A Southampton first on the 1st August 2010 - both Queen Victoria's were together! Of course, the original Cunard Queen Victoria ended up being transferred to P&O in April 2004 to be Arcadia while another version was ordered. But since QV2 had entered service in December 2007, they had been kept apart in their home port. However, after P&O took over running Cunard from 2008 they changed that and this was the first of three times. QV1 was in Mayflower, QV2 in Ocean facing out and Artemis in City with all due to sail at 4.30pm. The number of times Arcadia and Artemis had been together during this year will set tongues wagging! As I was still suffering the pain I'd been in for months, I decided to catch the 4.10pm bus so I wasn't upright too long, since that caused the most agony. Well the bus was late. Ten minutes after it should have turned up, my dad called for a taxi and THEN the bus arrived about five minutes after that. We'd never make it in time so waited for the taxi as we heard QV2 blast. She was going and we were stuck at the bus stop! My dad called about the taxi at 4.30pm only to be told it was on its way and then hung up on. Charming(!) Well the driver finally arrived at 4.35pm, saying he'd just come on his shift and found the job. Apparently many times people phone and ages later it's put out. We decided to go to Shore Road, a place we hadn't been for years and where I was captivated by France during her final departure in 1974. We agreed if there was something moving, we'd be dropped there. If not, to the marina. Well, he spotted something big and Vista coming our way came so we pulled over! |