THE very essence of Art Deco grace and style, with her three red funnels and classic Cunard colours, the Clyde-built RMS Queen Mary ferried the rich and famous across the waves for more than 30 years. A favourite with Hollywood elite, her passengers were a Who’s Who of the rich and famous: Noel Coward, film legends Mary Pickford, Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Hope, Elizabeth Taylor and Fred Astaire were just a few to cruise amid luxurious surroundings, skimming across the Atlantic between the UK and New York faster than any other liner of her age. Bigger than the Titanic and with 12 decks showcasing the best of British design, the Cunard-White Star Line’s flagship liner was Scottish shipbuilding at its best; while her guests bathed in her two indoor swimming pools or relaxed in opulent surroundings, she raced the waves at over 35mph.