Abingdon Bun Throwing on the 10th November 2018

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.

Abingdon to host first-ever World Championship Egg and Spoon Race

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!

A world championship winning egg in 2012

A view of the Abbey Grounds on a frosty December day in 2014

I'm quite tempted to enter the event as I have a bit of a pedigree in egg and odd athletics based sports. In 2012 Jas Kukielka and I won the World Alternative Games Egg Throwing Championship in Wales and I also took part in the first-ever Ripping Yarns Hopathon in London. The World Championship Egg & Spoon Race title - and trophy presumably - would be a great addition to my sporting CV.

En route to an egg-based world title victory in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

In a hopping race on Hampstead Heath

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.

Many thanks to my mate Adam Dewar for letting me know about the event which is taking place on Saturday 15th April. Further details are available on the Visit Abingdon website.

Link:
- Visit Abingdon website

Related blog posts:
- Abingdon
- Eggs

Amaze Miniature Park and a model village of Abingdon

Abingdon in Miniature and a minigolf course.

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.

Abingdon's County Hall and Museum during the last Bun Throwing

I grew up in Abingdon (renamed Abingdon-on-Thames in February 2012) and always revisit the town to take part in the Bun Throwing spectacle.

Check out the story about Amaze Miniature Park (formerly Abingdon Miniature Village) near Mandurah in Western Australia on the Oxford Mail website.

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 photo taken on my very last visit to the very first Crazy Golf course I ever played

Emily has played the Glow Golf indoor minigolf course in Melbourne, Australia. If we both visit the country in the future we'll have to visit Amaze Miniature Park.

Links:
- Amaze Miniature Park
- World of Bun Throwing

Related blog posts:
- Abingdon
- Australia
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Model Village
- Last visit to Abingdon's Crazy Golf course
- Photos of Abingdon's Crazy Golf course
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Photos of Abingdon's Crazy Golf course

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.

The 4th hole

In August 2007 the course became the 31st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Emily on the sunken green on hole 3

I overcooked my tee-shot on hole 4 and ended up in a big ditch

On hole 4

Hole 6

Hole 5

Emily on hole 8

Hole 7

Playing the 9th

Emily on the 9th

The course is a ten-holer

About to play one of the very last shots on the course

In our match-up on the course I managed to get the win over Emily with a score of 25 to 29. Not bad considering how tricky the playing surface is!

Emily on hole 2 - look at that tee-area!!!

One of the last scorecards to be issued by the course

Related blog posts:
- Last visit to Abingdon's Crazy Golf course
- Photos from Abingdon's Royal Bun Throwing
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Last visit to Abingdon's Crazy Golf course

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.

It was the first course I ever played!



Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Abingdon's Bun Throwing for the Queen's 90th Birthday

Here's a video with action from the Bun Throwing event to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's 90th birthday.



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.

Carhartt - still going strong

I was recently interviewed about my Crazy Golf travels and exploits by the fashion retailer Oi Polloi and off the back of that treated myself to a new sweatshirt from one of my favourite brands - Carhartt.

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.

Crazy Golfing in Abingdon. The first course I ever played, and the 31st visited for Emily and I on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Related blog posts:
- Oi Polloi Crazy Golf interview
- Shopping

Links:
- Carhartt website
- Oi Polloi website
- Oi Polloi blog interview: Richard Gottfried and the crazy world of crazy golf

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

World of Bun Throwing: Abingdon Bun Throwing Championships announced

World of Bun Throwing: Abingdon Bun Throwing Championships announced: Bun Throwing Championships to find town's best thrower to be held on the 30th of May.

The crowd looks on as I throw a currant bun at the first-ever Abingdon World Bun Throwing Championship back in 2012

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.

Read more over on the World of Bun Throwing blog.

Postcards from Abingdon in Picture Postcard Monthly

Article about postcards from my home town in the top magazine for postcard collectors.

Check out the latest issue of Picture Postcard Monthly (April 2015) to read an article, written by yours truly, entitled 'A postcard from Abingdon-on-Thames'.

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

You can buy hard copy and PDF editions of Picture Postcard Monthly online. Check out the links below for more information.

Related blog posts:
- Postcard
- Postcards
- Picture Postcard Monthly
- A visit to Abingdon County Hall Museum

Links:
- Reflections of a Bygone Age (publishers of Picture Postcard Monthly up to issue no. 432 April 2015)
- Chimes Publishing & Postcards (publishers of Picture Postcard Monthly from issue no. 433 May 2015)
- World of Bun Throwing

Crazy Golf in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

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.

