Honeymoon on QE2 in 2002

[Peter Mugridge]

That's fantastic detail, Myles - and yes you are right, the round trip package was cheaper than booking the Concorde by itself.  Probably something to do with guaranteed sales filling up a quota of what they would have expected to be otherwise unsold seats.

Meanwhile, time for my next pictures.  This lot is pretty much self-explanatory, I think?  It's the boarding and starting of the journey to Southampton.

Yes, we were having lots of trouble with the flash not firing - as you may have noticed on some earlier photos, and you will see again later on...  Most annoying, but at least in this instance it actually adds a bit of atmosphere to the picture.

[Peter Mugridge]

This time I am showing you the Orient Express ticket, made out for two.

[Peter Mugridge]

More Orient Express imagery tonight.

This may be a good time to mention that the marquetry decorations on the panels in each of the Pullman cars is unique to that car; every one of them has a different design.

[Lynda Bradford]

The journey on the Orient Express must have been a wonderful experience.  I can feel the luxury and the panelling is a work of art.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I have only just realised you will be coming up to your 20th anniversary this year! It must be such a pleasure to be reliving those amazing memories right now.

[Peter Mugridge]

Quite right!  It's 20 years this year!  Yikes!!!

Today, I depict the menu from the Orient Express - it wasn't just QE2 which did ornate decorative menus, as you can see...  I believe all the VSOE menus were designed to match the marquetry in the carriages.

Speaking of which, there should be a fanfare after this posting because the next pictures in a couple of days from now will be the start of the main feature: checking in for QE2 at Southampton...

[Lynda Bradford]

 Wow beautiful menu cover !

I agree fanfare required for the QE2 and as Tom and I were embarking on the same day I am especially looking forward to reliving the experience. 

[Peter Mugridge]

...as Tom and I were embarking on the same day I am especially looking forward to reliving the experience. 

You must let me know if you spot yourself in any of my pictures... or if you think you have any with myself and Yola in the background... :-)

[Peter Mugridge]

Well, here we are - checking in at Southampton.

QE2 awaits...

I do wish the person taking the second picture of us had timed the shutter press a little bit better, though!

[Peter Mugridge]

...and we're on the way!

As one might expect, the bit beneath the bridge was the obvious place to be for the first few minutes, specifically because I had "planted" my parents on Hythe Pier with a camera and that was the one place on the QE2 we could guarantee being seen - even if it would be impossible to make us out in the resulting pictures!

Hythe Pier can be seen in one of these pictures, and there's a luggage tag to balance off the page as well.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Was this your first time on QE2, Peter, and if so, what made you decide to spend part of your honeymoon on the ship?

[Peter Mugridge]

Was this your first time on QE2, Peter, and if so, what made you decide to spend part of your honeymoon on the ship?

It was the only time on board in fact... it was the main plank of the plan; the Gleneagles bit was really just to fill in the time... that was to do with church availability.  The whole plan was built around the QE2 voyage - remember it was a westbound TA when I booked it - and that gave me the option of two possible Saturdays for the wedding day depending on the church availability.  In the event, it was available on the first of the two possibilities.  Had it been the other one, the chances are I'd have booked Gleneagles anyway, but as a "winding down" week after the QE2 and Concorde instead of a "prelude" week.

[Peter Mugridge]

Now we are past Hythe Pier and the state of the funnel indicates that the power has been applied to take us down Southampton Water.  Seemed like a good opportunity to try the Sun Deck out...

Yes, they couldn't spell her name right on the on board identity pass.  Yes, I know we were supposed to hand those in when we disembarked...

The goings-on that you can see on the Boat Deck in the first picture on this page is the sailaway party.

[Rob Lightbody]

How exciting!  Do you remember how you felt?

That's some smoke from the funnel!

[Peter Mugridge]

How exciting!  Do you remember how you felt?

That's some smoke from the funnel!

There was definitely a big sense of satisfaction at getting a ride on QE2, that's for sure!

Getting the smoke in the photo was pure chance, literally a "right place, right time" happening.  It wasn't planned, although I was aware that there would be a good chance of it happening shortly after departure.