When I hear the 2018 Black Rabbit Of Inle's voice, she sounds so pure and soft. I almost teared up hearing Mara Carlyle's Field Of Snow, because I thought of the 2015 version of Lady Penelope talking in that exact, soft, calm, kind, patient manner to my 3YO self....telling her there is absolutely nothing to worry about...that it's okay to cry....that it's totally okay to do anything, even when others push you to the ground.
Tin Tin, when I thought of you, I thought of how pretty you are - your shining eyes, your lovely, kind personality. What I love about you most is your dreamy brown hair: soft and rich, like chocolate. You're a human Caramel bunny, and you help me take things really easily.
Brum: Wheels was first released in the UK on VHS on March 2, 1992, years before the high energy slapstick of Series 3 we know today. Before Brum even shifted to this change to appeal to a global market however, Brum's first two seasons were sweet, innocent stream of conciousness adventures where Brum, then an analog of a three year old child, explores the town near the vintage motor museum where he resides. His adventures sometimes use fast motion sequences to display how funny his friends in town are. In every episode, he befriends someone new and helps them with a problem.
The first episode is named 'Seaside', and it has a nice message of being an honorary member of a family who you visit more often - even if they are a bit crazy. The episode uses fast motion sequences to show young viewers just how hysterical and comical the family Brum befriends are, even Grandpa and the twins who Brum helps to rescue from wandering off and falling into a hole. It also shows how Brum's adventures weren't just about chasing crooks and runaway objects, they were about helping others with love and respect.
Next, we have my favourite, and the most emotional episode for me of course: 'Little Girl Lost'. In it, while trundling through town, Brum befriends a little girl who is out on her own in the middle of nowhere. Brum helps guide her back home, and along the way they help two other people in need - an old lady who needs her shopping carried back to her house, and a boy whose dog is missing. The episode shows us that friendships can lead to acts of kindness, empathy and of course generosity, and ends on a heartfelt note as the girl finally reunites with her mum and dad.
Next up is the titular episode of the tape, 'Wheels'. It is here that Ragdoll Productions, the company that made the series, did a brilliant job of showcasing what life and activities were like for disabled children across the UK, even those with learning disabilities like me. The story is about Brum meeting a young boy in a wheelchair with amputated legs, who invites him to join him at the racing track where he usually goes on weekends. This episode features a message on respecting people, especially children, with differences and disabilities, which of course wasn't a major issue in the '90s.
'Stilts' is a very strange episode, as you can tell from the cover of the tape, who Brum meets in the episode is featured - a talented gymnast and a circus ringmaster. In the episode, Brum heads to the park to find his young friends, only to see a bewildering, athletic and talented young girl doing some amazing swinging and climbing techniques on the playground equipment. Brum helps her head back to where she truly belongs, only to find she comes from a travelling circus roadshow which goes around performing for the passers-by. To me, it's the only episode where Brum encounters circus performers.
Finally, we reach the last adventure on the tape for Brum before we fade to black: Moving House. Here, Brum helps one of his young friends move to a new house in the country. The young girl who Brum befriends plays a game with the little car where he catches her favourite toys in his front seat, but then suddenly, Brum is carried off to the little girl's new house and is transported back to town via a canal boat, a tractor, a builder's truck and a milkman's truck. It is a slow paced tale that allows viewers to breathe with Brum and the other characters, unlike Byker Grove which has high stakes drama.
On a closing note, I'd like to say that this VHS, and the episodes that are featured, are much much better than Series 3, which was fast-paced, high energy and had lots of heavy stakes slapstick action. For something which imitates Thomas The Tank Engine, another show released by VCI at the time, wisely, Brum grounds toddlers in a localised, gentle, slow-moving reality where everyone is friendly and caring, and like a family to you. I rank this VHS a 10/10, because not only is this something that can calm the youngest viewers down, but it's a fantastic alternative to all the loud American comedies we have on telly today.
In case you want to see the VHS in full, here it is, in person:
Hi, blog visitors, I'm Twilight Sparkle and I've got some news. No, it's not another horrible CGI MLP series, but this is something so exciting that no one will ever believe it the first time. It's the fact that MY FRIEND GOT HER REQUEST FOR A MY LITTLE PONY SCRAPBOOK PAGE TURNED INTO A VIDEO BY VIOLET!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
So, thank you all for supporting her over the last seven years. Even through her struggles with mental health and negativity and other stuff I can't talk about, you fillies have made her progression in her life possible. So from my heart and hooves, a huge thanks to all of you!
SPIKE: What about me, Twilight? Do I get to thank the viewers too?
Oh. Okay then, and Spike thanks you too.
So keep up the good work and make my friend proud! You can do it! You have the power of not only friendship, but love and kindness!
Emily Elizabeth's pet dog Clifford is the best pet any girl can have. He's big, he's red, he's loyal, he's fun! To spread kindness in your family, you may have the chance to look after your pets more. Whatever it may be, be it a fish, a rabbit, a cat, a tortoise, a guinea pig, a hamster or a dog just like Clifford (if your's were big and red they wouldn't fit in through the door!), taking care of your pets is the best way to spread kindness. Know how to feed them, look after them, clean up their messes *vomit noise* and love them!
