Star Walk at Trinity Walk in Wakefield

We had an excellent day out at the Star Walk event at the Trinity Walk shopping centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Star Walk at Trinity Walk in Wakefield

We revisited Wakefield on Saturday to attend the Star Walk event at the Trinity Walk shopping centre. The weekend saw a superb line-up of pop culture, retro and classic vehicles, as well as a whole host of photo opportunities with characters and props from film and TV.

The A-Team van at Star Walk at Trinity Walk in Wakefield

Growing up in the 80's I'm a big fan of The A-Team and Knight Rider and it's always fun getting a snap with The A-Team's classic GMC Vandura van and K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider. Star Walk not only had two K.I.T.T.s from the Yorkshire Knights, but it also saw two of K.I.T.T.'s evil twin K.A.R.R. on display!

With K.I.T.T.'s evil twin K.A.R.R.

KARR!

A selection of Knight Rider merchandise and collectables

K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider - with K.A.R.R. lurking in the background!

More Knight Rider merch and collectables

K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider

While we were at Star Walk on day 1 we also saw The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo, Optimus Prime and several other Transformers, the Pizza Planet van from Toy Story, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Delivery van and more!

The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo

The Pizza Planet truck from Toy Story

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime - we actually got passed by this truck on our drive home in the evening! It's quite a thing to see it in action on the motorway!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Pizza Delivery van

Del Boy's Reliant Regal Supervan III from Only Fools and Horses 

With The Stig

There were loads of characters from various groups in costume for photo opportunities. And I had to have my photo taken with several of the Star Wars characters from the UK Garrison!

Caption this photo...!

Luckily I wasn't someone these Stormtrooper's were looking for

One of the Emperor's Royal Guards from Star Wars

With R2-D2

The Star Walk event at Trinity Walk was raising money for Forget Me Not Children's Hospice.

Check out the Trinity Walk website for more information.

Hopefully there's another edition of the event in the future!

New Adventure Golf at Choices Health & Fitness in Windermere

Critter Creek Adventure Golf has opened at Choices Health & Fitness in Windermere in the Lake District.

Choices Health & Fitness in Windermere in the Lake District is now home to a new Adventure Golf course.

Critter Creek Adventure Golf at Choices Health & Fitness at Troutbeck Bridge is an 18-hole outdoor, woodland-themed courses.

Check out the Critter Creek Adventure Golf and Choices Health & Fitness websites for more information.

It'll be a new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on a return trip to the Lake District.

RBT Video in Wakefield - a video shop speakeasy

A visit to RBT Video in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

We visited RBT Video in Wakefield while in the city for the Star Walk event at Trinity Walk.

We've wanted to revisit Wakefield and go to RBT Video for quite a while, so it was brilliant to check out the speakeasy and visit the pop culture event at the shopping centre too.

We've been nostaglic for the halcyon days of the video shop for a few years now, and while you can't actually rent out videos at RBT, it is fun checking out the video shop 'front' to the speakeasy.

I don't remember seeing R.B.T. on the shelves at my local Ritz Video back in the day!

Definitely not a Blockbuster Video shop

You don't need to ask Spuds MacKenzie to let you into the bar, but you do need to know the movie codename of the week to gain access!

Inside the bar at RBT Video

Behind this wall of VHS tapes is a bar!

My movie pick - it's no Pulp Fiction though

A poster for RBT Video's events we spotted while at Subs & Suds - a sister venue of RBT Video and part of the Host & Home group. Emily got a delicious Chicken Parm and Fries for lunch there (while I played Street Fighter II on one of the arcade machines)

Take a look on the RBT Video website for more information, opening times, and clues on how to gain access to the bar behind the VHS tape stacked shelves!

NOT a V.H.S. Rental shop

Yoyo Laos Sauce - gluten free sauce!

It was a brilliant surprise to bump into our friend Frazer Rhodes while at the Star Walk event at Trinity Walk in Wakefield. He was there with his classic Datsun 1500 pickup truck as part of the retro & classic vehicle and pop culture event at the shopping centre.

The Yoyo Laos Sauce Datsun 1500 Pickup Truck at the Star Walk event at Trinity Walk in Wakefield

He was also promoting Yoyo Laos Sauce - a range of sauces that are gluten free!

Me, Frazer, a bottle of Yoyo Laos Sauce and a Datsun 1500 in Wakefield

Frazer was kind to give us a bottle of the Original Yoyo Ginger Chilli Sauce and we tried some when we got home - it's delicious, and had just the right amount of heat and kick to it. It's going to be interesting trying it with a few different dishes.

We'll be getting the rest of the range too. It's brilliant when we find totally gluten free sauces as it really helps expand the types of things I can eat, as we try out new recipes and dishes.

Check out the Yoyo Laos Sauce website for more information on the range of sauces, where to purchase, and where to find the Yoyo Laos Sauce team on the road at different markets and events.

Where will you be celebrating National Miniature Golf Day?

