Going down memory lane with queen of the seas

Dubai: Gulf News reader Alistair Hay witnessed chunks of wood and metal transform into one of the most iconic ocean liners in the world - the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2).

When Hay was 12 he watched the QE2 liner being built in Clydebank, Scotland. It was one of the biggest and most beautiful liners he had ever seen. It was so big that it took up most of the space in his town.

Hay, a project manager by profession, said: "It was sheer class inside and out. I remember the day it was sealed and ready to sail, it was a great event that even the Queen herself attended the launch."

Thousands attended the flagging off, to watch the liner being taken to the water. Hay had the opportunity to be one of the first people to set foot on the liner in 1968.

He said: "Before it set sail for the first time I had the chance to go in with my parents and see the liner from the inside, it was the most exciting event at that time. As the QE2 sailed away, people were crying as this would be the last liner to be built in Clydebank."

Hay recalls the QE2 as being a liner from a science fiction film - it was equipped with ultra-modern facilities. He felt like it was a palace when he walked into the ship - huge ballrooms that were two floors high, futuristic cabin rooms and a grand entrance.

The last, the best

Hay said: "I was amazed because it was such a rare thing to see. The furniture, facilities and design were magnificent and it was the last, and probably the best, in a long line of famous liners built in my hometown."

He witnessed the QE2 set sail for the first time and after 40 years will see her rest in her new home - Dubai.

Gulf News reader Biju Mohammad, a chef by profession, also got the chance to see the QE2 liner when it arrived in Kochi, in India, several years ago.

Mohammad, a resident of Dubai, said: "One of my friends, who was a chef, invited me on board the liner one day and it was one of the most wonderful experiences." Mohammad entered the QE2 and was fascinated by the elegant yet modern interiors of the liner. Additionally, he got a chance to see the operational areas of the liner.

After the tour, Mohammad was invited to have lunch with the guests onboard the QE2. He said: "Everything was beautifully presented. It felt like I was in a five star hotel." The QE2 trip was something Mohammad can never forget.