What started as an exploration of the minigolf courses in the UK and around the world has exploded into all areas of the weird, wonderful and especially the unique. Sharing the great (and not so great) things we find, learn about and appreciate as we go!
The Market Place is famous as the location for Bun Throwing and the starting point for the Michaelmas Fair. Both events normally see thousands of people pack in or pass through to be a part of the occasions.
A Bun Throwing was held in my home town of Abingdon on this day in 1981. It was the first one I attended.
The curious tradition sees the mayor and other dignitaries climb to the top of the old County Hall to throw hundreds or thousands of currant buns down to the townsfolk gathered in the market place below.
The team at Abingdon Museum posted about the Bun Throwing that took place in Abingdon to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on this day in 1981.
— Abingdon County Hall Museum (@AbingdonMuseum) July 29, 2020
At less than a year old I can't imagine I knew what was going on that first time, nor caught any buns! I probably did scoff some my mum and dad had caught though.
The last bun throwing held in the town to date was in 2018 to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. That bun throwing was the 35th event since 1761.
There have been 15 Bun Throwing events in my lifetime.
Emily and I have been to 948 courses while Christopher has been to 34 on his own branch of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've been to nine of the 34 Christopher's visited.
In April 2012 the inaugural World Bun Throwing Championships were held to find the town's best bun throwers who would be invited to become bun throwers on the big day.
I was the second person from the town to step-up for a throw and had selected four fine currant buns for my attempt at the title. After a couple of throws between the 18 and 21 metre marks I hit a personal best of 25m 10cm to set (and temporarily hold) the new World Record and clubhouse lead. In the event report on the excellent Abingdon Blog, it's noted that the World Record was broken a number of times in this inaugural event!
I wonder when it will be possible to hold another bun throwing event?
As a mass gathering and celebration event it'd be nice to think a bun throwing could be held to mark the safe ending of the coronavirus pandemic once a vaccine is created, distributed and working.
A look back at the old Crazy Golf course at the Abbey Meadows in Abingdon-on-Thames.
One of the courses we've visited and played on our travels but has since become a 'lost' course was the 10-hole Crazy Golf layout at the Abbey Meadows in my home town of Abingdon.
The course was the first one I ever played way back in the early 1980's.
The course had been in the park since the 1950's but was removed at the end of the 2016 season as part of renovations to the area.
It's always sad to see an old miniature golf course removed. Especially so when it's not even replaced by a new one.
It's been a year since Abingdon's last Bun Throwing event.
Last November my home town of Abingdon marked 100 years since the end of the First World War with a special Bun Throwing event in the market place.
Abingdon has a curious tradition of bun throwing
The Bun Throwing was the 35th event since 1761.
The first marked the Coronation of King George III. The last Bun Throwing held before the 2018 event was to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday in 2016.
I have attended each Bun Throwing in Abingdon in my lifetime, a total of 15 since 1981.
Check out my post about my home town of Abingdon's latest Bun Throwing event over on my other blog at the World of Bun Throwing.
Bun Throwing in Abingdon
The latest in a long line of Bun Throwing events took place in Abingdon-on-Thames at 2pm on Saturday 10th November.
The special Bun Throwing brought people together to commemorate the end of the hostilities of World War One and celebrated the return of the soldiers at the end of the conflict.
First-ever World Championship Egg and Spoon Race to take place in Abingdon.
My home town of Abingdon-on-Thames is famous for its curious tradition of Bun Throwing, but this year a new World Title will be contested in the town's Abbey Gardens over the Easter weekend - the World Championship Egg & Spoon Race!
Abingdon's World Championship Egg & Spoon Race has been inspired by Paul Gustafson, the award winning local author of the children’s ‘Eggbert’s Adventure’ books.
My mum and dad read about a model village in Australia based on Abingdon in Wednesday's Oxford Mail. Amaze Miniature Park in Western Australia also has a minigolf course.
Among the town landmarks featured at Amaze Miniature Park are the County Hall Museum (from which buns are thrown on special occasions), St Nicholas Church and the Old Anchor Inn.
It's funny that Amaze Miniature Park has a minigolf course too as the Crazy Golf course in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows closed at the end of last season following many many years of use.
A revisit to the first Crazy Golf course I ever played.
At Abingdon's Crazy Golf course
Last weekend I was back in my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames for the Bun Throwing tradition held to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday. While in town Emily and I made our last ever visit to play the Crazy Golf course in the Abbey Meadows.
Back in Abingdon for one final game
The course has been in the park since the 1950's, but at the end of the 2016 summer season it will be removed as part of a programme to upgrade and improve the area. It's a real shame the minigolf course won't be receiving a spruce up as part of it.
A view of the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course
I last visited the course in December 2014 and the last time I'd had a game there was in June 2012.
While in Abingdon for the town's Bun Throwing tradition we made our last ever visit to play the Crazy Golf course in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows. The course has been in the park since the 1950's, but at the end of the 2016 summer season it will be removed.
Held on Saturday 11th June 2016, the first of 4,500 currant buns was thrown by the Mayor of Abingdon at 7pm.
The 2016 bun throw was the 34th since the tradition of Bun Throwing in Abingdon-on-Thames began in 1761. The first event was held to celebrate the coronation of King George III.
I have attended each Bun Throwing in Abingdon in my lifetime, a total of 14 since 1981.
Visit my other blog at the World of Bun Throwing for more information on the unique custom.
I've been a fan of Carhartt for years. Back in the 1990's I worked in a clothes shop called Sandman in my home town of Abingdon and I've still got (and still wear) one of the sweatshirts I bought there in 1999! It goes to show how top notch and hard wearing Carhartt stuff is. It certainly lives up to its brand promise.
Then and now
The service from Oi Polloi was excellent and the Holbrook Lightweight Sweatshirt arrived very quickly and in perfect condition. I'd shop with them again.
Ahead of the Royal Bun Throwing to celebrate the Queen's 90th Birthday, Abingdon-on-Thames will be hosting the second-ever World Bun Throwing Championships to find the town's best bun thrower.
I grew up in the town before leaving in 2000. Since then I've returned for several Bun Throwing events and kept an eye on news from the town. I've also built up a collection of postcards of the town dating from the early 1900's to the present day and these make up the feature in the magazine.
Outside the former County Hall in Abingdon-on-Thames. The building is now home to the town's museum, while the basement is a new cafe. The market place itself has not changed a great deal over the decades, illustrated by the postcards featured in my article
A revisit to the first miniature golf course I ever played.
The Crazy Golf course at the Abbey Meadows in Abingdon-on-Thames
At the weekend I visited my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. While there I had to go and have a look at the Crazy Golf course that was the first-ever minigolf course I played.
While in Abingdon-on-Thames for the town’s Bun Throwing tradition that was taking place for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee my brother and I had planned to have a Minigolf rematch following our last game in April. The weather was far too inclement to play on Sunday so we headed to the course for a match on Bank Holiday Monday.
The long third hole on the Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course
In the contest we once again faced-off at the Abbey Meadow Crazy Golf course. The match-up was played in slightly soggier conditions than our previous match, but thankfully the rain stayed away while we played.
Playing hole 5
Our play was nowhere near as good as in our April game, not that it was up to much then either. I once again picked up the win with a score of 34(+14) to 43(+23). Last time out the match was a lot closer when the result was 28(+8) to 31(+11).
Looking at the options while stuck in the ditch on hole 3
Jon plays out of the ditch on hole 3 of the Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course
Jon plays hole 4
The dates of the next Abingdon Classic and a Minigolf competition between Jon and I on a different course are yet to be set, but will hopefully be at a seaside and in nice weather.