Merry Christmas 2023!

Happy Christmas!

We wish you a very merry Christmas.

Christmas Crazy Golf courses from our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Blogiversary of the Ham and Egger Files

I've been blogging for 17 years today.

I'm often asked how is it 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 (limited amount of) sporting ability I had!

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 any purses won - were never able to afford to eat better than ham and eggs.

Lots of blogs

Since that first post 17 years ago I have published more than 5,400 posts and received more than 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 1,043 miniature golf courses. 996 of those have been in the British Isles, while 47 have been in overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (& Lanzarote, Canary Islands), Sweden and the USA.

When we began our travels there were around 600 courses in the UK. There are now more than 1,000, with new courses opening all the time.

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.

Putt Putt Noodle in Bedford

A new Putt Putt Noodle indoor minigolf centre is now open in Bedford.

The katakana characters on the left of the logo translate as 'Lucky'

Bedford's Harpur Centre is now home to a new Putt Putt Noodle indoor minigolf venue.

Putt Putt Noodle Bedford has three indoor adventure golf courses to play.

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

Check out the Putt Putt Noodle website for more information.

Bermuda Falls Adventure Golf in Henlow

A new Adventure Golf course is opening in Henlow, Bedfordshire.

Perfect Aquatics is opening an Adventure Golf course in Henlow, Bedfordshire.

The 18-hole outdoor Adventure Golf layout will have an aquatic theme.

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

Check out the Perfect Aquatics website for more information.

New minigolf course opening in Hinkley

A new indoor minigolf centre is opening in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

It was nice to hear that a new minigolf course is opening at Hinckley’s Britannia Shopping Centre.

Our friend - and fellow fan of lost shops & retail history - Mason Moore from the Hinckley Reporter got in touch to tell us about the venue and find out what we thought about the course opening.

Check out the story about The Birdie Bunker at "Exclusive: New 18 hole minigolf course with cocktail bar and cafe opening in former Britannia Centre discount shop."

We're looking forward to playing at The Birdie Bunker on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and visiting Hinckley when the venue opens next year.

You can find out more about on the The Birdie Bunker Facebook Page.

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 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 ten years later.

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

The sign about the closure was still visible on the window there before it was boarded up earlier this year.

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.

Blockbuster Video store locations we've visited on our travels

Our interest in lost brands and retail history has taken us to several former Blockbuster stores:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Failsworth, Manchester
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Lane7 London Victoria

There's a new Lane7 venue in London.

The new Lane7 indoor entertainment centre recently opened its doors in London Victoria. The venue is home to a Crazy Golf course and other games.

Check out the Lane7 website for more information.

We played the 9-hole indoor minigolf course at Lane7 in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2019. It was the 840th course visited and 495th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Lane7 indoor mini golf in Newcastle upon Tyne

Crazy Golf at Hukd Golf in Bury

There are two new indoor Crazy Golf courses at Hukd Golf in Bury.

Hukd Golf, a new golf venue in Bury, Greater Manchester, has two indoor Crazy Golf courses the Roll Up Course and the Kick Off Course.

Check out the Hukd Golf website for more information.

It's another new venue for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Adventure Golf at Lyons Winkups Holiday Park in Abergele

A new Safari Adventure Golf course is opening at Lyons Winkups Holiday Park in Abergele.

Check out the Lyons Holiday Parks website for more information.

We've played the Pirate Island Adventure Golf course at Lyons Robin Hood Holiday Camp in Rhyl. It was one of the best courses I've played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Adventure Golf at Moors Valley Country Park

There's a new Adventure Golf course at Moors Valley Country Park & Forest in Ringwood, Dorset.

Visit the Moors Valley Country Park & Forest website for more information.

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

54 Problems minigolf podcast - miniature golf and Guinness World Records

Have a listen to the latest 54 Problems minigolf podcast about miniature golf and Guinness World Records.

I was a guest on the latest episode of the 54 Problems minigolf podcast.

You can listen to episode 37 of the show on the 54 Problems website.

Miniature Golf Days in 2024

Details of National Miniature Golf Day and Miniature Golf Day 2024.

Each year there are two Miniature Golf Days - National Miniature Golf Day on the second Saturday in May and Miniature Golf Day on the 21st September.

In 2024 National Miniature Golf Day will be on Saturday 11th May.

In 2024 Miniature Golf Day will be on Saturday 21st September.

2024 British Minigolf Association Tournament Calendar

Details of the 2024 British Minigolf Association Tournament Events Calendar.

The British Minigolf Association has published the tournament calendar for the 2024 season.

Visit the British Minigolf Association website to find out more, and details of how you can join the BMGA and take part in events.

Please note: events are subject to change. Further events may be added to the BMGA Tour schedule.

The Dull Men's Club Calendar 2024: Unique and Quirky Passions

The new Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2024 is out now.

About the Dull Men's Club

The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary and the life-changing magic of simple, everyday, run-of-the-mill things.

As can be seen by the featured 'dullards' for 2024 it's no just a club for men!

Visit the Dull Men's Club website for more information and to buy a copy of the calendar.

