The Wind In The Willows [VHS]

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The series is set at The Riverbank, a mythical location somewhere in Berkshire, south west England. The Riverbank is where Ratty, Mole and Toad live. Nearby is the Wild Wood, where Badger and the Weasels live. Each episode has a unique story line, although there are some common themes running throughout the series. In series 4, the humans start building a new railway that is planned to be built through the area where the animals live. The railway gets closer and closer to the animals' homes, yet in the episode "Happy New Year" it turns out that the railway would be travelling over unsuitable land, and therefore the route is diverted from the Riverbank and Wild Wood areas. Champion of the Willows – 1. Paper Chase, 2. The Great Golfing Gamble, 3. Champion of the Green Baize, 4. Winter Sports.

Happy Birthday and other stories (VHS – 7 October 1991) – Happy Birthday, A Toad in Time, Film Maker. Classic Willows Tales – 1. The Yuletide Entertainment (cut version), 2. Caught in a Maze, 3. Grand Annual Show, 4. Badger's Remedy.The VCI children's trailer from 1997 (Tape A and Single Videocassette only) with clips of "Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends", "Fourways Farm", "Sooty & Co.", "The Sooty Show: My Bumper Christmas Sooty", "Teddy Bear Sing-Along: My Christmas Play Rhymes & Songs", "Tots Video" and "Roald Dahl's The BFG: Big Friendly Giant" (the 'New for 97' overview is cut.) The Grand Annual Show - When the Grand Annual Show is announced, Badger, Ratty, Mole and Toad are all determined to win the Silver Cup for the Best Entry, but one of theme decides to cheat and naturally so do the Weasels. After staying with Mole's cousin Auberon in London, Toad excitedly tells his three friends of the wonderful French cuisine he ate whilst there, and promptly announces his plans to host a special dinner at Toad Hall, which Toad himself will prepare. Toad sets to work on preparing the various dishes, with calamitous results. Upon receiving their error-strewn invitations, Badger, Rat, and Mole agree to attend, and fearing the worst, take their own provisions with them.

Toad decides to enter the "Home-Made Boat Competition" in the River Bank Regatta. However, he can't be bothered to build a boat, and therefore decides to buy one and attempt to pass it off as his own. This plan fails, and he decides to build a boat just to spite the cynical Badger. His first attempt at building a boat fails, but the Weasels offer to help him build another one, and disaster strikes when it sinks with Toad aboard. Clips from this video have appeared in the Video Collection Children's Titles Commercial of 1993-1994 The series is sometimes misidentified as being filmed in claymation. The method used by Cosgrove Hall is a stop-motion animation process using scale model sets and posable character figurines. The figurines are composed of an articulate metal skeleton ( armature) covered in latex rubber, providing the flexibility and the detail which distinguishes the series. Models, Sets and Props by Chris Walker, Graham Maiden, Helen Plaumer, Paul Simpson, Pippa Greenwood and Rowena Watson. The Video Collection children's trailer from 1992 with clips from "Rosie & Jim", "Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends", "Learn with Sooty" and "Sesame Street".Billy Rabbit ( David Jason) – "Billy" is present in all series. He first appears as an unnamed character the Series 1 episode "The Grand Annual Show", but becomes more of a recurring character from Series 3 onwards. He is not to be confused with Billy the Fieldmouse, who appears on and off in the series. Both appear together in a number of episodes. This was the last Cosgrove Hall video cassette to feature the 1996-1998 VCI Children's Promo (Tape A and Single Cassette only.) Children's Favourites - Volume 1 (1 February 1988) - Wayfarers All. (Compilation VHS with Danger Mouse and Alias the Jester) Autumn (DVD) / Autumn Antics (VHS – 7 November 1988 & 18 September 1995) – Harvest, Monster of the Wild Wood, Remember, Remember Henchman Weasel ( Brian Trueman) – the Chief's somewhat dim-witted second-in-command; known for his catchphrase, "Very nice, very nice!". In "The Rescue", his name is revealed to be Bert.