#cosgrove hall mole

[lestatslestits]

Mole interest, you say?

But of course! 💜

[halloweentrickortreat]

Every time I begin my yearly Spring cleaning, I immediately think myself Mole in The Wind in the Willows. Like him, I often grow tired of cleaning & long to escape into the fresh spring air to scamper off to a meandering river.

[bunnziebobcat]

Fan Art Friday - Wind in the Willows

This week's #FanArtFriday features Rat, along with Toad, Badger and Mole, from Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, the way Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall sees them. By the look of it, Toad is telling the others about his latest scheme, much to the others' dismay. We'll remember Rat's voice actor, Peter Sallis, who passed away on this day.

[fadinghours]

perfect for the season! 

[missanthropicprinciple]

Today’s perfect cardigan vibes brought to you by Mole in The Wind In The Willows S03E09 Fire At Toad Hall

[fitzfunnymoments]

What if we kissed (and we were a rat and a mole 😳)

[pink-octopede64]

big brain moment: what if worlds of wonder (company who made teddy ruxpin) made a talking mr toad? i can definitely see him telling stories and of course the others will accompany him like grubby with teddy

[a-hackneyed-premise]

Mole - The Wind in the Willows (Cosgrove Hall, 1983)

[dontbecattyratty]

I want to present you all with my favorite scene from the Cosgrove Hall Wind in the Willows television series.

[sardinesandhumbugs]

📂

This has probably been influenced by the Cosgrove Hall series but: Badger and Mole play chess when Mole comes to visit.

Mole has never won (but he’s getting closer!)

Rat also plays and he has beaten Badger exactly once, which was when he started using a tactic his father used a lot, and then switched at the last minute and completely threw Badger off. He hasn’t tried it again, partly because he knows Badger is now prepared for it, but also because Badger seemed out of sorts after that match. (Badger was surprised himself how much seeing the tactic of his late friend affected him; he hadn’t been prepared for the rush of memories.)

Toad technically knows the rules, but he prefers games with a bit more pizzazz. He tried introducing Badger to 3D chess and then sulked (very briefly) when Badger told him he preferred classic chess.

Mrs Otter is just very competitive at any game she plays, courtesy of her family, and chess is no different. (The last game she and Badger played lasted several weeks because she had to return home to check on the pups before they finished.)

Send “📂“ for a random yet completely useless headcanon I have

[lestatslestits]

Hey there! Hope you're doing well. I was nostalgia-watching the Wind in the Willows adaptation I grew up with (1995 animated) and I got to wondering about something. I really love the almost meditational tone the 1995 version uses. The smooth jazz/classical lite soundtrack really complements the animation and it's just such a relaxing watch. Do you know any other Wind in the Willows adaptations that approach the material similarly?

Ooh, this is a great question!

You’re right, the style and tone of the 1995 animated movie work beautifully with the music, and the main theme is especially gorgeous. That movie also adapts the very often excluded chapters “Wayfarers All” and “Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” two asides that 1) don’t directly impact the plot of the story, 2) are a bit tonally different as they lean slightly more heavily into the fantasy aspect, and 3) in the case of “Piper,” portray pagan elements that Kenneth Grahame was interested in, and that were popular at the time of the book’s release, but that were...less popular as subsequent editions were re-issued.

If you haven’t already seen it, it’s worthwhile to check out The Willows in Winter, the sequel to the 1995 movie. It has the same framing device, a similar visual style, and the same composer. What it doesn’t have is Kenneth Grahame. The book it is adapting is by William Horwood, who wrote a whole series known collectively as Tales of the Willows. His stories are a fair bit more action-packed than The Wind in the Willows, so you may find this one less relaxing, and perhaps a touch less pastoral, as it deals a bit more heavily with the humans in the story. Still, worth checking out.

Musically, I guess the next closest might be the Burbank Films version from 1988? It’s an Australian adaptation, and the animation style is a bit more vintage—which to me kind of translates to ugly-cute? I’m not terribly fond of Rat’s design (but adore Mole’s). The whole thing is pretty cute, a bit tongue-in-cheek, and does have a bit of that smooth jazz/gently classical influence, although I don’t feel like it’s quite as perfect of a fit, visually.

Although it’s not quite the same style musically (although it has its moments), I almost feel like the Cosgrove Hall film and series might be a little closer to the vibe you’re looking for? The music ranges from its string-heavy theme to that slight jazz influence, with lots of wind instruments, to my personal favorite, Mole’s theme, which has a plinky sort of piano line that always strikes me as vaguely ragtime inspired. There are also a few musical numbers, especially in early seasons of the show. It all feels perfectly matched to the soft, bucolic vibe. The show is the perfect low-stakes watch....in most episodes (a couple get quite fraught). Of course, your mileage may vary a little depending on if you like vintage stop motion animation. Some of the designs are objectively a bit scary, especially the weasels and the handful of humans that crop up. If you like stop motion though, as I do, it’s a delight.

Those, to me, hit the mark the closest. The 1969 series, which is more narration over artwork than an actual full show, is very pretty. Unfortunately, it’s been taken down from Youtube and only about half of it is available on Vimeo. And the Martin Gates films...well, frankly, I think they are ugly.

All of these (with the exception of the ‘69 series, as I said), are currently available on Youtube, so let me know if you want links!

[halloweentrickortreat]

look at these sophisticated gentlemen 🎩

[thatdoodlebug]

since Peter Sallis sadly died today, I thought I’d post one of my favourite of his many wonderful roles here.

Even though my favourite voice for Ratty (in The Wind In The Willows adaptions) will always be Roddy Mcdowell in the Rankin/Bass film, I do think Peter Sallis was perfect for the also very fantastic Cosgrove Hall version. 

I recommend checking out the series to anyone who can get their mitts on it!

[halloweentrickortreat]

[missanthropicprinciple]

Mole as Friar Tuck in Oh, Mr. Toad, Series 1 (1990) AKA The Wind In The Willows S05E03 “Midsummer Night's Disaster” | the Mole puppet today 

[missanthropicprinciple]