THE great Cunarder, Queen Elizabeth is escorted down Southampton Water by a flotilla of small yachts about half a century ago.

This magnificent photograph will be just one of hundreds on display in a unique exhibition entitled The Waterside In View, being staged in Hythe next weekend.

Queen Elizabeth, one of the most famous passenger liners ever to be based in Southampton, had a career spanning 29 years in war and peace and the 83,000 ton vessel was the pride of the British merchant marine as well as the one-time flagship of the Cunard fleet.

The ship ran between Southampton and New York with immense success until the second half of the 1960s when shipping lines were faced with escalated fuel bills and a drift of passengers to jet aircraft.

Queen Elizabeth was withdrawn from service and finally ended up in Hong Kong where she was converted into a floating university but was then hit by a devastating, and highly questionable fire in 1972.

The ship will be featured among photographs and postcards highlighting the last 100 years of Southampton Water together with Hythe and surrounding villages.

Exhibits will also feature photographs of powerboats, flying boats, the Hythe Pier and ferries, Schneider Trophy racers and local characters from the area.

The exhibition at Hythe Community Centre, Brinton Lane, Hythe, will be open from 10am to 5pm next Saturday and Sunday.

Admission is £2 for adults and £1 for children.