Friday, December 30, 2022

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

A look at the Mini Golf course at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham.


Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

The Mini Golf course at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham was the 1,004th visited and 562nd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

Visit the Peter Cowen Golf Academy website for more information.


Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

Golden Putter Mini Golf in Clifton Park, Rotherham

A look at the Golden Putter Mini Golf course in Clifton Park, Rotherham.


Golden Putter Mini Golf in Clifton Park, Rotherham

The Golden Putter Mini Golf course in Rotherham was the 1,003rd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Golden Putter Mini Golf in Clifton Park, Rotherham

Golden Putter Mini Golf in Clifton Park, Rotherham

Golden Putter Mini Golf in Clifton Park, Rotherham

Golden Putter Mini Golf in Clifton Park, Rotherham

Golden Putter Mini Golf in Clifton Park, Rotherham

Visit the Golden Putter Mini Golf website for details of the course and its sister sites in Birmingham and Warwick.

Level X in Middlesbrough

A new indoor entertainment with crazy golf will be opening in Middlesbrough in 2023.


A new indoor entertainment with crazy golf will be opening in Middlesbrough in 2023

Level X is being created by the team at Lane7.

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar, Sheffield

There's a Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar in Sheffield.


Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar, Sheffield

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room, Sheffield

There's Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room in Sheffield.


Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room, Sheffield

Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room, Sheffield

Check out the Roxy Ball Room website for more information.

Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar, Ipswich

There's a Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar in Ipswich.


Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar, Ipswich

Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar, Ipswich

Check out the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

Miniature Golf Days in 2023

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.


Miniature Golf Days in 2023

National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2023 that will be Saturday 13th May.

The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2023 that will fall on a Thursday.

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Golf Fang Crazy Golf opening in Leeds

A new Golf Fang Crazy Golf venue is opening in Leeds.


A new Golf Fang Crazy Golf venue is opening in Leeds

Golf Fang (formerly Ghetto Golf) is opening a new Crazy Golf venue in Kirkstall, Leeds in 2023.

Visit the Golf Fang website for more information.


You can find other Golf Fang crazy golf venues in Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Sheffield. There are also plans for a Golf Fang to open in Cardiff too.

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Happy Christmas

We wish you a very merry Christmas.


Christmas Crazy Golf
Christmas Crazy Golf courses from our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Friday, December 23, 2022

Adventure Golf at Stockhill Park in Nuthall

There are plans for a new 18-hole Adventure Golf course at Stockhill Park in Nuthall, Nottingham.


There are plans for a new 18-hole Adventure Golf course at Stockhill Park in Nuthall, Nottingham

It'll be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Gloryholes Golf in Derby

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Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Blogiversary of the Ham and Egger Files

I've been blogging for 16 years today.


The Ham and Egger Files blog

People often ask me how it is that a blog about minigolf has the name the 'Ham and Egger Files'? The answer is that it didn't initially start out life as a minigolf blog.

The first post

I published my first post about how I planned to participate in as many obscure and minority sports as I could and see what would happen with the sporting ability I have!

What is a Ham & Egger?

The term 'ham and egger' has connotations ranging from that of 'ordinary person' to that of 'loser'. The origin of the term comes from prize fighters whose modest skills wouldn’t let them win large purses. Therefore, the fighter or their manager - who received a percentage of purses won - were never able to afford to eat better than ham and eggs.

Lots of blogs

Since that first post 16 years ago I have published more than 5,190 posts and received more than 2.3 million pageviews!

Admittedly a large number of the blog posts have been about minigolf.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Our interest in minigolf and what would soon become our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour had actually begun on the 30th September 2006, but I didn't publish a post about the sport until the 29th January 2007 when I announced that I had joined the British Minigolf Association - a competition circuit I made my actual debut on in Southend-on-Sea on the 28th April 2007.

Since then we've visited 1,010 miniature golf courses. 965 of those have been in the British Isles, while 45 have been in overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the USA.

Other sports & games are available

If you're wondering what happened to the quest to play lots of different sports, that has continued and I've participated in some very interesting events over the years!

A massive thank you goes out to everyone who has ever read one of my posts, commented, shared, or guest blogged on the site, it really is very much appreciated.

Friday, December 16, 2022

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

A revisit to Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk.


Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

We revisited the 9-hole Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk on our recent return to East Anglia to visit family and friends.

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

It's one of our most visited courses and was originally the 7th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

There are plans to turn the site into residential properties - meaning that the course would be no more. A shame as it's always been fun to play.

The course opened in 1997/98 and was one of the first adventure golf layouts to open in the UK.

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe
Hopefully this wasn't the last time we visited the course

The end of Blockbuster Video in the UK

The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK on this day in 2013.


Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

Blockbuster Video entered the UK video rental market in 1989 following the purchase of Ritz Video.

In 2013 there were over 500 Blockbuster locations in the UK. Throughout that year the number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. On the 16th December 2013 all stores ceased operations.

