Bumpy start to QE2’s last day

Not a good start to the day – the QE2 ran aground in the Solent this morning on her way into Southampton for her farewell call.
Conspiracy theorists might say that the 70,000-ton liner’s brief grounding on The Brambles sandbank was part of a plot to make sure the ship stays in the UK rather than sailing off to retirement in Dubai.
But Cunard spokesman Eric Flounders said the incident was “little more than a bump” and delayed the 40-year-old ship’s arrival in port by only about 25 minutes.
There’s a day of farewell parties taking place,on board and ashore. I’ll be having lunch on the ship, along with the Duke of Edinburgh, and I shall report back later today.