5th June 2012, 3 Queens Southampton

[Peter Mugridge]

If you're all at Mayflower Park at 14.30, I'll wave from the Blue Funnel trip when it goes past - and here's a challenge for you all; get a photo of me as I go past...!! 

[Rob Lightbody]

I love the idea of a picnic, it seems very much in keeping with the spirit of the forum and the day itself.  However it's not my call because I'll unfortunately not make it down to join you all.


Sent from my phone using Tapatalk.

[Twynkle]

How about a QE2 Story afternoon picnic?

There will be lots going on Around the waterfront and it is all likely to be really busy. I know a number of us are staying within walking distance of the De Vere hotel and we are staying at the Holiday Inn.  Most of us are heading out on the water in the evening and Mayflower park may be a good area for viewing the Red Arrows.

There's a garden area at the holiday inn and if it's wet I'm sure they'll be able to accommodate us inside. Say meeting time 1430 and depending on numbers we'll suggest the picnic format & requirements.

This is a great idea - and Thank you!
Here's the latest re. times etc for events in Southampton
http://www.southampton.gov.uk/news-events/events/allevents/cunard-three-queens-diamond-jubilee.asp

[Cunarder Man]

QE2 Story Diamond Jubilee & Three Queens Picnic 5 June 2012 1430 Meet at Holiday Inn.

Confirmed:
Cunarder Man & 1
Twynkle & 3
Lynda & 1

Bring your flags!
 

[Twynkle]

'Well Mr Shanks, that's just plain Mean'!
If your Three Ships are to Come Sailing By even earlier than expected - and our Blue Funnel small ship has to get up even earlier too - there'll be the need for extra bacon sandwiches, not to mention double rations of coffee....
Specially as we'll have not slept for longer than the space between the end of the Jubilee Rock Concert and 3.15am BST
We will now be embarking at four blooming fifteen hundred hours - please will you make very, very sure that the whistles are clean, and ready to blast the entire way round The Brambles, past Warsash, and on up Southampton Water...
If the times have been changed because of the tides - then maybe it's helpful to remember that Commodore Warner and Mighty Mary came in on April 19th 2011 on the lowest tide in living memory

Lynda - hope you'll be there to watch us wave!
And expect that you are having a lovely time up in the Arctic Sea,
Hope too that you'll see those magnificent Lofoten Islands - it'll be great to hear all about it!
 

[CAP]

Hey Rosie,

I didn't realise you were on the early morning Blue Funnel!  I've also received the news from the company of the change in sailing time, 04:15 - not good.  However, the motivation is still high, as after returning and having breakfast its then down to QM2 for 11:30 and hopefully a speedy embarkation into our cabin which was tastefully upgraded last week to Princess Grill.

[Cunarder Man]

So I'm up for the early start - come on folks were going to three Queens!

Perhaps after the rock concert to the Beacons, is there one in or near Southampton? Maybe we'll make it an allnighter! 

[CAP]

Cuanrd has released some more detail of the events taking place ashore on the day as well as the happenings on-board.  Interestingly there is a celebratory dinner on the 6th June aboard each of the ships.

The attached link will take you to further information together with a glimpse of the celebratory menu cover, it pictures HM Queen against a backdrop of QE2.

http://wearecunard.com/2012/05/three-queens-jubilee-celebrations-in-southampton-3/

[Twynkle]

Thank you for the link, CAP
How exciting about your upgrade.
If you are up on Deck 10, please give the stbd bit 'inside' between stairway A and B my love!
(It was 113 nights - and still Missing Mary dreadfully, over a year ago!)

We'll be on the 4.00 am out of Ocean Village and see you then.
We'll also be waving you off as well
Looking forward to that.

Then, should you wish to forgo a couple of hours or so, on board QM2, in exchange for a quick 'picnic''n chat, you'll find the Mini-QE2 Gathering either in the garden of, or just inside the Holiday Inn (close to the Terminal) - at the shopping Centre end of West Quay Road.
(I believe that you can take your luggage earlier, all bar hand luggage, and then check in properly later....)
Safe Journey
Rosie

[tdickson]

Hi to everyone going to the Qe 11 Forum picnic, Could you all please stay at the Holiday until at least 4 ish, I will be working on board QM2 until approx 3.30 pm, then could come over and meet you all for a sandwich/beer  & chat before the Big event gets into full flow.
Could someone let me know what your plans are for the day
Cheers

PS Hope to see you all amongst the expected million or so crowd

[Lynda Bradford]

Looking forward to meeting everyone in Southampton.

