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Wisteria House Dolls House – Click here to see the Dolls House at Hamleys

Wisteria House is the newest edition to the range of dolls houses from the manufacturer ‘Dolls House Emporium’. As with their other models, Wisteria House is a top quality dolls house that is suitable for children aged 3 to 12. The house is described as a collector’s piece; however, its sturdy construction and quality materials mean it can also be played with day in and day out.

Specifications and dimensions

When assembled, Wisteria House is just over 85cm in height, 63cm in width and 34cm in depth. This makes it easily big enough for two children to play together. The house is set over three floors with an additional attic in the roof and has a total of seven rooms. The central staircase begins at the front door – which opens to let visiting dolls in – and allows access to each of the rooms plus the attic.

Full access to each of the seven rooms is gained when the front panel of the house swings out and the roof folds back. The interior of Wisteria House is fully decorated in matching colour schemes of pink and purple. The outside of the house is similarly decorated in pink with purple flower motifs around the door and windows. The house comes complete with matching curtains but the furniture has to be bought separately.

Assembly of Wisteria House

Wisteria House is delivered flat packed unless otherwise specified and so needs to be assembled by the buyer. Some companies offer to put the house together before delivery for an additional fee, however, the house simply slots together without the need for nails or glue. The manufacturers, Dolls House Emporium, estimate that assembly should take around two hours from start to finish which means that most adults can put it together in an evening.

Because Wisteria House is neither glued nor nailed together, it is simple to take it apart again should the need arise. This means that it can be re-flat packed for storage or if the buyer moves house in later years.

The Wisteria House packages

The house itself retails for between £155 and £170 although this price doesn’t include furniture or the recommended dolls. In fact all you get is the basic fully decorated house complete with curtains. The furniture is sold separately and can be bought as full rooms or as individual pieces. As already mentioned, Wisteria House has seven rooms to furnish including a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, bathroom, three bedrooms and the attic.

In addition to the furniture, you also have to buy the dolls separately as well. Some companies sell Wisteria House offer package deals, where you can buy the house, the furniture and a selection of dolls for a lower price than if you bought them all separately. Alternatively you can choose which pieces of furniture you want in your dolls house and simply buy them.

The benefits of Wisteria House

Wisteria House is suitable for children up to the age of 12, however, it is primarily aimed at children aged 3-6 years. In this age range children are starting to develop their imaginations and communication skills and playing with a dolls house can greatly help with these skills.

Designing the rooms and moving the furniture between them helps young children to express their ideas whilst also helping to improve their manual dexterity and fine hand coordination. The furniture can easily be moved from room to room which means new stories and scenarios can be told each day. In addition, playing with the dolls within the house helps youngsters to develop their imaginations and role-playing skills.

Because Wisteria House is big enough for two children to play together, it also helps youngsters to communicate with others as well as teaching them how to compromise and share.

Conclusion

When compared to some other top quality dolls houses Wisteria House is very reasonably priced. This means it is as suitable for playing with as it is for keeping as a collector’s piece. Its sturdy construction and quality materials mean it is not something that will need replacing for a good number of years and if treated right it could last for generations. As well as teaching children to play together, this house will also improve their motor skills and their imaginations, thus making it as educational as it is fun to play with.

Dirty Harry DVD Boxset – Click here to buy from Play.com
Anyone who has seen the original Dirty Harry movie of 1971 can not claim with a straight face that they have never tried ‘that’ speech. They can’t say they haven’t curled their lip and snarled, possibly into a mirror to observe the effect, “Just ask yourself this one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?” then span round to make sure no one was watching. Just me then? Liars.
Luckily for those of you like me, the complete collection of the classic Dirty Harry movies is now available in a 5-disk set, some of which contain extra features. The Dirty Harry films are classics of the police thriller genre and have been influential in many spheres, from the comic books of Frank Miller to the thriller films made today. The set consists of the following.

