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Press release Furness Bermuda Line crew to meet again in 2011 Ships’ crew, who sailed on Furness Bermuda Line’s Queen of Bermuda and Ocean Monarch in the 1950s and early 1960s, are reuniting on Saturday 14 May 2011 at The Merchant Seaman’s War Memorial Society in southern England. “Following the success of our first reunion in 2009, we are hoping to find more shipmates from across the globe for this next one,” says Bill Cox, reunion organiser, “especially with the help of our own website at www.furnessbermudaline.com” Queen of Bermuda and Ocean Monarch departed on Saturday afternoons from Pier 95 on New York’s Hudson River to make the 700-mile voyage to Bermuda. Stephen Card, born in Bermuda and renowned for his paintings of these and other ships, will be guest speaker at the reunion. He recalls “the many Monday mornings when I would arrive by ferry in Hamilton and, instead of rushing to school, wait to watch the Queen slowly come alongside at No 1 dock. On Wednesday afternoons, as sailing time approached, her triple-chime steam whistles could be heard all over the island.” He adds, “Queen of Bermuda was particularly famous for her profile. Her grey hull and white superstructure were topped with three graceful red and black funnels and she was the only liner in history to have sailed with three, two and, from 1962, one funnel.” Queen of Bermuda made her maiden voyage to Bermuda in 1933. Accompanied by Monarch of Bermuda until the outbreak of war in 1939, they became known as the ‘Millionaires’ Ships’ as they attracted the wealthiest passengers – and the famous, including Clark Gable, TS Eliot, Gertrude Lawrence and child film star Shirley Temple. After a distinguished war service, Queen of Bermuda returned to the Furness Bermuda Line, this time running with the newly-built but smaller Ocean Monarch. Throughout the 1950s, they were dubbed the ‘Honeymoon Ships’, their Saturday departures from New York fitting in well with the week-long honeymoons of many couples. The celebrity list continued, this time including former US president Harry Truman, Cary Grant, Noel Coward - and Tommy Steele, who joined the Queen as a bellboy and later returned to London to become a rock ‘n’ roll singer. Most of the crew came from the UK and many later made their homes in North America and Bermuda. Dave Townson, originally from Liverpool and now living in Toronto, was an Assistant Purser on Ocean Monarch. He recalls, “The ship was our address but, week after week, we enjoyed both the excitement of New York and the enchantment of Bermuda. Off duty on the island was an afternoon at the beach, a stroll at sunset back to the ship and a dinner of pate de foie gras, caviar and steak, accompanied by the familiar chorus of tree frogs on a still sub-tropical night.” “While acquaintances will be renewed and stories shared from the heyday of these ships, our second reunion will also have many reminders of life on board,” says Peter Manley, reunion organiser. “Guest presenter and former crew member, Allen Soares, will show his extensive slide collection of Furness Bermuda Line ships and crew – and Queen of Bermuda’s triple-chime steam whistle will be heard again.” For further information about the reunion in 2011, visit www.furnessbermudaline.com or contact Bill Cox at william.cox15@btinternet.com, Peter Manley at pmanley@graham-eng.co.uk tel +44 (0)1282 695121 or Bob White in Toronto at bob.brenda@sympatico.ca tel +1 416 762 5707.
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Media coverage Sea Breezes magazine, page 25, April 2011 Nautilus Telegraph at http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1r994/TelegraphMarch2011/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=, page 18, Mar 2011 Journal of the Warsash Association, cover and pages 14-16, April 2011 - Click icon >>>> The Warsash Association, John Turner at http://www.warsashassociation.net/site/calendar/view/18.htm?back=year&date=2011-02-06&day=2011-05-14, 2 Feb 2011 The Royal Gazette at http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20110127/NEWS04/701279995/-1/news, 27 Jan 2011 Ocean Liners Blog, John Edwards at http://oceanlinersblog.org/?p=1550, also on Twitter and Facebook, 1 Jan 2011 Bernews, Bermuda’s Multimedia News & Culture magazine at http://www.bernews.com/2011/01/reunion-for-queen-of-brmuda-crew, 1 Jan 2011
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