The three current Cunard 'Queen' ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, are in Southampton today. My friend Patsy and a Facebook acquaintance and QM2 fanatic, Rob, are sailing aboard Queen Mary 2 this evening and another friend, Andrew Cooke, is aboard one of the pleasure vessels witnessing the arrivals and departures. I was planning to be in Southampton to see the festivities, which are to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and were scheduled to include a Red Arrows display and fireworks, before the ships depart at the odd hour of 11pm.
I said 'planning' as I actually didn't make it in the end, thanks to a combination of being sick with fevers and chills all night and the weather being - let's face it - utter shite.
The rubbish weather has led to the Red Arrows being cancelled but at least the firework display will still go ahead.
You can check it out on Cunard web cams here.
The event is being billed as 'unique' and, from the perspective of the Queen's Jubilee it is. But it's not entirely unique. Three Queen ships have been together in Southampton before, in April 2008 when Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2 were in together, and all three current Queens will be back in Southampton together on July 13th - which happens to be a Friday (eek). Hopefully, the weather won't be as vile.