Dirty Harry (1971)
This is the first outing for the grumpy, streetwise San Francisco Police Department detective Harry Callahan, who is on the case of a deranged serial killer sniper calling himself Scorpio. Scorpio is terrorising San Francisco and holding it to ransom, and it is up to ‘Dirty’ Harry (the reason for his nickname is explained by the man himself in the film) to bring him to justice. This action classic was directed by Don Siegel and set the gritty, realistic tone for the other films to follow. Even now, this movie is classed as one of the finest police thrillers ever made.
Included on this disk are two documentaries, “The Original” and “Celebrating 30 years of an American hero” and the original trailer for the film itself.

Magnum Force (1973)
This sequel sees Callahan fighting a completely different type of criminal-one that carries a badge. A group of vigilante policemen have set about enacting their own type of justice on the street against those who they feel have escaped just punishment in the courts. Due to Callahan’s own rough, anti-establishment methods you might imagine he condones this, but coldblooded murder does not sit well with Dirty Harry and he sets out to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
Directed by Ted Post, this film further perpetuated the Dirty Harry legend. There are extra features on this disk too, with another documentary entitled “The Hero Cop” as well as the original trailer.

The Enforcer (1976)
Directed by James Fargo, this film makes a departure from previous films by teaming Harry up with a female partner, who assists Harry in attempting to stop a terrorist group calling themselves “The People’s Revolutionary Strike Force”. The group then rob an arms warehouse and set out on a bloody path of extortion, which Harry and his new, wary partner must stop.
The Enforcer was a huge hit in its time and can be enjoyed again here. This disk has a documentary called “Something Special in Films” and, again, the original trailer.

Sudden Impact (1983)
In this film, an aging but still tough Callahan is dispatched to an out-of-town location as his methods start to come under scrutiny by the powers that be in the city by the Bay. Here, he is tracking a rape victim so traumatised that she has taken to slaying her attackers. This film was a gritty yet brilliant example of the Dirty Harry films, and gave the world the other famous catchphrase from Harry, “Go ahead, make my day”. This film is also notable for being directed by Eastwood himself. There is the requisite original trailer as an extra feature.

The Dead Pool (1988)
Directed by Buddy van Horn, this final (as of now) instalment in the series sees Harry taking on a killer who is murdering celebrities. This is done to rig a macabre game called the ‘Dead Pool’ where people bet on the demise of celebrities. This chase becomes even more dangerous when Harry learns that his name is also on the Dead Pool list.

Exciting and fast-paced, and starring a young and unknown Jim Carrey (credited as James Carrey) in a supporting role as a slain rock star, this film is an apt bookend to the Dirty Harry series. As ever, there is the option of viewing the original trailer as a special feature.

This boxset is a must for any Dirty Harry fan, and for any fan of excellent, gritty thriller making. The Dirty Harry series has had an undoubted influence on other films of this type, making the tough, brooding, not-doing-things-by-the-book type of policeman an iconic figure in film history. These films also made the .44 magnum an iconic and popular weapon due to its status as Dirty Harry’s number one gun. The latter also ensured that the magnum enjoyed increased sales at the time and still remains a popular gun today. Though there have been rumours of further Dirty Harry films, it would appear that these five classics are truly the ‘canon’ Harry, and as such any classic film collection would be incomplete without them.

Stargate SG1 complete DVD Boxset – Click here to buy today from Play.com

For the first time ever all 214 episodes of Stargate SG1, spanning from 1997 to 2007, from season 1-10 are available in a 54 DVD box set; making this the most comprehensive Stargate SG1 DVD collection available. The 50 DVDs in this collection contain over 165 hours of episodic footage, and the remaining 4 discs contain Bonus footage. All footage supports Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Widescreen. All episodes can be watched in English, French or Spanish, or with subtitles. The collection itself comes in a cube metal case and comes with a commemorative booklet.