At the first minigolf course I ever played

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course became the 31st played in August 2007.

When we first walked up to the out-of season minigolf course we thought it had been felted, but no, it was a build-up of moss on holes one and two!

I last played the course in June 2012 in match-up against my brother Jon. That visit saw a rematch following our game in April 2012.

One of the tricky minigolf holes at the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course in Abingdon-on-Thames

Related Blog Posts:
- A Gottfried vs. Gottfried Crazy Golf Match in Abingdon-on-Thames
- A day out of Bun Throwing, Crazy Golf and Bar Billiards in Abingdon-on-Thames
- Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf Course Replay on a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Revisit
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon, Oxfordshire
- Abingdon
- Abingdon-on-Thames
- World of Bun Throwing blog
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Abbey Meadows, Abingdon on the Vale of White Horse District Council website

A Gottfried vs. Gottfried Crazy Golf Match in Abingdon-on-Thames

Playing the Abingdon-on-Thames Crazy Golf Classic

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.

Related Blog Posts:

- A day out of Bun Throwing, Crazy Golf and Bar Billiards in Abingdon-on-Thames

- Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf Course Replay on a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Revisit

- Crazy Golf in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

A day out of Bun Throwing, Crazy Golf and Bar Billiards in Abingdon-on-Thames

Returning to Abingdon-on-Thames for a World Championship!

On Saturday 14th April we headed back to my hometown of Abingdon-on-Thames to compete in the first-ever World Bun Throwing Championships taking place at the Abingdon Vale Cricket Club.

The visit was the first-time I’ve been able to get back since the Royal Bun Throwing held last April and also the first-time I’ve been home since the town officially reverted back to its previous name of Abingdon-on-Thames!

Prior to the main-event in the World Bun Throwing Championships we had a quick wander around the town and had a drink in the Bun Throwing-themed cafe Throwing Buns and then headed to the Abbey Grounds.

Bun Throwing press cuttings at Throwing Buns cafe in Abingdon-on-Thames

The Abbey Grounds has some nice parks and gardens, some ‘ancient’ abbey ruins, the River Thames running through it, an outdoor swimming pool (due to re-open in the summer) and a Tennis and Golf Centre.

While we were there, and with 45 minutes until the 2pm start of the World Bun Throwing Championships, my brother Jon and I decided to have a Minigolf Challenge Match on the 10-hole Crazy Golf course.

The game was the first one we’ve had against each other since a holiday at Barry Island Holiday Camp in the 1990’s and the first on the Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf Course since 1986, when a match between the six and five-year-old versions of us had fought to a draw (most likely to save any arguments).

The Abingdon Classic crazy golf competitors - Jon & Richard Gottfried

Emily and I have previously played the course (it became #31 on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in August 2007) and since our last visit in 2011 the layout has had a lick of paint and hole 6 has had a new half-pipe laid over the bridge obstacle.

I play a shot on hole 4 of the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course as my brother Jon strikes a 'Golf Pose'

In the 26-year anniversary match-up between us, Jon showed his natural Miniature Golf ability and took an early lead by winning the first hole with a three, to my four! Hole 2 saw us both score twos, but hole 3 (a very tricky hole with a nasty dip at the back of the ‘green’) saw Jon hit a five to my two.

Jon plays out hole 4 of the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course as Emily and Kim look on

The match continued in a back and forth manner and Jon was unfortunate to hit a five on the bridge hole (number 6) to finish with a total of 31(+11). I was victorious with a score of 28(+8). Neither of us scored any Aces – although with a ‘clause’ inserted into the rules by Jon part-way through the game it was a good thing neither of us scored a hole-in-one! The matchplay match ended in a tie. A return Abingdon-on-Thames Crazy Golf Classic tournament is already scheduled to take place in June prior to the Royal Bun Throwing for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

I play a shot on hole 5

Jon tackles the trickiest hole on the course - hole 6 and the bridge

As he had played well Jon was 'allowed' an Ice Cream as we wandered back over the bridge and down to Culham Road for the day’s big Bun Throwing contest.

For a full report from the inaugural World Bun Throwing Championships please see the story “Competing in the first-ever World Bun Throwing Championships in Abingdon-on-Thames” on my World of Bun Throwing Blog.

