From a minigolf course to a hotel and drive-thru

The site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course is in the process of being turned into a hotel and drive-thru.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

A new Travelodge hotel and Starbucks drive-thru are being built on the location of England's first Crazy Golf course.

The Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire has been derelict since 2018, and work is progressing on the site with the new businesses set to open in 2025.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

England's first Crazy Golf opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926 and the game has become widely known by that name in the UK. Crazy Golf is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK holidaymakers.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

In May 2015 The Original Crazy Golf became the 363rd course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It's sad to hear about the loss of this piece of miniature golf history. I'm glad we got to visit the course when we did in 2011 and 2015.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

We've also got some nice old postcards of the course in our collection, including this one when it was known as 'Craz-e-Golf'.

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977

Skegness is home to several other minigolf courses. We've haven't been there since 2015, but did visit as many as we could the last time. At least one new adventure golf course has opened there since then.

We'll have to revisit and see what's changed...

Crazy Golf history: from a minigolf course to a hotel

The site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course is being turned into a hotel.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

A new Travelodge hotel and Starbucks drive-thru are being built on the location of England's first Crazy Golf course.

The Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire has been derelict since 2018, and now work on the site is set to begin soon.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

England's first Crazy Golf opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926 and the game is widely known by that name in the UK. Crazy Golf is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK holidaymakers.

In May 2015 The Original Crazy Golf course became the 363rd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It's sad to hear about the loss of this piece of miniature golf history. I'm glad we got to visit the course when we did in 2011 and 2015.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

We've also got some nice old postcards of the course in our collection, including this one when it was known as Craz-e-Golf.

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977

Skegness is home to several other minigolf courses. We've haven't been there since 2015, but did visit as many as we could the last time. At least one new adventure golf course has opened there since then.

We'll to revisit again soon and see how things have changed...

Mini Golf at Vivary Park in Taunton

Looking back at our visit to the Mini Golf course in Taunton's Vivary Park.

The 380th course we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the 18-hole Mini Golf course at Vivary Park in Taunton, Somerset.

The layout was the 62nd visited and 17th played on our tour of the South West of England in the summer of 2015. It became the 640th we visited in the UK, and the 661st overall.

We've now been to 983 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

In our minigolf match up at Vivary Park on the 12th June 2015 Emily scored 45 and I shot a par round of 36.

Check out the photos below to see the 18-holes.

Visit the Vivary Golf & Adventure Centre website for more information.

Happy Miniature Golf Day 2015!

Today is a BIG day in minigolf!

According to various sources 'Miniature Golf Day' is always celebrated on the 21st of September - a date that is always highlighted on our calendar. So head out and have a putt, there are hundreds of courses in the UK (indoors and out) and tens of thousands of layouts around the world.

Playing in the World Crazy Golf Championship in Hastings - home to some fine minigolf courses

We've visited 670 miniature golf courses since September 2006, cracking our initial target of 600 earlier this summer.

Check out the post 'Mini Golf Days in 2015' for more info on days to celebrate the great game.

On Saturday 9th May it was 'National Miniature Golf Day' and for the occasion we headed to the English seaside resort of Skegness - a hotbed of minigolf!

Playing some Arnold Palmer Mini Golf in Skegness on National Miniature Golf Day 2015

Each Monday is #MinigolfMonday on Twitter, so hashtag your Crazy, Mini and Adventure Golf posts.

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

Happy National BBQ Week

National BBQ Week is running from the 25th to the 31st of May.

I heard on Twitter that this year is the 19th National BBQ Week. A time to celebrate all things BBQ!

Check out the National BBQ Week website for more information, facts and top tips about barbecuing.

Have a happy National BBQ Week!

As someone with Coeliac Disease eating safely at barbeques can be a problem. Whenever I go to a BBQ I always take my own disposable BBQ and utensils. If you are cooking gluten free food on a shared grill then use foil to separate your gluten free meat and food from anything containing gluten. Even if the grill has been cleaned thoroughly there may be trace elements of gluten.

Also, check where the gluten free buns are being warmed. Make sure they are kept and heated separately from other bread and buns.

Another thing to remember at BBQs is to check whether any of the soft drinks contain gluten? I remember being caught out by own-brand colas when I was first diagnosed - they contain barley gluten! So always check the labels.

Thankfully I have found more and more products are being made gluten free, only recently I spotted that Asda have a new range of gluten free sausages, hot dogs and toppings.

Foot long and gluten free!

But above all else do remember to have fun, eat well and enjoy the sun!

