where is mmcomputing?

[GreyGhost]

I have changed my name and signature on our new forums to Grey Ghost, I decided to make this change as I did not want to use the club as an advertising medium for my business, Double M Computing is my business name. (plug, plug) :) It is against the club rules to do so and as such it would be wrong for me to flout the rules while expecting others to adhere.

So for those of you that know me as MM or mmcomputing, I'm still the same nutter just labelled differently.

I'll be signing myself in future as MGM which I think can be interpreted in many ways.

A hearty welcome to your new Forum and enjoy your stay, loads to read see and do. The 75 and ZT community is here to support you, help is always at hand.

:nutters:

Grey Ghost (ghost for short) AKA MGM

[Kandyman]

Oh Grey Ghost is you, WHY wasn’t i told this before I agreed to come on board ? http://www.xerces.com/images/smilies/run.gif

[GreyGhost]

I have a very special little green smiley for these occasions, pity I can't use it. :p:

[Mike]

spammers!














;)

[GreyGhost]

spammers!


"Moderators"


Please. :).

[Mike]

"Moderators"


Please. :).

and the difference between the two in this case is what exactly? ;)


:D

[GreyGhost]

and the difference between the two in this case is what exactly? ;)


:D

The thickness of a fag paper :)

[Mike]

:rofl: Good answer :)

[Simon W]

I have changed my name and signature on our new forums to Grey Ghost


MGM - did you know that The Grey Ghosts was the name given to the legendary Cunard liners RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth?

They were called this when they were used as troopships during World War II. They were painted battleship grey and were so fast that they were rarely seen by any other ship on the Atlantic - hence the 'ghost' bit. Unlike other troopships they would usually travel alone, well away from the normal convoy routes.

The two liners were equivalent to twenty ordinary troopships and carried more than two million wartime passengers. Queen Mary (now at Long Beach, California) holds the all-time record for the greatest number of people ever carried on a single ship. In July 1943, she crossed the Atlantic with 16,683 ‘souls on board’.

Amazing stuff.

[GreyGhost]

I didn't know that, excellent choice in names then.

I have to admit it was after one of my childhood TV heroes, and the fact that I tend to name my cars. 1972 TR250, was the Green Goblin, Honda van was The Eggbox, Current is The Zed, but is slowly becoming the Grey Ghost, especially when it's dirty and disappears into the background>:)

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv/gray-ghost.htm

Even if it is spelled with an "a"

Hearty welcome by the way and enjoy your stay.

[Ken]

MGM - did you know that The Grey Ghosts was the name given to the legendary Cunard liners RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth?

They were called this when they were used as troopships during World War II. They were painted battleship grey and were so fast that they were rarely seen by any other ship on the Atlantic - hence the 'ghost' bit. Unlike other troopships they would usually travel alone, well away from the normal convoy routes.

The two liners were equivalent to twenty ordinary troopships and carried more than two million wartime passengers. Queen Mary (now at Long Beach, California) holds the all-time record for the greatest number of people ever carried on a single ship. In July 1943, she crossed the Atlantic with 16,683 ‘souls on board’.

Amazing stuff.

100% correct and welcome aboard Simon :lol:

[Simon W]

100% correct and welcome aboard Simon :lol:


Many thanks for the welcome Ken.

The story of these two liners is such a good one that I've been trying for ages to get one of the broadcast networks to commission a documentary on it (entitled 'The Grey Ghosts'). BBC1, BBC2, C4, C5, and WGBH Boston all turned it down. I sent them a 5-page 'taster' and they weren't interested. :(

PS. Did you see Russell Crowe's 'Master & Commander' last night? A tremendous film, even if the storyline was the same as one of the (much earlier) C.S. Forrester Hornblower books.

[Ken]

Many thanks for the welcome Ken.

The story of these two liners is such a good one that I've been trying for ages to get one of the broadcast networks to commission a documentary on it (entitled 'The Grey Ghosts'). BBC1, BBC2, C4, C5, and WGBH Boston all turned it down. I sent them a 5-page 'taster' and they weren't interested. :(

The only reason I knew it was I come from Southampton and one of my uncles served on both the Queens in the 50s. We called him a Cunard Yank.:lol:

[Simon W]

The only reason I knew it was I come from Southampton and one of my uncles served on both the Queens in the 50s. We called him a Cunard Yank.:lol:

The late 40's and early 50's was the real heyday for Cunard so your uncle must have had some great experiences. My father went to New York on Queen Mary in 1955. I still have the ship's doll that he brought back with him.

Queen Mary 2 is pretty spectacular size-wise but nowhere near a pretty as the original Queens. Cunard are launching a new ship next year (Queen Victoria, 90,000 tons). Her maiden voyage sold out in 24 hours and in January 2008 she is scheduled to cross the Atlantic in company with QE2. That will be quite a sight!

[Ken]

Simon

The word in Southampton is and its probably just a myth but...........

The Queen Victoria was going to be the new Mary and the Mary was originally going to be the Victoria. Cunard (P&O) needed a new flagship fast for the image and swapped names over.

Is there any truth in that or is it an urban myth?

[Simon W]

Simon

The word in Southampton is and its probably just a myth but...........

The Queen Victoria was going to be the new Mary and the Mary was originally going to be the Victoria. Cunard (P&O) needed a new flagship fast for the image and swapped names over.

Is there any truth in that or is it an urban myth?


As far as I know Cunard planned to build the Queen Victoria first and the Queen Mary 2 second. Then somewhere along the line they decided to reverse the construction schedule - i.e. build the 151,000-ton QM2 first and the 90,000-ton QV second. So they just swapped the order of building, not the names & sizes of the ships. QM2 was always going to be the bigger ship.

The swap was probably governed by the availability of the two yards that were going to build the ships. QV is being built near Venice by the Marghera shipyard. QM2 was built by the French yard - Chantiers de L'Atlantique- who also built the most beautiful liner of them all, SS Normandie.

Launched in 1935, Normandie was QM1's greatest rival. They had a running battle for the Blue Riband that lasted from 1936 until 1938. QM1 finally took the record away from Normandie in August '38 with a fastest crossing time of 3 days 21 hours (average speed 31.7 knots). She held it until 1952.

(NB. 31.7 knots is 36.5 mph which is seriously fast for an 81,000-ton object!!)

PS. I have just sent The Grey Ghosts taster to you by email. Hope you don't mind!



NORMANDIE

http://www008.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kigiken/SS_Normandie.jpg