View Full Version : QE2 in Liverpool
http://www.vanilladays.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/img_2190-edit.jpg
Yesterday was a good day. The Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) was in town for its final ever visit. She’s off to Dubai to be turned into a floating hotel. Its a shame. I’ve seen Grand Princess and other liners visit Liverpool this year and they don’t come close to looking as good as the QE2. They’re function over form, designed to be a hotel that floats around the world. The QE2 and the old liners have a certain romanticism about them. They’re from a historic time when going across the world was something amazing.
As this was the final ever visit to Liverpool I was lucky enough to have a plane waiting for me to take me for a spin. I really got taken for a spin. We circled for about 30 minutes, which felt like 5 and by the end I was a little queasy. Most people would be with the g-force, turbulence, spinning and breathing jet fuel for 30 minutes. Glad to say I don’t have a fear of flying as I once thought I did. I now have a strong urge to do more. That plane trip was *the* most amazing thing I’ve done this year. Absolutely incredible. I spent most of the time looking through my lens so in some ways I was slightly removed from the moment but wow. Its just so unreal. Everything is so completely different, so small. It is like you’re looking at this photo but you’re there too. The plane banked incredibly steeply too. I never felt like I was going to fall out the window but it banked to at least 45 degrees and well, holy cow! If you have a few hundred spare take that trip. Raven Air in Liverpool. Great guys, amazing flight. Thanks to the cruise terminal for sorting it too.
Sounds like a fab day, and glad you enjoyed it. I can but agree with your flight experience - imagine instead of Liverpool doing that over the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls, and you'll know how I feel. :D
Shame she'll never be seen again in this country - another little piece of our history is leaving for the final time. No-one will ever have the pleasure of a round-trip to New York - out on Concorde, back on QE2. Shame. :(
Like the pic, but I think I still prefer your other one. I will buy a print of that someday. Maybe a birthday present to myself next year, assuming I still have a job then.
We've moved into a world of standardness. Boring planes, boring boats. I agree about last year too. The ship was pointing in the right direction. I had the best spot for photos yesterday on the terminal but all I got was light shining on the ass end of her.
I love it Pete, looks fabulous. Scared the pants off me when it blew that ruddy horn again too ;D
Me too :D Thankfully not when i was falling out of a plane as I really would have done.
I just noticed this - never expected to see that much colour difference between nearby bodies of water. The area top left looks so blue. :shocked:
I noticed the same thing the other month on some photo I either took or saw. Really huge difference. All the docks along that section, the touristy bit, all look good.
I’ve seen Grand Princess and other liners
Picky picky picky but Grand Princess isn't a 'liner', which is why it sucks :p
Shame she'll never be seen again in this country
Again, not strictly true, she's hanging about 'til early November and Southampton will be the last British port she sees.
My parents have been on the QE2 they said its was brilliant, it was for there 25th wedding anniversary
This happened when they where onboard
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/hunt-after-man-falls-overboard-from-qe2-678789.html
Not Gibraltar?
I dunno, maybe, depends how they go about getting to Dubai from Southampton.
Gibraltar doesn't count as 'this country' anyway :p
edit -
T 11 SOUTHAMPTON
W 12 AT SEA
T 13 LISBON
F 14 GIBRALTER
S 15 AT SEA
S 16 CIVITAVECCHIA
M 17 NAPLES
T 18 VALETTA
W 19 AT SEA
T 20 ALEXANDRIA
F 21 AT SEA
S 22 SUEZ CANAL
S 23 AT SEA
M 24 AT SEA
T 25 AT SEA
W 26 AT SEA
T 27 DUBAI
:(
Although, it depends how you use 'Sail from'. It's often used just to describe the port at the start of the journey.
So, Southampton may well technically be the last British port she 'sails from' as Gibraltar is just a stop off, she isn't sailing from there :p
I've edited it, you'll probably feel less guilty now :p
Well technically she has no sails so she can't sail ;)
No, you've just taken it too far :p
I haven't taken it anywhere. I've got no sails either :p
Pedantry gone mad ;D
Anyone know where she'll be between now and then?
Pedantry gone mad ;D
Anyone know where she'll be between now and then?