QV Norway cruise fantastic. North Cape amazing. Internet connection not too good.

[Peter Mugridge]

Be aware - the weather forecast for Tuesday is not good... kagoules may be highly advisable!

[Cunarder Man]

Hi to everyone going to the Qe 11 Forum picnic, Could you all please stay at the Holiday until at least 4 ish, I will be working on board QM2 until approx 3.30 pm, then could come over and meet you all for a sandwich/beer  & chat before the Big event gets into full flow.
Could someone let me know what your plans are for the day
Cheers

PS Hope to see you all amongst the expected million or so crowd

We will certainly be around at 4pm, great if you can make it along! Come along to the Holiday Inn, watch for the Cunard brollies, or ask at reception, I'll let them know your coming.

[tdickson]

Good Morning Everyone, I"m up, had coffee, ready for work, got cameras packed, and just about to leave for Weston shore, to follow them in, I"m not due at Ocean Terminal until 6.30 am, so got some time to get plenty of photos of them all coming into port. Hopefully see you at 4pm Holiday Inn.

[QE2forever]

Tuesday 5th June, 18.05 BST

Just had a look through the three ships' webcams. Very sorry to see how the weather has decided not to cooperate.

Sorry for all those of you who are watching the event on the spot, hope you still enjoy the spectacle.

Happy sailaway, Cunard Queens!

[Rob Lightbody]

Not featuring heavily in the news today, there is too much other Jubilee news for that, but here's a BBC article about it

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-18307592

[QE2forever]

An article in French with nice aerial views:

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=119785

[tdickson]

Itv News Meridian have two firework videos on their website. sorry don"t know how to do the link
Hopefully someone can post it
Cheers

[Twynkle]

Looking for News?
Read all about it!
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9743450.Three_Queens_sail_into_city_for_first_time_together/?ref=mr

and the home page has several links as well
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/

and the PA here, with comments via Yahoo.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/cunard-ships-salute-diamond-queen-064834506.html

We met, and thanks to Cunarderman - we picnic-ed in great style, remembering too - all our 'absent friends';
thanks to the good company - we laughed,
and thanks to whoever had done the rain-dance - we got soaked;
thanks to the Red Arrows and their 'test' pilots - we met them in the Lift; 
and thanks to Cunard - all-in-all we had a fantastic time.

Thanks too, to our trusty little ship who took us out and 4.00 am and again at 8.00pm. Curiously, her wheelhouse was carpeted in the off-cut from QM2's Queen's Room carpet!
There was a rumour that the smallest of the Blue Funnel wee ships, 'Ashleigh R', was chartered by Carnival for photographic purposes.
As the light and visibility were poor - hopefully the results will be better than those of my rain-soaked vintage
(5yr old) little camera!

Well done to everyone involved, specially in the area of logistics, and the implementation of the event - it was extremely impressive - all bar just one thing. Did passengers on Queen Victoria struggle to see the fireworks? Mighty Mary must have got in their way. We have good friends on board and will have an answer before too long!
Rosie

[Peter Mugridge]

Interesting you said that - we did see Ashleigh R from Hythe heading down the water towards Calshot about an hour before the triple sailing, though during the day she was very much on the Blue Funnel circuit and certainly worked the 14.00 and 15.30 off the marina as she was ½ hour ahead of us on the Wight Scene at 14.30.

The view from Hythe - the fireworks, well.... the cloud ceiling sort of interfered a bit didn't it?  But the resulting colourful thunderstorm effect of the flashes from the rockets lighting up the clouds from within was rather interesting.

The rain stopped at around 21.30 and the seafront at Hythe was packed when the ships came past at 23.00, and I did get quite a bit of video of the QM2 and the QV, but we couldn't hang around for the QE  as well as the kids were starting to get very tired ( understandably! ) but not too worried about that as QV and QE would look almost identical on the resulting video anyway!

For those who missed the triple sailing, the 3Qs are in port again on the 13th July, but without ceremony and with a more normal sailing time - plus of course there is the 7 x P&O sailing at 16.30 on the 3rd July.