It's just two weeks until National Miniature Golf Day on Saturday 10th May. Where will you be playing a round?

Last year I played a round at the excellent Prestatyn Crazy Golf course in North Wales. We're not yet sure about which course we'll get to on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour this National Miniature Golf Day.

Playing Crazy Golf at Stoke Park in Guildford, Surrey on National Miniature Golf Day in 2016

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2025 that will be Saturday 10th May.
• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2025 that will fall on a Sunday.

There are so many places to play minigolf now, with new courses opening up all the time. Including public courses, as well as those at pay to enter attractions, holiday parks, hotels and other 'non-standard' locations you can find over 1,300 miniature golf layouts around the UK and British Isles (including Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, and other islands)!

New Crazy Golf course at Raglan Golf Club in South Wales

Raglan Golf Club in South Wales has reopened following a refurbishment and is now home to a Crazy Golf course.

The outdoor Mini Golf course at Raglan Golf Club is a 12-hole castle-themed layout.

Check out the Raglan Golf Club website for more information.

The new Mini Golf course at Raglan Golf Club is a new one for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Pool Awareness Day - Monday 28th April

Roxy Leisure is holding Crazy Pool Awareness Day on Monday 28th April 2025.

Next Monday is the inaugural Crazy Pool Awareness Day!

The indoor game found at Roxy Ball Room locations is a cross between crazy golf and pool. Played with a pool cue and a golf ball you need to tackle a variety of obstacles on the felt covered tables.

Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room at the Manchester Arndale

To celebrate, customers can get 50% off Crazy Pool bookings made online from Monday 28th April to Sunday 4th May. There is also a social media giveaway to win a year's worth of Crazy Pool. Find out more on the Roxy Leisure website.

One of our two local Roxy Ball Rooms venues - at the Manchester Arndale - is home to a Crazy Pool course.

The Rules of Crazy Pool

Ten of Roxy Ball Room's 19 venues are home to Crazy Pool layouts, they are:

• Birmingham (Victoria Square)
• Bristol (Union Street)
• Leeds (Merrion Street)
• Leicester (Humberstone Gate)
• Liverpool (Hanover Street)
• London (St Mary Axe)
• Manchester (Arndale)
• Nottingham (The Cornerhouse)
• Sheffield (Charter Square)
• York (The Stonebow)

Check out the Roxy Leisure website for more information.

Eight months until Christmas Day!

There are now 'just' 244 days to go until Christmas 2025.

Last November we played the Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the Northwich Christmas Extravaganza

Mystical Falls Adventure Golf opening at Puxton Park in Weston-super-Mare

A new adventure golf course is opening at Puxton Park in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset next month.

The outdoor adventure golf course will be a 9-hole attraction at the adventure park when in opens in May.

Check out the Puxton Park website for more information about the Mystical Falls Adventure Golf course.

Puxton Park is another new place and course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've been to Weston-super-Mare before and played minigolf there several times.

Spring Swing: Pop-Up Mini Golf at Wabash County Museum in Indiana

Wabash County Museum in Indiana, USA had a pop-up mini golf event in March and April.

As big fans of minigolf, and curators of the Crazy Golf Museum, it's always interesting seeing minigolf/museum crossovers.

The Spring Swing at Wabash County Museum in Wabash, Indiana saw a spring-themed 9-hole mini golf course set up indoors at the museum from the 25th March to the 19th April.

From the 15th to the 18th April the museum held a Corporate Mini Golf Tournament.

Check out the Wabash County Museum for more information.

The end of Toys R Us in the UK

The last of the original Toys R Us stores in the UK closed on the 24th April 2018.

Toys R Us on the Western Esplanade in Southampton

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton Toys R Us store where I worked on the video game and electronics section.

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

A sign at Toys R Us at St James Retail Park in Northampton

A sign at Toys R Us in Reading

Toys R Us at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

Toys R Us at Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees

Toys R Us at The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes

A sign at Toys R Us at Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Toys R Us at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

This was the sign at the Toys R Us shop unit at Gateway retail park in Reading, Berkshire in September 2022. It looked to be in great condition and most of the signage and branding was still on display

A new beginning...

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with an online presence and in 2023 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops. There are currently 85 Toys R Us stores open nationwide. Check out the Toys R Us website for more information.

Toys R Us at the Trafford Centre in Manchester

Toys R Us in the USA

You can also find Toys R Us concessions in Macy's stores in the USA. As well as some other spots.

Emily has visited those in Chicago and Fort Worth, and spotted a sign for one at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

Toys R Us Sign at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, March 2024

Lost Toys R Us Stores

My book about Lost Toys R Us Stores is available to buy from Amazon.

There were once 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. The business ceased trading in 2018 and all of the shops closed.

It is still possible to find some traces of the old Toys R Us brand on some retail parks and shopping centres around the UK.

The book takes a look at some of those abandoned stores between 2019 and 2021.

Buy Lost Toys R Us Stores on Amazon.