Links:
- National BBQ Week website
- National BBQ Week on Twitter
- National BBQ Week on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- BBQ
- Hot Dog
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac
- My life as a Coeliac in LEGO form

Gluten free chips for Chip Week 2015

A blog post for Chip Week 2015.

This year Chip Week is taking place between 16 and 22 February.

As someone with Coeliac Disease my life is somewhat dominated by my strict and life-long gluten free diet. However, I try not to let this stand in my way of having a good meal and enjoying one of my favourite dishes - Fish & Chips.

The very first gluten free chip I ate as a newly diagnosed Coeliac in 2008

Obviously, potatoes in their 'natural' form are gluten free. However, in the journey to become chips and to land on your plate they often undergo an interesting journey where they become contaminated with gluten, and therefore unsafe for Coeliacs.

So at home we normally make and cook our own chips, fries and wedges. It's a lot safer, and often tastier that way.

The two bags of oven chips that are always a stock item in our freezer are by McCain. The Original Oven Chips (Fat Chips - Straight Cut) and Quick Cook French Fries are both gluten free. You might think that more oven chips would be gluten free, but you'd be wrong!

On our travels around the UK's seasides we're always on the lookout for gluten free Fish & Chips. After my diagnosis in May 2008 the first place I managed to find some were at Rossi's in Swansea in August of that year.

A large portion of chips, with fish. With a side order of chips. All gluten free and served up at the Fish Factory in Worthing

If you are looking for gluten free chip options when out and about do make sure you double-check on the source, preparation, cooking and serving of the chips to ensure that cross-contamination with gluten-containing food items hasn't and doesn't happen. On a number of occasions I've been told that gluten free food is cooked in the same fryer as gluten-containing food!?

I couldn't of put it better myself. The Quayside Fish & Chip shop and restaurant in Whitby has the right idea

Check out the Chip Week website for more information, recipes, facts, fun and a quiz on chips.

Barley Malt Vinegar isn't safe for Coeliacs as it contains gluten, that's why I'm always pleased to see restaurants and takeaways serving non-brewed condiment with food. You can't beat chips covered in salt and vinegar

This year Coeliac UK will be running it's own Awareness Week between 11 and 17 May and focussing on changing the current state of diagnosis in the UK.

Chip Week Updates:

While shopping in our local Co-op we picked up a bag of potatoes to make some wedges with this week - the bag had a Chip Week sticker on it

Lots of chips for Chip Week. And some tasty veg. And oh look, a rib eye steak is on the plate too

Non-brewed condiment - great with chips and a stock item in my cupboard as Coeliacs can't tolerate barley malt vinegar

Links:

- Chip Week 2015 website
- #ChipWeek
- The Potato Council website
- The Potato Girls on Twitter
- Love Chips on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels
- Coeliac Awareness Week 2015

Mini Golf Days in 2015

Important dates for your minigolf diary.

Playing Crazy Golf in Hastings

2015 will see three 'Mini Golf Days' taking place around the world.

- National Miniature Golf Day (a quasi-official US holiday) takes place on the second Saturday in May and this year will be on Saturday 9th of May.

- Miniature Golf Day is always on the 21st of September, which this year falls on a Monday.

- In Austria 'Minigolf Tag' (Minigolf Day) has taken place for the last five years. This year's event will be on Sonntag 3 Mai. Visit the Minigolf Tag website and Facebook page for details of the 2015 edition.

There are tens of thousands of miniature golf courses of all shapes and sizes around the world and millions of people play a round each year.

Emily playing at the Splash Point Mini Golf course at Denton Gardens in Worthing

On the serious competition side of things there are over 38,000 Minigolf players in 46 nations that are members of the World Minigolf Sport Federation. They play on the 1,000 courses approved for over 1,500 Minigolf tournaments each year.

On Twitter each Monday is #MinigolfMonday, so hashtag your Crazy, Mini and Adventure Golf posts.

Of course, with so many courses to play (indoors and out), any and every day can be MINIGOLF DAY if you like.

Check out the links below for details of miniature golf courses around the world. Emily and I have visited almost 600 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour to date.

Related blog posts:
- Mini Golf days in 2014
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Indoor Mini, Crazy and Adventure Golf courses
- National Golf Day 2015
- UK Mini Golf Competitions in 2015

Links:

- National Miniature Golf Day on Wikipedia (within ‘Miniature Golf’ article - the first edition was in 2007)

- Miniature Golf Day on the Holiday Insights website
- Minigolf Tag website

- Mini golf, crazy golf, miniature golf and adventure golf courses worldwide on MiniatureGolfer.com

- The Putting Penguin - Minigolf reviews from around the world

- A Couple of Putts - Minigolf blog from the USA