Author Topic: Stewart Stevenson : Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)  (Read 4852 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Stewart Stevenson

Hi I would like to introduce myself to everyone. I was born in Clydebank both my parents worked at John Browns.
Maybe an unusual bit of trivia is that i got accepted for a job at John Browns only to receive a letter 2 weeks before i was to start
telling me that my position has been made redundant (great eh) the rest is in history what happened to John Browns after that. I would love to find out if anyone else had the same experience.
I watched her launch in 67 and went onboard during the open day that was held prior to her move to Greenock for outfitting.One memory
that I have of onboard that day is looking at the swimming pools filled with crystal clear river clyde water (hehe I would,not have jumped in for a swim).
I have followed her life since.
I moved into the aviation industry i have uploaded a picture that i took of the QE2 berthed in Auckland New Zealand I cant remember the year but it would be between 1986 and 1992 sorry about the quality but i was flying the aircraft at the time!.Maybe someone could tell me what years she visited Auckland.
I look forward to meeting everyone.
Thanks
Stewart Stevenson :-\
« Last Edit: Jan 15, 2018, 09:13 PM by Isabelle Prondzynski »

Online Isabelle Prondzynski

Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #1 on: Oct 31, 2017, 04:39 PM »
Hello Stewart, you are very welcome here! Thank you for your introduction -- what an eventful life you have already had :) .

When you took that photo in Auckland, did you know she was there, or did you suddenly notice her when looking down? Well done for whipping out your camera so quickly (while flying the plane!)...

Offline Stewart Stevenson

Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #2 on: Oct 31, 2017, 06:53 PM »
Hi thanks, yes i did know she was there always had a camera with me when flying "no digital cameras were born back then " so quality not good,had a look through my flight logbook but it was a route i went many times over a number of years, it would be nice to mark what day this was taken in my logbook. cheers Stewart

Online Peter Mugridge

  • Queens Grill Diner
  • *****
  • Posts: 3568
  • Total likes: 3379
  • At Mach 2 three days after being on QE2...
Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #3 on: Oct 31, 2017, 09:31 PM »
I'm curious about the smaller ship berthed at the right of the photo which appears to have a QE2 "copycat" funnel - in white as well...?
"It is a capital mistake to allow any mechanical object to realise that you are in a hurry!"

Offline Trevor Harris

Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #4 on: Oct 31, 2017, 09:37 PM »
I'm curious about the smaller ship berthed at the right of the photo which appears to have a QE2 "copycat" funnel - in white as well...?
Peter, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Albatros
Enjoyer of classic cinema, literature, and music.

Online Peter Mugridge

  • Queens Grill Diner
  • *****
  • Posts: 3568
  • Total likes: 3379
  • At Mach 2 three days after being on QE2...
Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #5 on: Oct 31, 2017, 09:41 PM »
Thank you; nice quick result.  :)

Do we know if her funnel was inspired by that of QE2?
"It is a capital mistake to allow any mechanical object to realise that you are in a hurry!"

Offline Trevor Harris

Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #6 on: Oct 31, 2017, 10:40 PM »
Thank you; nice quick result.  :)

Do we know if her funnel was inspired by that of QE2?
No clue. She was actually replaced SS Albatros, which actually was the RMS Sylvania!
« Last Edit: Nov 01, 2017, 10:21 AM by Trevor Casey »
Enjoyer of classic cinema, literature, and music.

Offline Stewart Stevenson

Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #7 on: Oct 31, 2017, 11:06 PM »
WOW !!! You guys are good. noticed that ship too but never thought to ask.

Online Thomas Hypher

  • Queens Grill Diner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2845
  • Total likes: 5477
  • QE2 started a dream to go to sea - now a reality!
Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #8 on: Oct 31, 2017, 11:51 PM »
No clue. She was actually built to replace SS Albatros, which actually was the RMS Sylvania!

The current Albatros was not built to replace the original. The current was built as one of a trio of cruise ships for Royal Viking Lines (a luxury cruise brand co-founded by Kloster's - NCL's founders). The current Albatros' sister ships are Fred Olsen's Black Watch and Boudicca. All 3 ships are about 45 years in service now and have foreseeable futures being SOLAS compliant etc. The trios funnels are indeed influenced by QE2's. The ship in Stewart's photo could be any of the three as they are largely identical and wore the same livery at the time.
First sailed on QE2 in August 2003 aged 6 years old. Last sailed on QE2 in July 2008. Last saw the seagoing QE2 in person from the decks of QM2, on QE2's last Transatlantic crossing (Eastbound tandem) in October 2008. Visited QE2 in her new life, in Dubai, in January 2020 and August 2022.

