Turneresque

A few months ago I acted on a whim and booked a two day mini cruise on the Queen Elizabeth because the three Cunard Queens were unusually due to be in Southampton on the same night and would be leaving in convoy. The tripartite meeting was to mark the 10th birthday of the Queen Mary and the culmination of the celebrations was a fantastic ten minute firework display from a barge during which time the Queen Mary took centre stage in the middle of the Solent, flanked by Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. I took several photos which were all a bit blurry but I rather liked the effect of this one as the ship became engulfed in the rosy smoke from the firework display.

Finally at about 11pm the three ships slowly made their way out towards the English Channel amidst spine tingling deep blasts from each as they bid farewell to each other - or should I say, Au Revoir, as this was not a Titanic expedition. Queen Mary set sail across the Atlantic to New York, while Queen Victoria headed toward the Baltic and Queen Elizabeth was making the short trip across to Hamburg.