"Actor: Sophie Bennett"

• The Railway Children | DVD | (14/04/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Railway Children (1970) and Swallows and Amazons (1974) are perfect bedfellows: two classic children's novels, simply and faithfully adapted for the big screen. Together they evoke a poignant nostalgia for the periods in which they are set--Edwardian and 1920s England, respectively--and for the childhood of anyone who has grown up watching them. Sentimentality reigns, of course, but it's never cloying. The truthfulness of the juvenile performances, balanced with restrained sympathy from the adults, sees to that. Flourishing under Lionel Jeffries' delicate direction, Jenny Agutter dominates The Railway Children as the oldest daughter of a family thrown on hard times when their father is wrongly sent to prison. They avert a train disaster, save an imperilled steeple chaser and reunite an exiled Russian with his wife, all with equal enterprise. Happy endings prevail after every crisis. And no number of repeat viewings can ever diminish the impact of father's return. One of the most expert tear-duct work-outs in film history, it hits the spot every time. Perhaps the lack of such a pivotal scene has kept Swallows and Amazons in the relative shade. But its gentle appeal survives with equal charm, not least in the resourcefulness of the eponymous children and the period detail. Together this pairing makes a double bill to treasure, and a piquant reminder that Disney doesn't have a complete monopoly on the rich heritage of children's cinema. On the DVD: The Railway Children and Swallows and Amazons is presented in standard 4:3 picture format, from so-so prints, and with acceptable mono soundtracks. Both films envelope the viewer in a comforting Sunday-afternoon haze. There are no extras, apart from scene indexes. --Piers Ford

• The Saddle Club Vol.2 | DVD | (21/09/2009) from £17.53   |  Saving you £-4.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Saddle Club: Vol.2

• Saddle Club - Series 2, Volume 1 | DVD | (25/07/2011) from £22.49   |  Saving you £-12.50 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Nothing is going well at Pine Hollow Stable: the club is borderline bankrupt Max is in Europe and Drew is forced to sell a piece of the land. Stevie Lisa and Carole have a lot to worry about especially since Veronica has been appointed Assistant Director and is constantly standing watch over them. By sticking together the 3 Saddle Club friends will manage to get themselves out of this difficult time! Episodes comprise: A Horse Of A Different Colour Part I A Horse Of A Different Colour Part II Show Ponies Part I Show Ponies Part II The Ride Of His Life Love Is In The Air Horsenapped Goodbye Dorothy The Home Straight Running Free Part I Running Free Part II Race Against Time Stevie's Bad Day

• The Saddle Club: Series 2 - Part 3 | DVD | (03/09/2012) from £14.89   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Episode Listing: Fillies vs Colts Blind Faith Join Up Tenderfoot Bloodlines Foster Horse Part 1 Foster Horse Part 2

• The Saddle Club Vol.1 | DVD | (11/05/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Australian TV show The Saddle Club is based on the novels by author Bonnie Bryant. The much-loved series follows the adventures of teen girls who want nothing more than to be horse riders but they face challenges along the way.

• The Saddle Club: Series 2 - Part 2 | DVD | (16/07/2012) from £8.08   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Episodes 14-20 from the second series of the Australian kids' TV show following the adventures of the saddle club girls: Lisa (Lara Jean Marshall) Carole (Keenan Macwilliam) and Stevie (Sophie Bennett). These girls may have it all: a riding stable complete with coach beautiful horses and acres of trails to ride on - but the simplicity of childhood is beginning to come under threat from the pleasures and pressures of adolescence. Episodes comprise: 'Fillies vs Colts' 'Blind Faith' 'Join Up' 'Tenderfoot' 'Bloodlines' 'Foster Horse: Part 1' and 'Foster Horse: Part 2'.

• The Saddle Club Vol.3 | DVD | (01/03/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Lisa Carole and Stevie would seem to have it all - a great riding stable with an amazing coach beautiful horses and acres of trails to ride on but for these 12 year old girls the world is quickly expanding. Before they know it the simplicity of childhood will be lost in the whirlwind of adolescence. As if pressures from the stable caring for their horses school baby-sitting jobs and parents weren't enough now they are beginning to notice boys for the first time. In their ever-changing world these girls have one thing they can count on: from preparing for a major horse show to coping with tough issues like the death of a horse they will go through it all together.