OCT
F 3 LIVERPOOL
S 4 BELFAST
S 5 GREENOCK
M 6 AT SEA
T 7 SOUTH QUEENSFERRY
W 8 NEWCASTLE
T 9 AT SEA
F 10 SOUTHAMPTON
S 11 AT SEA
S 12 AT SEA
M 13 AT SEA
T 14 AT SEA
W 15 AT SEA
T 16 NEW YORK
F 17 AT SEA
S 18 AT SEA
S 19 AT SEA
M 20 AT SEA
T 21 AT SEA
W 22 SOUTHAMPTON
T 23 AT SEA
F 24 BILBAO
S 25 LA ROCHELLE
S 26 ST PETER PORT
M 27 SOUTHAMPTON
T 28 AT SEA
W 29 LISBON
T 30 AT SEA
F 31 CAGLIARI
NOV
S 1 NAPLES
S 2 MESSINA
M 3 DUBROVNIK
T 4 ZAKINTHOS
W 5 ATHENS
T 6 AT SEA
F 7 AT SEA
S 8 GIBRALTAR
S 9 VIGO
M 10 AT SEA
T 11 SOUTHAMPTON
Sounds like you had an incredible time, Pete. Such a sad day though. I can't believe they're decomissioning such a piece of British history. Still, I suppose 41 years of service including a war isn't too bad. It's just a shame that they've sold her off to go to India rather than keeping her here. Nevertheless, that's a lovely photo :) You were very lucky with the weather.
I've flown over a Norwegian glacier in a 6 seater Cessner Seaplane like this (http://specialmissions.cessna.com/single_engine/images/float-1.jpg), so I have a good idea how you felt. It was a fantastic experience, but what put me off was throwing up into a sickbag every 20 seconds :( I was only about 13 then, so hopefully I wouldn't be so bad now.
Cool :D That must have been stunning, from what you saw. :)
I said sail from though, not sees, so i'm right :p
Southampton is the last British port she sails from, Gibraltar the last that she'll see ;)
I should have sank the QE2 while I was up there :p
http://www.vanilladays.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/img_2574-188-edit-edit.jpg
I basically waited around for 3 hours to get this photo. I spent 30 mins at the cruise terminal warming up with a coffee and headed back to my spot. I waited for another hour doing various tests with my filter on and off to see how the light was working and then waited. 10pm, the QE2’s horn blows a signal that the display is about to start. *clack* My ND filter and holder fall off into the Mersey. “Noooooo!” Absolutely totally randomly and very fustratingly it fell off! I was using the ND to compensate for the dynamic range issue. The light on the ship and the light from the fireworks didn’t match up. Go for one and lose the other. So I had to go for the fireworks and wait till the end to squeeze in a static nicely exposed photo of the QE2 to later use for exposure blending. Typical really.
Blighter
05-10-2008, 15:55
http://www.vanilladays.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/img_2574-188-edit-edit.jpg
I basically waited around for 3 hours to get this photo. I spent 30 mins at the cruise terminal warming up with a coffee and headed back to my spot. I waited for another hour doing various tests with my filter on and off to see how the light was working and then waited. 10pm, the QE2’s horn blows a signal that the display is about to start. *clack* My ND filter and holder fall off into the Mersey. “Noooooo!” Absolutely totally randomly and very fustratingly it fell off! I was using the ND to compensate for the dynamic range issue. The light on the ship and the light from the fireworks didn’t match up. Go for one and lose the other. So I had to go for the fireworks and wait till the end to squeeze in a static nicely exposed photo of the QE2 to later use for exposure blending. Typical really.
Wow, nice shot mate!!!
Any change of a bigger res one to use as wallpaper? ;):evil:
Would love to get into photography myself but can't afford a good cam atm :( Oh well, a few years maybe!
It's just a shame that they've sold her off to go to India rather than keeping her here
Lucky you aren't in my job darling - last time I checked, Dubai was still in the United Arab Emirates.
Blighter
05-10-2008, 16:17
Lucky you aren't in my job darling - last time I checked, Dubai was still in the United Arab Emirates.
;D
nice shots Pete, shame about the filter
Nightmare about the filter!!!
They are both amazing shots!
Lucky you aren't in my job darling - last time I checked, Dubai was still in the United Arab Emirates.
I know it is. I thought it was going to India for some reason. So screw you! :p
Amazing shot btw Pete, despite the sad loss of your filter & holder.
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