Cunard anniversary celebrations: Queen Mary 2 arrives in Liverpool

Posted on by Listify Me

Joined by Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, its sister ships, Queen Mary 2 will take part in an event marking the 175th anniversary of Cunard’s first transatlantic crossing, and one that has been four years in the planning. Samuel Cunard based his fledgling maritime operation in Liverpool in 1840 and RMS Britannia made her maiden voyage from the city in July that year.

I embarked the Queen Mary 2 a few days ago in Greenock, setting sail from Scotland as bagpipes played us out from the quayside and fireworks exploded over the Clydeside ports that have built 120 of the 248 ships to fly the Cunard flag.

The Queen Mary 2 dwarves the Liverpool dockside (Photo: Cunard3queens)

Some of the 2,500-odd passengers on board, an international mix of British, American and Asian guests, described a desire to share in a moment of history; others were simply drawn by Cunard’s reputation for service.

• In pictures: Queen Mary 2 leads sailaway for 175th anniversary celebrations

Robert Watkins, a retired engineer from California, described how his father had worked for Cunard’s Boston office in the aftermath of Great Depression in the 1930s. Robert later married a girl from Merseyside and they return regularly.

“My wife is always telling me about Liverpool’s maritime past,” he told me one morning over pancakes and maple syrup. “Sailing into Liverpool on the Queen Mary means a lot to her.”

As we cruised to Oban and then skirted Ireland for the final approach into Liverpool the ship was buzzing with dignitaries attending a gamut of anniversary events. Official tartan was much in evidence and commemorative plaques were bestowed.

Fireworks explode over Queen Mary 2 as images are projected onto the three graces in Liverpool as part of Cunard Lines’175th anniversary celebrations (Photo: Christopher Ison/Cunard)

One afternoon I joined the artist David Porteous-Butler for the unveiling of a specially commissioned Three Queens artwork. The champagne flowed and passengers browsed his work in the on-board gallery. The painting was priced at £12,000, but was snapped up by a private buyer within minutes.

By the time the Cunard 175 celebration buffet was served that evening the anticipation of yesterday’s arrival was palpable. Even those passengers driving mobility scooters seemed to have cranked up a gear in the ensuing scrum for the banana flambe.

The Queen Mary 2 will dance on the Mersey alongside the Queen Victoria and the Queen Elizabeth (Photo: Cunard3queens)

An eerie, early-morning fog shrouded the statues of Antony Gormley’s Another Place installation on Crosby Beach as we made the slow approach along the sandbank-heavy River Mersey yesterday morning.

As we reached Liverpool’s Three Graces – The Royal Liver Building, The Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building – on the Pier Head, cruising to the strains of The Long And Winding Road over the PA, the Scousers had emerged to wave their banners and football scarves at the crowd gathering quayside.

But Christopher Booker remained calm. The charts had been scoured, the contingencies planned and the weather reports consulted for the pilot’s twin enemies — wind and fog.

“I can’t get carried away with the emotion of these show-piece events,” he smiled gently, “but, afterwards, I may just allow myself a moment of quiet reflection.”

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