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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Adventure Golf at The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea

A revisit to the Augusta Masters National Adventure Golf course in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

Adventure Golf at The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
The Skull obstacle at the Augusta National Adventure Golf course in Clacton

On our recent day out in the great seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea we visited The Pavilion Fun Park near the pier on Marine Parade West. The fun park is home to an 11-hole Adventure Golf course.

Adventure Golf at The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
You can find the Adventure Golf course at The Pavilion Fun Park

Adventure Golf at The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
There's some nice theming on the course

Since our last visit in May 2011 the fun park has undergone an upgrade and rebranding. It looks nice and fresh. We had a look around the amusement arcade and bowling alley and must say it looks really smart.

Adventure Golf at The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
A view of the Augusta National Adventure Golf course

The Augusta Masters Adventure Golf course was the 94th visited and played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2009.

Adventure Golf at The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
Playing hole 6 - The Skull - in Clacton

Adventure Golf at The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
Emily Putting at 'Augusta'

Check out The Pavilion Fun Park website for more information, prices and other attractions.

Panning for Gold at The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton, Essex
The Panning for Gold and Gold Crusher machine at the fun park looked brilliant

On our visit to the fun park I also managed to buy some tokens for my collection of seaside ephemera, artifacts and exonumia.

Token from The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
The rides and games at The Pavilion Fun Park operate on a token system - 50p per token

Adventure Golf scorecard from The Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea
A scorecard from the Augusta Adventure Golf course in Clacton

Clacton-on-Sea is well worth a visit for traditional seaside fun, games and amusements. It's got a very good stretch of beach and some lovely seafront gardens too. I'm looking forward to visiting again.

Related blog posts:
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf Course Visit No. 94 - Clacton-on-Sea (Augusta Masters)
- Clacton-on-Sea - Revisit - Augusta Masters Adventure Golf
Clacton-on-Sea
Mini, Crazy and Adventure Golf courses in Essex

Link:
The Pavilion Fun Park website

Mini Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton

A revisit to the Miniature Carpeted 9-hole Crazy Golf course on Clacton's Marine Parade West.

Mini Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
Miniature Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea

As a minigolf historian I enjoy seeing how courses change and develop over time. A recent daytrip to Clacton-on-Sea allowed me to do just that.

Mini Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
You can still see the outline of the prefabricated holes on the site

The 'Eternit' Miniature Golf course next to the Greensward Cafe on Marine Parade West was the 93rd course we played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2009. We revisited Clacton and the course in May 2011.

Mini Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
How the course looked in 2009

We'd heard that plans were afoot to create a new Mini Golf course on the site and on our most recent visit we saw that the old Crazy Golf course had been removed, with the perimeter fence given a spruce-up too.

Mini Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
The helter skelter lighthouse didn't used to be next to the course

I enjoyed playing the old course - as the sign promised, it was a different 9-hole layout.

Mini Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
Playing a loop-di-loop obstacle on the old Crazy Golf course

I look forward to heading back to Clacton again in the future to see what the new course is like.

Mini Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
This was the third visit to Clacton on our tour

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf Course Visit No. 93 - Clacton-on-Sea (Eternit)
- Clacton-on-Sea - Revisit - 9-hole Carpeted Miniature Golf
- Clacton-on-Sea
- Mini, Crazy and Adventure Golf courses in Essex

Link:
- Greensward Cafe website

No Mini Golf in Colchester anymore

A Crazy World of Minigolf Tour revisit to Colchester, Essex.

The Miniature Golf course in Colchester's Castle Park in 2009
The Miniature Golf course in Colchester's Castle Park in 2009

We first visited Colchester and the town's Castle Park in December 2009 when we found a Mini Golf Putting course and an Eternit Miniature Golf course. As it was out of season neither course was open.

The grass Mini Golf course in Colchester in 2009
The grass Mini Golf course in 2009

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour took us back to Colchester in May 2011 and on that visit we found the Putting course had been dug up and replaced with a play area. The Crazy Golf course was still there and had received a refurbishment.

