50 years on from the launch of the Clyde's most famous liner

It's 50 years today since one of the world's most famous ships was launched in Clydebank.

The QE2 - cheered on by thousands of shipyard workers and local people - descended the slipway and into the Clyde on 20th September 1967.

Queen Elizabeth was on hand to formally name the Cunard vessel, which went on to become one of the most well-known liners in history and a symbol of 'Clyde built'.

Fifty years on, a special conference is being held at Clydebank Town Hall to celebrate the anniversary and discuss the impact of the vessel on the area.

Rob Lightbody, whose father worked on the QE2 in the 1970s and 80s, created 'The QE2 Story'. Members of the group are organising this Friday's conference.

Rob said: "My father was a turbine specialist at John Brown's in Clydebank. He took me aboard the QE2 as a 14-year-old when the ship was doing trials in the North Sea.

"It left a lasting impression. I was absolutely blown away by the experience of being on board.

"As a child I remember the sheer size of her. The luxury on board, the food, it was incredible.

"As an adult, when I went back on board 20 years later, she just had this comforting 'embrace' - I think that's how people would describe it."

During her lifetime on the waves, the QE2 covered almost 6 million nautical miles and carried close to 2.5 million passengers.

She completed nearly 1,500 voyages and more than 800 transatlantic crossings.

Today, the QE2 is still mostly intact but has been berthed in Dubai for the past 9 years.

Plans to turn the historic ship into a floating hotel never fully materialised, and the vessel's future remains unclear.

Rob says the QE2 still has an aura about her.

"Right from the world go, she was the last of the line of Clyde-built Queens. Her name, of course, made her famous right from the off.

"She sailed across the world as, sort of, a flagship for Britain. She travelled further than any ship ever has and maybe ever will."