Final Departure

[DarrenToogood]

Hello all!

As some of you may or may not know, it is the final departure of the world-famous cruise liner, the Queen Elizabeth II tonight, departing Southampton for the final time before sailing to Daubi to become a floating hotel.

Five top facts:

1. In excess of 70,000 bottles of champagne are drunk every year on average on the QE2.
2. The ship’s owners were subject to a ransom demand in 1972, made when the QE2 was 1,000 miles from land. SAS and bomb disposal officers were scrambled to the ship, but the demand turned out to be a hoax played by a New York shoe salesman.
3. The QE2 consumes around 18 tons of a fuel an hour, or 433 tons per day, with one gallon of fuel moving the ship around 15 metres – less than the length of a cricket pitch.
4. The QE2’s rudder alone weighs 80 tons – around the same weight as 10 double-decker buses.
5. An estimated one million admirers were present to see the vessel call in to Liverpool in July 1990, the first time the QE2 had visited the city.

I know the majority of you will live up north and inland, therefore both myself and another BWI photographer are heading out to the Solent tonight to get some shots to share with the world.

This truely is an emotional time for a number of people, and to be leaving its home port on its final departure is really something.

The photographs will be uploaded by 10pm tonight.

[xxMATTGxx]

Very nice, Can't wait to see the photos then

[Corporal]

I was going to say wouldnt of the SBS gone rather than SAS. But then noticed it was in 1972

[mlp16]

It was amazing, was at the front of it all Southampton Mayflower Park. Lot's of photos too.

[DarrenToogood]

I can honestly say this was the hardest photography I have done. I was about 2 mile away using a 70-300mm lens and trying to keep the image steady and on the correct shutter was just not happening!

Also had to boost the ISO up to 1600!

[Kaveri]

Also had to boost the ISO up to 1600!

NO?!

[DarrenToogood]

Sorry guys, no pics to upload. Best one I got was this one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrentoogood/3023489664/

enjoy

[Wootzeh]

Sorry guys, no pics to upload. Best one I got was this one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrentoogood/3023489664/

enjoy

give up, now.

[DarrenToogood]

My other photography is fine, but when you have a boat moving at gawd knows how fast, in the dark from 2 mile away - not easy!

[Hazza]

I thought you was leaving,

Bad photos, unlucky.