Online Thomas Hypher

  • Queens Grill Diner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2845
  • Total likes: 5477
  • QE2 started a dream to go to sea - now a reality!
Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #9 on: Nov 01, 2017, 12:01 AM »
Here are the Wikipedia articles for all 3:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Watch_(ship)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Boudicca

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Albatros

Also, HAL's current Prinsendam started off as a Royal Viking Line ship before passing to Cunard ownership when Royal Viking Line folded. She operated under a special Cunard Royal Viking division.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Prinsendam_(1988)

(HAL's previous Prinsendam was lost to an engine room fire off Alaska in 1980 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Prinsendam_(1973 - I remember reading a book on the event in QE2's library - luckily no one died in the unfortunate event despite the weather, elderly passengers, and the distance the rescuers had to travel to reach her).
First sailed on QE2 in August 2003 aged 6 years old. Last sailed on QE2 in July 2008. Last saw the seagoing QE2 in person from the decks of QM2, on QE2's last Transatlantic crossing (Eastbound tandem) in October 2008. Visited QE2 in her new life, in Dubai, in January 2020 and August 2022.

Online Thomas Hypher

  • Queens Grill Diner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2845
  • Total likes: 5477
  • QE2 started a dream to go to sea - now a reality!
Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #10 on: Nov 01, 2017, 12:18 AM »
Also, your photo, Stewart, would be 1987 to 1992 as it shows QE2 after her re-engining. It shows her as she appeared between 1987 and 1994 (although at least one external change happened in that time too but she's too distant to tell if that had happened to date the photo better).
First sailed on QE2 in August 2003 aged 6 years old. Last sailed on QE2 in July 2008. Last saw the seagoing QE2 in person from the decks of QM2, on QE2's last Transatlantic crossing (Eastbound tandem) in October 2008. Visited QE2 in her new life, in Dubai, in January 2020 and August 2022.

Online Thomas Hypher

  • Queens Grill Diner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2845
  • Total likes: 5477
  • QE2 started a dream to go to sea - now a reality!
Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #11 on: Nov 01, 2017, 12:29 AM »
Here's my Dad's photo of Boudicca in Southampton in 2008, taken from QE2.
First sailed on QE2 in August 2003 aged 6 years old. Last sailed on QE2 in July 2008. Last saw the seagoing QE2 in person from the decks of QM2, on QE2's last Transatlantic crossing (Eastbound tandem) in October 2008. Visited QE2 in her new life, in Dubai, in January 2020 and August 2022.

Online Isabelle Prondzynski

Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #12 on: Nov 01, 2017, 12:45 AM »
WOW !!! You guys are good.

I must agree with that. Trevor, how did you recognise her (or one of her identical sisters) so quickly? Most impressive.

You and Thomas (and no doubt other members of this illustrious Forum) are walking and writing encyclopedias!

Offline Stewart Stevenson

Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #13 on: Nov 01, 2017, 01:55 AM »
Thanks for all the replies. I was in Dubai in August this year on route to Manila but no stopover hoped I might see her but no joy. I might be doing that route again in December will try to fit in a layover and go see her.What the latest news on her ?.

Online Thomas Hypher

  • Queens Grill Diner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2845
  • Total likes: 5477
  • QE2 started a dream to go to sea - now a reality!
Re: Former John Brown's worker (or maybe not)
« Reply #14 on: Nov 01, 2017, 02:13 AM »
QE2 is due to open as a static hotel this December and the terminal she's docked at (Dubai's old cruise terminal she opened in the late 1990s if I remember correctly - very ironic) is going to be the boarding point to her Midships Lobby (the gangway is already in place) as well as a museum for her and some other Cunard memorabilia. Most of her lifeboats and tenders now line the road leading to her and I'd hazard a guess they will be part of the QE2 museum too in some way.

I will warn you that some marketing has already been done in Arabic apparently and she may be booked up hotel wise (not sure whether day visitors will be a thing etc.) as a result for quite a while yet.

I would recommend looking at this part of the forum for the latest known/factual news on her in Dubai:

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/board,53.0.html


And without directly advertising (not sure on the rules regarding that here) there is one Facebook group dedicated to her in Dubai run by a former crew member which posts the latest information normally before even the forum here does (since the former crew member also posts some of the latest information here too but after the Facebook group). There are other Facebook groups dedicated to QE2 too if you look around. However, I am presuming you have Facebook, when not everybody does for various valid reasons!


Thomas
First sailed on QE2 in August 2003 aged 6 years old. Last sailed on QE2 in July 2008. Last saw the seagoing QE2 in person from the decks of QM2, on QE2's last Transatlantic crossing (Eastbound tandem) in October 2008. Visited QE2 in her new life, in Dubai, in January 2020 and August 2022.