The Miniature Golf course in Colchester's Castle Park in 2011
The Crazy Golf course in its new colour scheme in 2011

On our way to a day out at the seaside in Clacton on Saturday 27 June we swung by Colchester to see if we could have a game on the Miniature Golf course. However, we found that this has now been replaced by another play area.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf in Essex
- Colchester - Changes to the Minigolf, and a Dug-up Putting Course!
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to Colchester, Essex

Videos:
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to Colchester
- Video showing the Eternit Miniature Golf Course

Monday, June 29, 2015

Made Without Wheat Mini Pork Pies from M&S

New Made Without Wheat Mini Pork Pies from M&S.

On our recent travels we'd spotted some empty shelves in M&S with a price tag for 'New Made Without Wheat Mini Pork Pies' and while in Clacton-on-Sea on Saturday we managed to actually find some. And very good they were too.

Made Without Wheat Mini Pork Pies from M&S
The mini pork pies were a nice addition to the picnic we had in the sunken rose garden in Clacton

Related blog posts:
Links:
Marks & Spencer website
Marks & Spencer Made Without Wheat page

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

A revisit to the Crazy Golf course in Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead.

On a recent trip to Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire I popped along to the Crazy Golf course in Gadebridge Park for a quick round on the 9-hole layout.

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

The course was originally the 96th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2009. We revisited the course in July 2011.

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Each of the 9-holes on the Gadebridge Park Crazy Golf course is in the shape of the hole number.

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

On this visit I scored rounds of 29 and 27. Bettering my previous scores of 31 and 30 in 2009, and 33 in 2011.

Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead

For more information, prices and opening times please visit the Gadebridge Park Attractions section of the Dacorum Borough Council website.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf at Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead - revisit
- Minigolf Course Visit No. 96 - Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date
- Hemel Hempstead
- Hertfordshire

Link:
Gadebridge Park Attractions

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Fried Gluten

Fried Gluten in a Can

While shopping in Ipswich I spotted a couple of tins of 'Coeliac Kryptonite' lurking on a shelf.

Vegetarian Duck-Style Dish - made with fried gluten
Vegetarian Duck-Style Dish - made with fried gluten. Mmmmmm

Vegetarian Chicken-Style Dish - made with fried gluten
It comes in Chicken-style flavour too

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. For people with Coeliac Disease gluten is a very dangerous substance that causes all manner of health problems. Check out the Coeliac UK website for more information on Coeliac Disease.

Related blog posts:
- Gluten - my Kryptonite
Hmm, Some Bizarre Gluten & Gluten Free Shelf Stacking!
Funny things about being a Coeliac
Gluten Free
Coeliac

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Crazy Golf at Thorne Park Golf Centre

Playing the Crazy Golf course course at Thorne Park Golf Centre in Devon.

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
The 9-hole Crazy Golf at the Thorne Park Golf Centre

The 605th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth.

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Holing out on the first

The 9-hole layout would be the third played on our tour of the South West of England and the 366th played overall on our tour.

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 1

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 2

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 3

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 3

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 3

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 4

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 4

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 5

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 5

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 6

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 7

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 8 - the round killer

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 9

Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Hole 9

In our match on the Crazy Golf course on the 2nd June 2015 Emily scored 28 and I scored 24 to take the win.

Minigolfer Emily Gottfried at the Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Emily on hole 2

Minigolfer Richard Gottfried at the Crazy Golf course at the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, Devon
Playing hole 1

There's a 9-hole Golf course, Driving Range, Pitch & Putt, and a Putting Green at Thorne Park Golf Centre too.

Putting Green at Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth
The Putting Green

You can find the Thorne Park Golf Centre in Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth, East Devon. For more information on the various golf courses, opening times and prices visit the Thorne Park Golf Centre website.

Related blog posts:
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
Mini Golf in the South West of England

Link:
- Thorne Park Golf Centre website