The new Cunard ship, QUEEN ANNE, is fantastic. Ship tour, top to bottom.

 The Ultimate QUEEN ANNE cruise ship tour, top to bottom. Take a look at this marvellous ship.

This is the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag, the newest and the most modern. The Pinnacle Class ship is well established with Holland and America, but the inside spaces of this version have been re-designed for Cunard. It is a clever use of space throughout. Second in size to the QM2 it comfortably holds 3000 guests. The theatre has 835 seats over decks 1 and 2, and the library has 2700 books not including the book swap cabinet. There are 14 guest decks, it has a gross weight of 113,000 GRT and has over 4300 artworks and sculptures.

It is easy to forget that Holland & America, Princess, Cunard and P&O are all Carnival companies, and their ship ideas and findings can be shared. There are elements throughout this very classy ship that cruisers will be familiar with.

It has all the class of the Cunard ships, the terrific service, but it has all been cleverly updated. This contemporary new ship offers what you might be looking for from a modern 2024 cruise ship. It is now Stuart's favourite cruise ship, and Jean has at least three favourites, of which the Queen Anne is firmly one of the trio, as is the QM2.

This family ship may be the one you wish to try. The film goes from top to bottom and there is so much to see we don't waste time in detailing food or the entertainment acts, it just shows everything the ship offers, and that took 18 minutes. We will have to do the food another time.

The six Cunard suites are named after famous Cunard waterways including: River Mersey, River Clyde, Hudson River, The Solent, Boston Harbour and Halifax Harbour. Those we did not see on this short five day taster cruise to Bruges but we filmed our state room on deck one, then went to see a more expensive one on deck 11. What was the difference? The balcony.

Cabin Tour Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2V_DnA2aRQ

The short cruise does not, and cannot replicate a proper cruise, but it does give many a chance to sample both the ship and cruising. It is an adventure to sample a new cruise, and in just four weeks we went to Bruges twice. First was on the QM2 and the second time was on the Queen Anne. Both were obviously Cunard is feel and service. The uniforms are slightly different on the QA, but the service is the same. Whereas the Victoria is a gin ship, the Anne is a rum ship, and where the gin bar sits on the Victoria there is a port bar that cleverly doubles as a cafe during the day. It is these small innovations that show how this classy ship has entered the new age of cruising. It is not art deco, or trying to hark back to a past era, it is most definitely contemporary, but in a smart and stylish way.

As always, we show holding back comment, and as much as we both love the QM2, this is a firm new favourite. It is definitely not built on a budget and just filled with cushions. This ship was built by Fincantieri in Italy

Compare with the QM2. tour video = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruq3EmrX-is

Compare with the Queen Victoria = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yd3XXY95_M

Viking Neptune - a cruise ship in a class of its own

Quite simply the Viking Neptune is a wonderful all balcony ship with spacious Explorer suites. Once sailed on, you will not be able to judge other ships by the high standards it sets. Viking has a style, and it is not based on budget. It is not a ship that you look at for a budget or bargain cruise, it is a cruise that is a wonderful holiday and there is no finer way to travel, if there is, we haven't done that yet. They may suggest that once you add in the free drinks with meals, the free fast WIFI, the free additional fine dining restaurants and a free tour at most stops, what you have to lay out saves to the point of making it a very reasonable holiday with the beautifully designed in the understated elegance for which Viking is known.

Technically it is a small ship, and although there seems far too many facilities for a small ship it has under 1000 guests so hits the title. Just as its eight sister ships (the number is growing), she is about 47,800 tons, 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.

The Neptune marks a quantum leap in the longstanding cooperation between Viking and Fincantieri for designing, delivering and operating sustainable and eco-friendly cruise vessels. It embodies the first result of the experimental hydrogen fuel cell module, with a nominal power of 100 kW. There appears to be, at any given time, at least one, but many more than one new ship being built for Viking.

The difference the guest sees starts in the way they are approached. The daily events paper is just that, it is not trying to sell things. There is no pressure to buy anything. There is no pressure. The quality of food is comparable to a top restaurant. Quite simply, you are in a top city hotel and not a motel. The staff dress and address you in a way you would expect if entering a Park Lane Hotel.

We have two versions of the film, and on both we use the music of the very talented Laurence Murray. His song Nothing More To Say/Red Thread of Fate should be a hit. Laurence's own Spotify page is here. The Red Thread of Fate is a love song, and is inspired by the Red Thread of Marriage, joining, and other variants of togetherness even when apart. It is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese mythology.

The shorter 6 minute long version of the filmed tour on our channel.

Marsworth Steam & Classic Vehicle Rally 2024

Marsworth Steam and Classic Vehicle is an established day out, yet the queue was full of excited guests discussing that they never knew about it. The faithul were joined by a huge number of new comers for this special day out. It is hard to figure why all this effort goes into just one day.

You can count the full-sized steam engines yourself in the film, there must have been over two dozen. The was half a dozen small ride on models and various engines. The parade of tractors was impressive, and there were ropws of great cars from which to find your favourite.

But as well as steam fans being thrilled by the authentic vehicles, kept with a keen eye for attention to detail and the other vintage and classic vehicles gleaming in the sun at Marsworth on father's day, there were ice cream stands, bouncy castles, carriage rides and a robot bear riding around on his tricycle.

There were garden stalls and classic toy car stalls with collections that threw seniors back to their childhood. The military vehicles and weapons flagged the 80th anniversary of D-Day and everyone was well entertained, fed by the food stalls and watered by the beer tent.

The organ played set the background music to the pumping engines young and not-so-young were kept happy. The queues to get into the field were long by midday and the car parks bursting before the various arena events. 

ALIENS - The two who were the Queen Alien is James Cameron's ALIENS

Aliens. Shot way back in 1985.

The two performers who were the Queen Alien re-met in 2024. That was 38.5 years after the movie - the testing, design, building, and the shoot of the Alien Queen which started in the fall of 1985. 

James Cameron specifically chose Malcolm Weaver and Stuart St Paul over the many others who tested and auditioned. The movie was expecting to have a team of performers to be the Queen Alien, but James Cameron said that Malcolm Weaver and Stuart St Paul 'understood' his monster. They just got it.  Stan Winston modelled the monster around their bodies.

Hear their story as they remember it.

They went inside the monster every day for months and communicated directly with James Cameron as they performed the Queen Alien, and the fight with Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn

Having been together for nearly six months, chatting, they opened an office at Pinewood Studios in Shed 14 just by the James Bond stage. They stored and hired stunt and flying equipment to endless movies and commercials. 

The two talk of years as stunt partners, travelling the world and performing some crazy jobs.

Malcolm Weaver Autographs

https://www.autographica.co.uk/products/copy-of-malcolm-weaver-alien-queen-in-aliens-hand-signed-10-x-8-photo?_pos=1&_sid=c3d129e63&_ss=r