This past week I have been visiting my husband’s family and staying in the bedroom that was his from birth. There was recently a cull of many items, so we’ve said farewell to the giant Yoda poster and a caricature of my hubby circa 1997, but a few childhood bits and pieces do remain. One of those is a cuddly rabbit. Innocuous you may say, but something about it’s heavy lidded eyes prompted me to ask: is that a bunny from Watership Down?

And it turns out that it is. I must admit to never having read Richard Adams’s book, perhaps because I encountered the film at an impressionable age and only remember being traumatised by what seemed like an endless bout of blood-soaked scenes. Tarantino for tots. So, I haven’t felt all that keen on having this little fella watch over me as I sleep.

It made me ponder what else would be an odd literary merchandise spin-off. A blood-splattered Carrie doll anyone? A guide to political correctness from Enid Blyton? And while I loved Roald Dahl as a kid, I remember being weirded out by Cadbury’s Wonka special editions. I didn’t want to end up like Violet Beauregarde.

Lesley-Anne Crooks, Sales & Digital Manager