It's amazing that there are still clearly visible remnants of the brand on the high street and on retail parks nine years later.

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
If you're lucky, and know where to look, you might find a QuikDrop box hiding in plain sight

The first Blockbuster Video store had opened in Dallas, Texas, USA on the 19th October 1985.

The very last Blockbuster Video store in operation is in Bend, Oregon, USA.

We live near an abandoned Blockbuster Video store here in Manchester. It's always an eerie, interesting and nostalgic thing to drive past the old shop at Fallowfield Retail Park.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester
Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester - soon to become a Lidl

The sign about the closure is still on the window there.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores around the world. 500+ of which were in England, Scotland and Wales. Interestingly in Northern Ireland the Xtra-Vision brand was used by the owners in-line with the Republic of Ireland.


Blockbuster certainly wasn't the first video rental shop brand, but it was at one time the market leader.

Our travels have taken us to a number of former Blockbuster stores:

Other video shops we've been to include B.V.C. - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever, Bolton and 20th Century Flicks in Bristol - and both were still trading!

Monday, December 12, 2022

Adventure Golf at High Lodge in Brandon, Suffolk

A visit to the Adventure Golf course at High Lodge in Brandon, Suffolk.


Adventure Golf course at High Lodge in Brandon, Suffolk

We recently visited the Adventure Golf course at High Lodge in Brandon, Thetford Forest, Suffolk.

Adventure Golf course at High Lodge in Brandon, Suffolk

The 18-hole woodland-themed outdoor adventure golf course at the forest centre was the 1,010th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Adventure Golf course at High Lodge in Brandon, Suffolk

Visit the Forestry England website for more information on the High Lodge site.


The course is from the team behind Dinton Adventure Golf in Wokingham, Wardown Adventure Golf in Luton, Lightwater Country Park in Surrey and Victoria Park Adventure Golf in Newbury.

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk

A look at the Fantasia Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe, Suffolk.


Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk

Video Express in Swansea

Emily spotted the old Video Express video shop in Swansea on her recent trip to the city.


Video Express in Swansea

What a blockbuster find!

Video Express in Swansea

It's always interesting finding lost video shops and old retail signs on our travels.

Video Express in Swansea

There are still traces of other former video shops to be found on the streets of the UK. Most of those are old Blockbuster Video stores. But there are remnants of independent video shops to be seen if you're lucky.


Blockbuster Video stores we've visited to date:

Who You Gonna Call?

This Ghostbuster?


A 'Ghostbusters' van

Emily spotted this 'Ghostbusters' van on her recent trip to Swansea!

A 'Ghostbusters' van

We've seen a few Ghostbusters vehicles on our travels, including Ecto-1a in Urmston, a Ghostbusters car in Scarborough, and Ecto-1 at The Light cinema in Stockport and at the Totally Stockport Comic Con.

Friday, December 09, 2022

Little Chef at Tot Hill

A look at the former Little Chef restaurant at Haughley Park Services in Stowmarket, Suffolk.


The former Little Chef restaurant at Haughley Park Services in Stowmarket, Suffolk

We drove past the old Little Chef on what was once the A14 while on a trip to Suffolk last week.


We used to pass by the roadside restaurant a fair bit on our visits to Ipswich back in the noughties, that was until the A14 at Haughley Park Services was bypassed in 2008.

The former Little Chef restaurant at Haughley Park Services in Stowmarket, Suffolk

This Little Chef restaurant soldiered on until it was closed in September 2012.

The former Little Chef restaurant at Haughley Park Services in Stowmarket, Suffolk

The former Little Chef restaurant at Haughley Park Services in Stowmarket, Suffolk

It's an interesting piece of roadside history.

The former Little Chef restaurant at Haughley Park Services in Stowmarket, Suffolk

We felt very nostalgic during the pandemic and spent time seeing what old brands from our childhood we could still find while out and about on our rather limited travels. We've been to quite a lot of Blockbuster Video stores, Happy Shopper shops, Toys R Us locations, Grainger Games shops, and Woolworths locations over the last couple of years!

Related blog posts:

Thursday, December 01, 2022

New Putt Putt Noodle Crazy Golf in Poole, Dorset

There are plans for a new indoor crazy golf venue to open at the Dolphin shopping centre in Poole, Dorset.


There are plans for a new indoor crazy golf course to open at the Dolphin shopping centre in Poole, Dorset


The plans come from the team at Putt Putt Noodle who have a three-course venue in Norwich.

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Drift Park Crazy Golf in Rhyl, Wales

A revisit to the Drift Park Crazy Golf course in Rhyl, North Wales.


Drift Park Crazy Golf in Rhyl, Wales

We took a look at the Crazy Golf course at Drift Park in Rhyl yesterday.

Drift Park Crazy Golf in Rhyl, Wales

Drift Park Crazy Golf in Rhyl, Wales

Drift Park Crazy Golf in Rhyl, Wales

Drift Park Crazy Golf in Rhyl, Wales