Roblightbody dot com
  • Home
    • What's New?
    • About Rob >
      • QE2 Talks & speaker
    • Contact
  • Rob's Blog
  • Gadgets
  • Ocean Liners
    • Queen Mary 2 >
      • QM2 News in service
      • QM2 News (When New)
      • QM2 News (Pre Float-out) >
        • My Travels
      • QM2 Reviews
      • QM2 A Ship of Superlative Comparisons
    • Queen Elizabeth 2 >
      • QE2 in Dubai (QE2 Today)
      • QE2 Forum (link)
      • My own QE2 Story >
        • My QE2 Photos
        • 2008 Stephen Payne QE2 Lecture
        • 2008 QE2 Last Thoughts
        • 2008 QE2 Clyde Farewell
        • 2008 August QE2 Cruise
        • 2007 December QE2 Cruise
        • 2007 September QE2 Clyde
        • 2005 August QE2 Queensferry
        • 2003 June QE2 Queensferry
        • 1987 QE2 April Bremerhaven >
          • QE2 April 1987 Exterior Photos
          • QE2 April 1987 Interior Photos
      • QE2 News >
        • QE2 Dubai News (2008 to 2015) >
          • Fears grow over bid to turn QE2 into a hotel in Dubai
        • QE2 News 2008
        • QE2 Sold to Dubai Articles (2007)
        • QE2 News 2007
        • QE2 News 2006
        • QE2 News 2002 to 2005
        • QE2 News 1998 to 2001
      • QE2's Name
      • QE2 1987 Rebirth
      • QE2 Reviews 1997 to 2007
      • Speed Queen
      • QE2 Storm Photos
      • QE2 1975 Guide
      • 1969 Shipshapes
      • QE2 Sydney 2006
      • QE2 Cutaways
      • QE2 in 1969
      • QE2 Fuel Economy
      • QE2 Facts
      • Bridgecam Snaps
      • QE2 1995 Freak Wave
      • QE2 Bridge View
    • SS France >
      • SS France Swan Song (2001)
      • 2006 Finalé >
        • Telegraph April 2006
        • Miami Herald
        • AP News May 2006
        • Justin Huggler Article
        • BBC News June 2006
        • July 2006 (MSNBC)
      • Scrapping Allowed (2007)
    • United States >
      • Maiden Voyage
      • NCL Buys SS United States
    • Queen Elizabeth
    • Queen Mary >
      • No rushing Churchill and his ship of state
      • RMS Queen Mary News >
        • 2007 Fate of rusting Queen Mary in the balance
        • 2006 Queen Marys Meet
        • 2004 As ship and work of art, the QM still an original
        • 2001 Is Queen Mary seaworthy?
        • 2000 Sir John Brown Dies
        • 1998 - Queen of Kitsch
    • Normandie
    • Lusitania & Mauritania
    • Aquitania >
      • Aquitania Emails
    • Other Liners >
      • Transvaal Castle
      • Saxonia
      • Ivernia
      • Caronia
  • Cars
    • Classic Mini >
      • My Classic Minis
      • History >
        • End of Mini >
          • FT Sep 2000
          • Glasgow Herald
          • BBC News
          • Autocar March 2000
        • Sexist Adverts
        • John Cooper Dies
      • Brochures
      • My Archive
      • The MPi Minis >
        • Official Launch Documents
        • Classic Mini Postcards
        • MPI Mini Colours and trim, 1997 onwards
        • 1998 - Examples of MPI changes from SPI
        • 1998 MPI Mini Price List
        • Extracts from the 1996 Brochure launching the 1997 model year Minis
      • SPI Mini ACR2 Fault Code Reader
    • First new MINI
    • Ford Puma
    • Mazda MX-5 Miata
    • Austin Princess
    • Favourite Cars
  • PS Waverley
  • Scotland
    • Jeely Piece Song
    • Flower of Scotland
    • Where's the Glasgow?
    • I Belong to Glasgow (link)
  • Chuckles
  • Cool Websites

No rushing Churchill and his ship of state

By Ben Fenton

From the Daily Telegraph :- http://tinyurl.com/kl2sd  - Filed: 31/03/2006)

How Tony Blair must yearn for the days when statesmanship was conducted at the gentle pace of the Queen Mary.

The Prime Minister, who has been dashing about by jet this week from Australia to New Zealand to Indonesia, would surely be envious to read the appointments diary of Winston Churchill, his predecessor, on a diplomatic tour 55 years ago.

Instead of Mr Blair's single seat at the sharp end of a jumbo jet, Churchill had a first-class cabin on the Queen Mary to himself as he crossed the Atlantic for a superpower summit in December, 1951, according to an intimate and revealing document released at the National Archives in Kew yesterday.

The second Churchill premiership began in October 1951, but its first highlight was the new year tour of North America.

Not for Churchill the hustle and bustle of airports. He had endured enough long-distance flying during the war.

So even when the Queen Mary, the luxurious Cunard liner, suffered a 24-hour delay at Southampton, he eschewed the quick alternative. "We arrived on board confidently expecting to sail at 11am the following morning," reads the diary for Dec 29.

"At 10am Mr Dawson, the General Manager of the Cunard Line, accompanied by the Commodore, came to tell Mr Churchill that the anchor was fouled and … the ship could not sail until it was clear. She would miss the tide and this would entail a 24-hour delay."

As the politicians and civil servants caught up on paperwork in their ornately appointed cabins, the other passengers were entertained by the choir of Winchester Cathedral which came on board to sing carols.

"Lord Mountbatten [dined and] remained until after 2am and in the meanwhile a telegram arrived from President Truman offering a loan of his aircraft.

"Mr Churchill decided to decline this offer and spoke on the telephone to Sir Oliver Franks [the British ambassador] in Washington, conveying his thanks and explaining that he preferred to continue the voyage in the Queen Mary."

After calling at Cherbourg, the liner finally left for America at 8pm on Dec 31.

"There were considerable New Year's Eve festivities on board and all members of the Delegation assembled in the Prime Minister's cabin to drink to the New Year at midnight."

The diary then records the consequences of the celebrations. "Tuesday 1st January, 1952. A heavy sea, which kept many members of the Delegation in their bunks."

As the Queen Mary steamed on, Mr Churchill and his team, including Anthony Eden, the foreign secretary, and Lord Cherwell, his adviser on science, discussed business ranging from economic affairs to the hydrogen bomb.

But there was plenty of time for relaxation. The diary for Jan 4, the night before the ship docked in New York, relates: "At 7pm the Prime Minister gave a small cocktail party."

Even in Washington, in the middle of his last great foreign trip, the 77-year-old premier did not find the schedule for his summit with President Truman too taxing.

"When Mr Churchill returned to the Embassy, he had dinner in bed while the text of the [summit] Communique was prepared by Mr Eden, the Ambassador and others concerned."

He then returned to New York for a couple of agreeable days with his old friend, the financier Bernard Baruch.

"The Duke of Windsor called in at 4.30 and at 5.0 there was a small cocktail party," the diary says.

Now those, Mr Blair may think, rubbing the jet-lag from his eyes, were the days.

Sections

Rob's Blog
​Gadget Reviews

Ships

PS Waverley
Queen Mary 2
Queen Elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Mary
More Liners

Cars

Classic Mini
New MINI (2001)
Mazda Miata MX-5
Wedge Princess
Ford Puma
Other Favourites

Everything Else

Whats New
About Rob
Contact Rob
Chuckles
Cool Sites