IT was a birthday party fit for a queen when the world's most famous liner celebrated her 36th anniversary in Southampton yesterday.

Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 has notched up yet another maritime milestone in her long career that began on May 2, 1969 when she left Southampton for New York on her maiden voyage.

QE2's place in the record books is assured as she has sailed more then 5.3 million miles, equivalent to travelling to the moon and back more than 11 times.

To mark the occasion guests including nine former captains of QE2, television personalities and actors, attended a reception while the liner was alongside the Eastern Docks.

Among the guests were Coronation Street actors Peter Baldwin and Thelma Barlow, who played Derek and Mavis as well as Roy Barraclough who was Alec Gilroy in the television series.

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