Throwing a bun at the World Bun Throwing Championships in Abingdon-on-Thames

After the fun of the Bun Throwing we nipped to the bookies for Jon and Kim to put a bet on the Grand National and headed to the re-opened pub on Old Station Yard, The Harp. When I lived in the town it was known as The Plough. The pub is worth a visit, it’s nice and friendly with a big screen and there is also a dartboard in there.

We then headed over to the village of Drayton and The Red Lion pub where we’d heard there was a Bar Billiards table. There indeed was, so Jon and I had a two-game challenge where I introduced him to the game. After a quick run through of the rules I then watched him score a 400 with his first shot, having rebounded the Red (double) ball into the 200-hole!

Jon lines up a shot on the Bar Billiards table at The Red Lion pub in Drayton

In our first match-up I picked up the win 760 to Jon’s 680 after I shot a white ball into the 100-hole in the sudden-death shootout.

In the second match Jon built-up steadily and had a score of 850 to my 150 when we reached a sudden-death shootout. After both of us had taken a few shots at the 100-hole Jon managed to sink a white ball to win the match 950 to 150.

A return match of Bar Billiards is also on the cards later in the summer...

Links:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- World of Bun Throwing
- Abingdon Blog - "The Saving of Crazy Golf"

Related Blog Posts:

- Links to all Bar Billiards Blog Posts on The Ham & Egger Files

- Crazy Golf in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

- The Crazy Golf course in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

- Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf Course Replay on a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Revisit

These buns are not for throwing!

A batch of gluten free Hot Cross Buns.

With 2012 seeing two very special Bun Throwing events taking place in my hometown of Abingdon-on-Thames, Emily made eleven Hot Cross Buns to start the celebrations early.

Very tasty they are too.



The eleven gluten free Hot Cross Buns



Unfortunately, as a Coeliac, if I am lucky enough to catch any buns at the Abingdon Bun Throwing I won't be able to eat them, but I will be still getting in the mix trying to catch some.

Related Blog Post:

- World of Bun Throwing - Blog Updates

My Other Blog:

- World of Bun Throwing

World of Bun Throwing - Blog Updates

Latest news on the upcoming Royal Bun Throwing events in Abingdon-on-Thames.

Over on my other blog - World of Bun Throwing - I've written a couple of new posts about the two Bun Throwing events taking place in my hometown of Abingdon-on-Thames in 2012.

"Latest News on the 2012 Royal Bun Throwing in Abingdon-on-Thames"

"World Bun Throwing Championships - Update"

My adopted hometown of Luton also has a link to 'Buns' as in 2009 the head baker at Don Miller's in the town created the Luton Bun to celebrate the town, mark his 22 years in business and the support of his customers in that time.

As a Coeliac (diagnosed in 2008) I can no longer eat 'normal' Hot Cross Buns, so I've never eaten a Luton Bun and when I attended the Abingdon Royal Bun Throwing last year I was unable to eat any of the three buns that I had caught. Luckily I did pick up a packet of Sainsbury's freefrom Gluten & Wheat Free Hot Cross Buns earlier this week, so I've eaten them to get in the mood for the big Bun Throwing events in April and June!

Four Sainsbury's freefrom Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns - now all eaten!

Links:

- World of Bun Throwing Blog

- All Bun Throwing-related Blog Posts at The Ham & Egger Files

- Blog Post - The Luton Bun

World of Bun Throwing: A new ‘Royal Bun Throwing Championships’ to be held

Check out my recent Bun Throwing blog post over at The World of Bun Throwing blog:

"A new ‘Royal Bun Throwing Championships’ to be held at Abingdon Vale Cricket Club"

Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf Course Replay on a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Revisit

While in Abingdon last week for the traditional event of Bun Throwing, we headed to the Abbey Meadows for a replay of the 10-hole Crazy Golf course.

In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up Emily defeated me 26-29 in the 10-hole game.

The Crazy Golf facility in Abingdon was recently given a reprieve after it had been threatened with closure due to budget cuts at the local authority.

Original Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Visit in August 2007 - when it became the 31st course visited on our Tour (despite it being the very first Crazy Golf course I ever played!?).

The course could be improved a lot by having felt layed on it to help the ball roll more smoothly on the surface!

The wonderful 'This Abingdon' Blog posted about 'The Saving of Crazy Golf' in Abingdon recently.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour