Our QE2 winners

Among the crowd watching Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) take her leave of her home port will be many locals with lumps in their throats and perhaps a damp eye or two.

In the evening a glittering firework display will cascade over the decks of QE2 as she lays off Mayflower Park and sounds her final deep booming salute to Southampton before she begins her one-way journey to become a floating hotel and entertainment complex in Dubai.

Out on the water, among the many yachts, ferries and small boats shadowing QE2, will be ten lucky Hampshire Heritage readers and their partners who will be guests of Associated British Ports, owners and operators of Southampton docks, on board a motor cruiser which the company has specially chartered for the occasion.

They will be the winners of a competition in which people were asked to recall any special, personal memories of QE2 during her long career.

Among the winners is Hazel Roberts of Bitterne, Southampton, who wrote to say: “Several years ago, not long after the Falklands War, QE2’s captain opened a fete at the church I attend.

“My young nephew, Tony and I were winners of a guided tour of the liner. The big day came and we were entertained with tea and cake and then the highlight of the tour came as we were escorted to the bridge.

“Here the captain handed his binoculars to my nephew, placed his hat on the little chap’s head and lifted him up to sit in the master’s chair. ‘Now you are the captain’ he said and Tony’s radiant face was a picture I’ll never forget.’’ Another reader who will be on board is Patricia London from Netley who recalled: “I was lucky enough to be working in Southampton docks in the 1960s and was able to see QE2 when she first sailed up Southampton Water. In those days it was only the rich and famous who went on cruises and I didn’t even dream that one day I would be able to take a voyage on the most famous liner in the world.

“Then 23 years later, as a surprise, my husband booked a short, party cruise on QE2. It was such a wonderful experience that we came off the ship feeling like a king and queen.

“From then on, it has been cruising all the way for us. We will be really sorry to see QE2 finally leave Southampton for good as we have spent many happy times on board.

“No matter where you are in Southampton, you always know when QE2 is about to leave by the distinctive sound of her whistle, something we will all miss.’’ Karen Ravensdale from Southampton has many fond memories of QE2 but it was not until her third cruise on the ship that she realised just how important the ship had become in her life.

Karen said: “I did not fall in love with QE2 until I returned for a third time. One evening sat in the Yacht Club with a group of friends, I looked around and thought: ‘Now I do feel at home’. But it was too late as it had already been announced that she was to be sold.

“This same cruise is when I met my partner. It turned out we had been on the same cruise in 2006 and almost certainly met but it was not to be at the at time. However, fate gave us another chance in 2007.

“Despite living 400 miles apart, we arranged to meet again after the cruise and he has now moved from Liverpool to Southampton so we can be together.

“Sadly, we are unable to be on board for the first anniversary of our meeting, November 25, although we have been back since to celebrate the wonderful location of the start of our relationship.’’ For Derek Whitaker from Southampton the Cunard liner has a special place in his life as she was his home for seven years.

“As a child I watched all the major liners from the original Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, United States, SS France, America and many more as they came and went in Southampton but none had the charisma of the legendary QE2.

“To have worked on her for more than seven years the QE2 became my home and I cherish everything about her.’’