Stargate SG-1 is a multi-award winning science fiction TV series, which takes place one year after the events of the 1994 science fiction blockbuster starring Kurt Russell. After an alien called Apophic comes through the Earth Stargate, Jack O’Neill, (now played by Richard Dean Anderson of “Mcguyvor” fame) is called back into service. The Stargate Program is reopened, and new recruit Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) together with O’Neill are sent back to Abydos to locate and retrieve Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks). The following ten seasons chronicle the events of the SG-1 team’s intergalactic travels, the team learn more about the malevolent alien race “Goa’uld”, the builders of the Stargates themselves; the Ancients, and ultimately the human race itself. As the team travels to different locations across the Universe, the team learn that mythological places such as Atlantis, Camelot and Avalon actually existed in different galaxies. The series tackles a number of philosophical issues, most notably the nature of historical influence different cultures have on each other. Important story arcs are eventually established across the series, but there are also a satisfying number of stand-alone episodes for the casual viewer. O’Neill is portrayed as a quirky, bad-mannered, witty character with a hidden tragic past. Other cast members include Ben Browder, Beau Bridges, and Christopher Judge.

Stargate SG-1 was created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner (who was also involved in the production of the modern television version of “The Outer Limits”). Since the original 1994 Stargate motion picture, Stargate SG-1 has taken the Stargate Universe and expanded it tremendously over ten seasons, spanning over ten years of compelling story.

The series itself has won the Saturn Award for “Best Syndicated Television Series” on numerous occasions, as well as being listed in the 2007 Guinness Book of Records as the “Longest (consecutively) Running Science Fiction Show Ever”. In 2003 the show also won the Gemini Award for “Best Visual Effects”. Upon it’s completion in 2007, Stargate SG-1 was also named in TV Guide’s Top 30 Cult Shows ever at number 28. Individual cast members have also received numerous awards. Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) won a Leo Award in 2000 for “Best Lead Performance by a Male”.

In addition to the staggering amount of episodic footage, the first 50 DVDs contain a wide variety of special features;
- Behind the scenes featurettes

- Cast and crew featurettes

- Feature film feauturettes

- Cast Profiles, including photo galleries of the cast of Stargate SG-1

- Secret Files of the SGC Documentaries

- Audio commentary for selected episodes

- “Stargate SG-1 – Timeline to the Future – Legacy of the Gate & Secret files of the SGC”
In addition the 4 Bonus Discs contain even more special features;
Disc One contains:

- “Ark of Truth Promo”

- “Continuum Promo”

- “Stargate SG-1: The Lowdown (SG-1 Season 7)

- “From Stargate to Atlantis: The Lowdown (SG-1 Season 8 & Atlantis Season 1)”

- “Behind the Stargate: Secrets Revealed”
Disc Two contains:

- “Sci Fi Inside: Stargate SG-1’s 200th Episode (SG01 Season 10)”

- “Behind the Mythology of Stargate SG-1″

- “Stargate SG-1: True Science”
Disc Three contains:

- “Season Three: Timeline to the Future”

- “Part 1: Legacy of the Gate”

- “Part 2: Secrets of the Gate”

- “Part 3: Beyond the Gate”

- “Season Four: SG-1 Video Diary”

- “Teryl Rothery”

- “Stargate SG-1 Season 5: “Gateway to Adventure”

- “Stargate SG-1: The 100th Episode”

- “SG-1 Video Diary: Don S. Davis”

- “SG-1 Directors Series: Smoke and Mirrors”

- “SG-1 Directors Series: The Changeling”

- “SG-1 Directors Series: Memento”

- “SG-1 Directors Series: Prophecy”

- “SG-1 Video Diary: Richard Dean Anderson Paradise Lost”
Disc Four contains:

- “Behind the Scenes: Journey Inside Lost City”

- “The Storyboard Process”

- “Bra’tac VS Ronan: Designing the Fight”

- “Stargate Magic: Inside the Lab”

- “Richard Dean Anderson: “My life as a mine”

- “Season Eight: Beyond the Gate: A Convention Experience with Amanda Tapping”

- “Beyond the Gate: A Convention Experience with Michael Shanks”

- “SG-1 Director Series: “Threads Profile on: Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie”

- “The Last Day of Teal’C'”

- “SG-1 Directors Series: “Moebius”

- “Stargate SG-1 Alliance: The Making of the Video Game”