ONE of Southampton's most famous sounds is to echo across the city once more recalling a past golden age.

It is 35 years since the booming whistle of the great Cunarder, Queen Mary last resonated across Southampton Water and the docks but next year the mighty blast is to be heard again.

During her long career stretching from her maiden voyage in 1936 until the ship was withdrawn from service in 1967, Queen Mary's steam-driven whistle could be heard for a distance of ten miles.

An original whistle from the old Queen Mary is now on its way back to Southampton appropriately on board the Cunard flagship Queen Elizabeth 2.

It is the first part of a journey which will see the seven ft-long, 1400 pound whistle finally incorporated on the massive 150,000 ton megaliner, Queen Mary 2, now taking shape in France and which is due to arrive in Southampton at the end of next year.

A Cunard spokesman said: "The whistle is the voice of the ship and is a most evocative sound. We thought it only right that the Queen Mary's voice should be heard again to signal the arrival of QM2 at its home port of Southampton.''

Decades ago the whistle was once a regular and familiar sound in Southampton's dockland whenever Queen Mary began or ended a voyage in the days when the port was at the centre of the transatlantic passenger trade. Yesterday the whistle was craned into QE2's forward hatch while the ship was berthed in Miami, Florida, before leaving for a Caribbean cruise and a transatlantic passage back to Southamptonarriving on Saturday, May 18.

The whistle has been obtained by Cunard from the original Queen Mary now retired as a tourist attraction and hotel in Long Beach, California.

When in service Queen Mary had a total of three whistles, two on the first of her three funnels and a third, the one now heading for Southampton, was perched high above her decks on the middle stack.

Once back in Southampton the whistle will be examined by representatives from the original manufacturers, Kockums of Sweden, to see if it needs any maintenance or repairs and then shipped to St Nazaire in France where QM2 is being constructed.