The Dull Men's Club Calendar

We featured in the club's calendar back in 2017 for our never-ending quest to visit and document every minigolf course in the UK.

Crazy Golf heading to Eldon Square in Newcastle

Crazy Golf will be part of a new development at Eldon Square in Newcastle city centre.

We've been to Newcastle several times and played a few minigolf courses there. The new venue at Eldon Square will be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Lost City Apocalypse Adventure Golf in Belfast

A new apocalypse-themed adventure golf course is opening in Belfast.

The Lost City Apocalypse Adventure Golf at Odyssey Place in Belfast will be the second venue for The Lost City brand.

Visit The Lost City Adventure Golf website for more information.

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

New minigolf course opening in Edinburgh

There will be a minigolf layout at the new Level X venue in Edinburgh.

Visit the Level X website for more information.

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

Adventure Golf in Kilmarnock

Two new Adventure Golf courses are being created at The Garage Leisure Complex in Kilmarnock.

The Garage Leisure Complex in Kilmarnock is creating two new indoor Adventure Golf courses - Sports Swings & Forest Fairways.

Visit The Garage website for more information.

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

The Chrizy Golf Masters minigolf competition in Manchester

I won the Chrizy Golf Masters miniature golf tournament eleven years ago today!

The first - and to date only - Chrizy Golf Masters minigolf tournament was held on a festive-themed pop-up crazy golf course at Piccadilly Place in Manchester on the 30th November 2012.

The Chrizy Golf course was the 313th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to more than 1,000 courses since September 2006.

The Chrizy Golf course was gone once the 2012 festive season was over and the building remained empty, or used for other pop-ups, until the team at Junkyard Golf made it their home for another minigolf course. That layout was there for a couple of years. They have since moved on and can be found at a permanent venue at First Street in the city.

Putt Club Crazy Golf in Leicester

A new Putt Club indoor crazy golf course is now open in Leicester.

Putt Club - a motorsport-themed indoor crazy golf course - has opened in Leicester.

The venue opened in October this year.

Check out the Putt Club website for more information on the Leicester course and the Putt Club venues in Southampton, Hull, London (Edmonton), London (Docklands) and Watford.

Putt Club's brand of crazy golf has opened in the last few years and we're yet to give one of their courses a play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Adventure Golf at Angrove Country Park in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire

Angrove Country Park in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire is now home to an Adventure Golf course.

A new 9-hole Adventure Golf course has opened at Angrove Country Park at Greystone Hills in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire.

Angrove Country Park is a Hoseasons holiday park.

Visit the Angrove Country Park website for more information.

Miniature Golf in the Guinness World Records 2024

Have you seen the new Guinness World Records 2024 book?

There's a whole page dedicated to minigolf (and I have a record in it!).

There's also a crazy golf element on the cover art challenge!

I'm a record holder for "Most miniature golf courses visited" (902 at the time of going to press).

Moby Golf Adventure Golf in Romford, Essex

A total of 2,638 records were selected, from nearly 30,000 applications, to appear in the Guinness World Records 2024.

Find out more about the 2024 edition of the book on the Guinness World Records website.

You can see the full list of courses Emily and I have visited since the 30th September 2006 on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour page.

Putt Putt Noodle minigolf opening in Gloucester

A new Putt Putt Noodle indoor minigolf venue is opening in Gloucester.

Those katakana characters on the left of the logo translate as 'Lucky'

Gloucester will soon be home to a Putt Putt Noodle indoor crazy golf location.

Putt Putt Noodle Gloucester will have two 18-hole indoor adventure golf courses.

The venue is planned to open in early 2024.

Visit the Putt Putt Noodle website for more information on the Asian-inspired miniature golf brand and its other locations.

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

BUNKERS! Crazy Golf now open in Romford, Essex

The new BUNKERS! indoor entertainment venue in Romford, Essex is now open.

BUNKERS! at The Brewery shopping centre in Romford, Essex is home to a crazy golf course, shuffleboard, and axe throwing.

Visit the BUNKERS! website for more information about the new venue, as well as the existing BUNKERS! location in Swansea.

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

Indoor Adventure Golf opening in Scunthorpe

A new Adventure Golf is planned to open in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.

The 9-hole indoor Adventure Golf layout is opening at The Paint Shop bar, escape room, and minigolf venue on Ashby High Street in Scunthorpe.

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

Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf opening in Liverpool

Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf is opening a new indoor course at the Lyceum building in Liverpool.

The venue will be a return to the city for the brand as there used to be a Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf at Liverpool ONE.

The new Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf location at the Lyceum building in Liverpool will be home to two indoor adventure golf courses.

Visit the Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf website for more information.

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

New Adventure Golf at Ribby Hall Village

Ribby Hall Village in Lancashire will have a new Adventure Golf course as part of a new entertainment centre.

The new Adventure Golf course will be an indoor layout.

Ribby Hall Village is also home to an outdoor pirate-themed Adventure Golf course.

Visit the Ribby Hall Village website for more information.

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

Mini Golf at Spalding Bowl

Spalding Bowl in Spalding, Lincolnshire now has a mini golf course.

There's a new indoor mini golf course at Spalding Bowl in Spalding, Lincolnshire.

