The development company created to regenerate the economy of Liverpool has been in secret talks to provide a final resting place for the QE2 on Merseyside.

The confidential discussions were held with a company called Out of Time Concepts, who not long ago advised the ship’s new owners on plans to convert it into a five-star hotel in Dubai. Out of Time Concepts is headed by John Chillingworth, who used to be the head engineer on the QE2 during the Falklands War.

In a letter from Out of Time to the chief of Liverpool Vision Max Steinberg, the company says that bringing home the QE2 would create massive free publicity for Liverpool’s architecture, its new waterfront development, its world heritage and maritime sites, its museums and its history and culture.

The letter continues “With QE2 proudly placed on the waterfront, Liverpool would be established as a major cruise destination and turnaround facility that few other world ports can beat.”

Liverpool Vision rather fancies the idea it seems. The company even has a picture of the Queen Elizabeth 2 berthed at the Pier Head on its website.

There is only one small detail that seems to have been overlooked: the new owners of the ship have their own plans for the QE2, which do not include a resting place in Liverpool.

“The QE2 will be placed in a much better location” Ali Rashid Lootah, the chairman of Nakheel, told Dubai's The National newspaper. “The Government of Dubai is developing an up-to-date modern cruise terminal. That will be a better environment. The QE2 will stay in Dubai.”