A former Cunard employee flew all the way from China to stage a reunion of ex-colleagues who had not seen each other for 30 years.

Carl Hutchinson, 50, organised a get-together for people who worked as waiters and kitchen staff on the QE2 in the early 1980s.

Carl, who has lived in Beijing for five years, used a social networking site to track down some of his old workmates.

Their nostalgic visit to Southampton included a trip to Ocean Terminal and a photocall beneath the bows of the Queen Mary 2, which was berthed alongside.

Carl was a waiter aboard the QE2 for three-and-a-half years and described it as “the best vessel ever”.

He added: “The first passenger I met was Rod Stewart.

I also served Roger Moore, who was going from New York to Southampton.

“The crew were like family. We worked together, lived together and played together.”

Members of the group included Richard Spake, 53, of Woolston, Southampton, who now works as a forklift truck driver for South Coast Port Services.

Recalling the years he spent aboard, he said: “They were the happiest days of my life. The best thing about it was the camaraderie.”

Stephen Povey, 53, of Uttoxeter, said his job often involved polishing the silver, serving midnight buffets and delivering champagne to passengers at 3am.

He served a host of celebrities over the years including Frankie Howerd, Alan Whicker and Denis Healey.