The 9-hole layout at the bowling alley will be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Spalding Bowl website for more information.

Octoputts Crazy Golf in King's Lynn, Norfolk

A new indoor crazy golf course is open in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

The 18-hole indoor glow-in-the-dark crazy golf course has an underwater theme.

It'll be a new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour next time we're in the area.

Visit the Octoputts Crazy Golf website for more information.

Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Birmingham

The Adventure Golf course at Star City in Birmingham has reopened as Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf.

Adventure Golf at Star City in Birmingham

The former Adventure Island Mini Golf indoor adventure golf venue at Star City in Birmingham is now open under the Jungle Rumble brand.

The venue is home to two indoor 18-hole adventure golf courses - the Lost Hut Trail and the Hidden Cove Challenge.

I first visited the location shortly after it opened in 2008 when it was known as Adventure Island Mini Golf.

Over the years we've played the course for fun, leagues, and tournaments.

The courses were the 57th and 58th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf website for more information.

Filmtown in Finland

From Filmtown to Candytown.

Many thanks to my Finnish friend Ion Mittler who has let me know that the Filmtown movie rental chain is stopping film rentals and becoming a chain of sweet shops called Candy Town.

Filmtown is the last movie rental chain in the country. There are currently forty Filmtown stores in Finland, and you can still rent films from four of them for the remainder of 2023 and 2024. The others have already become candy stores.

Ion called into one of the Filmtown stores last weekend and took these snaps. He noted that while there everyone was buying candies and that no one was renting movies.

It's fascinating seeing the change in consumer habits and looking at retail history. We've been to a fair few former video stores on our travels over the last few years.

Check out the Filmtown website for more information.

Adventure Golf at Ruxley Manor Garden Centre in Orpington, Kent

There are plans for a new Adventure Golf course at Ruxley Manor Garden Centre in Orpington, Kent.

The 18-hole Adventure Golf will be an outdoor layout.

Visit the Ruxley Manor Garden Centre website for more information.

Jurassic Mini-Golf at Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon

A new Jurassic-themed Mini-Golf course is opening at Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon, Essex.

The indoor dinosaur-themed Mini-Golf course will be part of the new Jurassica Live venue at the shopping centre.

Visit the Jurassica Live website for more information.

Mini-Golf at Teesside Park

A new Mini-Golf course is planned to open at Teesside Park in Stockton-on-Tees.

The 12-hole indoor Mini-Golf course is set to open as part of an expanded Hollywood Bowl centre.

The layout will be a Puttstars Mini-Golf course.

Puttstars Mini-Golf in Rochdale (June 2021)

Visit the Hollywood Bowl and Puttstars websites for more information.

We've played at Puttstars before, and been to Teesside Retail Park - but not done both together. We visited the old Toys R Us store there in April 2021.

Globetrotters Winter Whimsy at Camping World, Horsham

A new Christmas-themed Mini Golf course will be set up at Camping World in Horsham, Surrey in November and December.

Globetrotters Winter Whimsy will be a 9-hole course themed on famous landmarks from around the world, decorated with a festive-theme.

Find out more on the Globetrotters Mini Golf website.

Sneaky Links Mini-Golf in Bury St Edmunds

A new indoor minigolf course is opening in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Sneaky Links Mini-Golf is a 9-hole indoor miniature golf course and will be opening in Bury St Edmunds in November.

The venue describes itself as a 'boozy crazy golf' will open on Brentgovel Street.

It'll be a new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when visiting family and friends in East Anglia.

Check out the Sneaky Links website for more information.

Mr Mulligan's Adventure Golf in Milton Keynes

A visit to Mr Mulligan's Adventure Golf in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

The Enchanted Forest course at Mr Mulligan's Adventure Golf in Milton Keynes

We swung by Mr Mulligan's Adventure Golf in Milton Keynes earlier this month.

Mr Mulligan's Adventure Golf in Milton Keynes

Mr Mulligan's Adventure Golf can be found in the Theatre District of Milton Keynes and is home to two 12-hole indoor courses.

We played both - there's a discount when playing both layouts - teeing-off on the Enchanted Forest course, before tackling the Underwater Kingdom.

In our minigolf match-up Emily shot a 27 to defeat me and my 29 on the Enchanted Forest. I won the round on the Underwater Kingdom with a score of 27 to Emily's 33, to also give me the overall victory 56 to 60.

Emily teeing-off among the giant obstacles

We've played several of the Mr Mulligan's brand of minigolf on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, including the outdoor Pirate Golf Mr Mulligan's at the Abbey Hill Golf Centre also in Milton Keynes.

The theming on the courses was excellent. We both agreed that the Enchanted Forest was our favourite of the two challenges.

The giant Venus Fly Trap was my favourite hole on the course - I managed to get a hole-in-one on it too

The Enchanted Forest course at Mr Mulligan's was the 1,032nd course visited and 570th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006. The Underwater Kingdom was the 1,033rd visited and 571st played.

You can find Mr Mulligan's minigolf courses in Basildon, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Romford, Sidcup, Stevenage, Tonbridge, Woking, and Worcester.

Visit the Mr Mulligan's website for more information.