Farewell QE2... but not from me

Back around 1993 somebody offered me a competition prize to run on my radio programme - a trip to New York out on Concorde & back on QE2 (or the other way round). 

"A pity", I told my boss the Programme Controller when I happened to mention to him that I was turning it down, "because I could use a good prize right now."

"Why are you turning it down?" he asked.

"Well, it's all so dated now. Concorde & QE2 may have been sexy icons back in the 70's when the concept of luxury travel was personified by Alan Wicker, or Leonard Rossiter & Joan Collins pouring Cinzano over each other, but it's the nineties now, for heavens sake!"

"Don't be so sure", he said, "watch..."

In those days we had a big open-plan office. He raised his voice. "Anybody want to go to New York on QE2?"

A comprehensive forest of hands shot skyward.

He turned to me. "See? They're still sexy!"

I realised then, fifteen years ago, that I was out of touch on this one. And I still am.

To be fair, I admired Concorde and was sorry to see it go, but in my book QE2 was/is an old relic and I'm astonished it has taken this long to get rid of it.