at the end of the war. I must have only been 3 or 4 but I was
fascinated by the 'margarine' boats as they were known locally. This is
because they were painted all white with a blue band around them, hence Blue
Band Margarine (the only one we had seen in those days!)

I can remember all of those you recall together with a lot of others you
have missed such as 'United States', 'America', 'Achille Lauro' and 'France'
together with the Lykes Line liberty ships still plying into the 60's. I
could go on almost endlessly, but I later became very involved in shipping
as a Port Health Officer ending up as deputy director and being the officer
responsible for the QE2 which I had the pleasure of travelling transatlantic
on (as a working passage for me) in a $1600 a night cabin. This was my first
ever visit to the US and I got one nights bed in the Roosevelt hotel in New
York (suffering from jet lag), breakfast in a deli and a brief walk on 5th
Avenue before boarding the ship.

Ah, memories! To answer your other question I notice that Cunard are
offering transatlantic on the QM2 from about $1600! That can't be bad, can
it? All that food, all those games of bingo, etc. etc.

Regards

Gerry

Gerry Walden LRPS
www.gwpics.com
Tel: 023 8046 3076

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF PREFERRED EMAIL ADDRESS!



- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Seth Rosner
Sent: 28 December 2003 19:57
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] OT - Queen Mary 2


A great treat, Gerry, and many thanks. I entered the port of Southampton 25
years ago in Queen Elizabeth II, the last of the graceful transatlantic
liners, in S.S. France in 1964, in S.S. Statendam in 1960, and in S.S. Nieuw
Amsterdam in 1950. Sailed westbound from le Havre in 1950 on the maiden
voyage of S.S. Liberte (2d maiden of this ship, originally pre-WWII
Hamburg-American ship, I think the Bremen (?) calling at Southampton en
route for New York. Missed a call at Southampton in 1956 on a westbound
sailing in M.S. Andrea Doria.

One of the great joys of life was a transatlantic sailing, leisure, grace,
elegance, at a level that has disappeared from modern living, helas!, unless
one is truly rich. In the 50's and 60's one did not have to be rich (and I
was not!) to enjoy transatlantic ocean travel: my crossing in Statendam in
an excellent outside first class cabin cost under $300. Even in 1978, my
crossing in QE2 in a superb outside first class cabin that entitled me to
dine (one didn't "eat") in the Queen's Grill cost $1,600. and included a
return flight to New York in economy on British Airways. On my return, for
$400. I was permitted to upgrade to a BA Concorde flight; I did, certain
that unless a client were paying, I would never have another opportunity to
fly the Concorde. I was right.

QM 2 is an impressive ship; I cannot say she is a lovely ship. She lacks the
graceful lines of the traditional ocean liner, of which the Andrea Doria and
her sisters, Cristoforo Colombo and Leonardo da Vinci were perhaps the most
beautiful. While with QM2 (to my naval eye that looks suspiciously like the
designation of a quartermaster 2d class), there is a serious effort to
create a semblance of that appearance, she much more closely resembles the
modern-day box-like cruising ship that pervades passenger ship-building
today. It is an economic necessity in today's world: pack as many passengers
as reasonably possible into the smallest possible space while still
maintaining the appearance of spaciousness.

A former sea-farer myself, I share with you the emotions that her port entry
calls forth. Again thanks.

Seth          LaK 9

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Gerry Walden" <gwpics@lycos.co.uk>
To: "LUG" <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 11:20 AM
Subject: [Leica] OT - Queen Mary 2


> If it is of interest to anyone, this weekend the largest cruise liner in
the
> world docked in Southampton ready for her naming ceremony early in
January.
> It was a great moment for the port, and for those of us who live here, to
> see the ship arrive and to know this is her home port. The ship is 150,000
> tons, about twice as large as the Queen Elizabeth 2. The first four shots
> were taken in atrocious weather conditions with driving rain and heavy
mist,
> not that you would know it thanks to Photoshop!
>
> Unless you have lived your life in a port like Southampton which has been
> home for the transatlantic trade for the last century, and saw the Titanic
> sail, you will never understand the emotions involved. I have posted a
> number of photos of her at
> http://www.leica-gallery.net/gwpics/folder-6016.html for those who want to
> see. I regret that these were not taken with a Leica, but are posted for
> common interest.
>
>
> Regards
>
> Gerry
> Gerry Walden LRPS
> www.gwpics.com
> Tel: 023 8046 3076
>
> PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF PREFERRED EMAIL ADDRESS!
>
>
>
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