Spinning Fife.

It would appear that a piece of spin by Fife Council, involving a trip by local school children to the QE2 whilst it was berthed in the Firth of Forth recently, went badly wrong.

"A DREAM visit to the world-famous QE2 turned into a nightmare for young West Fife prize-winners despite Fife Council having claimed the day had given them “treasured memories for years to come”. Ten kids, including Phillip (6) and Hannah (11) Holland, from Rosyth, and Chauntell Cousin (11), from North Queensferry, won a council-run competition for a VIP tour of the vessel and a buffet lunch aboard before it set sail on its final voyage from Scottish waters last week. The authority was quick to issue a self-congratulatory press release the next day proclaiming, “Youngsters enjoy the VIP day of their lives and say farewell to the QE2”. On the release council transport boss Dr Bob McLellan said, “The youngsters really enjoyed their day and it will hold treasured memories for them for years to come.” However, red-faced PR staff at Fife House quickly changed their tune when they actually discovered how the kids had got on – after issuing their release. The kids didn’t get a whole tour of the ship and there was no buffet lunch meaning the whole day was a big let down and leaving both the Holland and Cousin families furious."

Tut, tut, tut. Fife Council getting its facts wrong, that could never happen.

Bon Voyage 2.

Carnegie was there ... or at least as close as he could get given the major police operation which descended on Dalgety Bay and which seemed to be aimed at stopping as many people as possible getting anywhere near the Forth to see the QE2 head off into the proverbial sunset. The mist didn't help either, but it was a little piece of history which will never be repeated.

Next time any Fifer boards the QE2 it will be in Dubai.

"A NURSE from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee who was born the day the QE2 launched 41 years ago yesterday said goodbye to the famous ship from Dalgety Bay as it left Scotland for the final time. Alison McIntosh (41), of Blairgowrie, was at the town’s St David’s Harbour, joining thousands of spectators along the banks of the Firth of Forth who flocked to catch a last glimpse of the vessel throughout the day."

Bon Voyage ... Again.

Carnegie thought Fife had already said the final goodbye to the QE2 but apparently not.

"LARGE crowds will gather along the West Fife coast to witness a spectacular farewell to the world’s most famous cruise liner. Fireworks, water displays and a flyover by aircraft from RAF Leuchars will mark the final voyage of the QE2, when it drops anchor near the Forth Bridge on 7th October. And free entertainment and viewing points will be set up along the coast so people can bid the 70,327 tonne ship farewell before she becomes a floating hotel in Dubai. Fife Council has secured 20 VIP places for youngsters to step aboard the ship for a tour and lunch before she sails into retirement, which they will offer in a forthcoming competition."

Bon Voyage QE2.

Carnegie sees that Fife got a very illustrious visitor yesterday with a brief stopover by the 70,000 tonne QE2 to the Firth of Forth during her "40th anniversary tour" of the UK's major cities before she is retired from service later this year and heads off to a permanent mooring in Dubai.

It's becoming an increasingly common occurrence for cruise ships to dock in the Forth during stopover trips to Edinburgh, but the presence of the QE2 is surely the most spectacular. She may not be the biggest ship, but she is certainly the best. We won't see her like again for a very long while.