Corpro production for Cunard - QE2 (1970s)

[Rob Lightbody]

I'd never seen this before, until right now.  Worth a watch!

[Thomas Hypher]

Excellent find! A couple of bits of footage from this are used in "QE2 - The Last Great Liner" (1995) including the helicopter going under and around her bow whilst she's underway (something that always makes me think about how H&S would ban that these days!). I had wondered where the original footage was from.

QE2's configuration dates the footage from after her 1977 Bayonne refit with the addition of QE and QM Grand Suites and she still appears to have her bow anchor, evidenced by the extra long windlass visible up to the tip of the foredeck despite the low resolution of the image. Therefore it seems the footage was filmed in the late 1970s and not in the early 1980s just before the Falklands as the storm where the anchor was lost overboard or damaged beyond repair (some sources say it was forced up into it's housing and then removed and not replaced) occurred in the late 1970s as far as I know.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I imagine that the identity of the captain would also help to date the film. And how about the uniforms of the staff?

It seems to me that the film was made during an actual cruise, or several of them, and that it was not shy about including people who were not looking as glamorous as we usually see in publications. This makes it seem all the more real to me.

[June Ingram]

This is a marvelous find, Rob !  Thanks for sharing !  It is a great video of our young QE2 and the styles of the ship and the people at that time.  At around 12:31 minutes, there is a good shot of Ron Warwick with three bars on his uniform.  That should help date the film. 

[pete cain]

Excellent find Rob, goes to show there's loads of QE2 out there yet to be found!.
  Music doesn't pass the test of time though, however the narrator - who is he his voice so familiar from documantaries of the time.

[Rod]

Got to be mid to late 70's. Ron Kelly a 2 striper, later to become an Hotel Manager, Jimmy Maher serving in the Theatre Bar, The Childrens Room "nanny" was the same one as seen in one of Robs new slides. John Bainbridge, Executive Chef. But the uniforms are not the ones I first encountered amongst the waiters.
Also they had the "kilties" serving in the public rooms. These were not introduced until later.
Also down in the fitness centre was Eric Mason, used to be a BR until fitness became the thing, it nust also be pre Golden Door because of wha6t he is wearing.

[Chris Thompson]

Wonderful find, one thing that grabbed my eye was the wall-mounted ashtray by the elevators, I remember those from my time onboard, are they still there???

[Thomas Hypher]

Wonderful find, one thing that grabbed my eye was the wall-mounted ashtray by the elevators, I remember those from my time onboard, are they still there???

I think I remember them still in place in my time as a passenger onboard (2003 to 2008) and the lift/stairway areas are little changed in Dubai so maybe they are still there?