Monday 6 November 2017

RIVALS, ROBBERS & RIVERS - AND READER'S DIGEST (UPDATED)...


As regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of  The Wind In The Willows.  Back in the early '90s I saw an ad for a game based on the book, which was called Rivals, Robbers and Rivers, and decided that I'd quite like to own it.  The ad was in one of those mini catalogues that are sometimes included inside Sunday newspapers, so I cut out the page and saved it so that I could order the game at an opportune moment.  (I still have the ad somewhere, and I'll add it to this post when I find it again.)  Update: Now done.

Anyway, the years came and went, but I never did get around to sending away for it, though around four years or so ago, I bought (via eBay) the Reader's Digest Willows game based on the Carlton Television animated cartoon series from the '90s.  Then, a couple of months or so ago, I saw on eBay the very game I'd coveted for over 25 years and bought it for a very reasonable price indeed.  I'd mainly wanted it for the figures, as I'm not really a 'games' person (aside from Chess and darts*, which I haven't played in ages), so it's nice to finally have it after a quarter of a century.  (And you just know that I'm going to say that it only feels like a fraction of that time, don't you?)

Anyway, thought I'd show you all my 'ill-gotten booty' (behave), so here are some nice pictures of both games for your perusal.  As I said, I'll add the glossy ad when I find it (and as I also said, now done).  Sadly, The Traditional Games Company who manufactured the game is no longer around.

(*Yeah, the sporty type, ain't I?)



Below is the very ad in which I first saw the game, as well as the order form.  As it turned out, I got it quite a bit cheaper on eBay all these years later.



And below is the 2nd game, based on the Carlton TV show.  Its figures are also nice, but the ones above are modelled after E.H. Shepard's illustrations, so are a little more 'authentic'-looking.



6 comments:

-3- said...

Those are some fab game pieces there. The second set is nice, but the first set - aside from being more authentic to the original design - look better crafted, too. That could be the photos, of course, but they look really nice. How tall are they?

Oh, two things-
Sporty? dunno - what's your dart-to-pint ratio?
And - unless there was plastic surgery involved, about what 'ill-gotten booty' are we supposed to be behaving?

Kid said...

The first set of figures are each around 2 inches tall, and the second set are each around an inch. Dart-to-pint ratio is zero, on account of being a lifelong teetotaller. The word 'booty' means loot, but also refers to the bum (@ss), so I was indulging in a bit of word play and saying 'behave' to those who thought I was referring to the latter.

-3- said...

I suspected they were larger than the second set, but didn't expect pieces quite that large. Excellent quality game you've garnered there.

Yes, i was thinking your boot, not the boot of a car. Hence the plastic surgery comment. But (no pun intended), now i'm intrigued...
What's ill-gotten about your booty, sir?

Kid said...

Well, I got it at such a good price that I feel as if I robbed the seller. It can sell for up to £80 on Amazon (or that's the asking price anyway), and I got it for under £15. I should've worn a mask.

-3- said...

Are we still talking about your bum?

Kid said...

Well, some people say I've got a face like a horse's @ss, so it depends on your point of view.



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