TERRANOVA47'S 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE TREE

Back in 1953 I was the proud owner of a gray Sutcliffe submarine with a decal on the top front hull with a picture of Queen Elizabeth II as a Coronation souvenir. I bet Charles III doesn't get such a cool Coronation souvenir.

After years of warm baths the clockwork finally ceased and the model was buried in my parent's garden in North London in order to confuse future archaeologists.

About 1972 when traveling outside London with the person who was to become my wife, I saw in a shop window a Sutcliffe Nautilus which I promptly bought and still own.

Before lockdown I created a diorama using a Nautilus Christmas Tree ornament and metal crew figures from the 1954 movie.

Then during lockdown I created a small diorama of Nautilus attacking a sailing ship.

I was lucky to see both the Disney movie and Mysterious Island on the big screen when they were released but Herbert Lom was no James Mason who for me was the perfect Captain Nemo.

If Kirk Douglas wasn't such a comic relief with that annoying seal, the Disney movie would have been a better telling of the book!

But then later versions have been far worse and certainly the Disney Nautilus can never be bettered. It was far superior to Verne's description of a submarine with smooth sides like a cigar tube. Who would believe an underwater craft like that could work?

Here's a close-up of my Nemo crew and Christmas Tree Nautilus ornament.

When she was about 10 my daughter gave me a birthday present of a VHS Tape of the Disney 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea plus this wooden, hand painted Nautilus she made at summer camp!

Terranova47

USA