Inflatable advertising in Bredbury, Stockport

A piece of inflatable advertising in Stockport.

Last year I spotted a piece of inflatable advertising at the Super Shine Hand Car Wash in Bredbury, Stockport. On a recent drive to Hyde I noticed that the red and yellow inflatable character had changed to a blue and white one!

While it's not an airdancer (aka a 'wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube-man' - my favourite type of inflatable advertising) it's still fun to see it flagging down passing drivers to get their cars cleaned.

Related blog posts:

• Airdancer
• Inflatable advertising
• Some inflatable advertising in Stockport
• Wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube-man

Video:

• Inflatable advertising at the Super Shine Hand Car Wash in Bredbury, Stockport

Toys R Us at TGJones in the UK

There's a Toys R Us inside the TGJones in Cambridge.

The start of July 2025 marked the end of WHSmith on the British high street after 233 years. Following the sale of the business to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital earlier this year WHSmith shops have been undergoing a rebrand to the new name of TGJones.

WHSmith on the high street, and travel stores.

There were around 500 high street WHSmith shops, and another 580 travel stores in the UK. The WHSmith shops at railway stations, service stations and airports etc. are not affected by the rebrand as they were not part of the sale.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith.

As well being inside the rebranded TGJones shops, the relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some travel hub WHSmith stores.

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with an online presence and in 2023 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops. There are currently over 90 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

Find out more.

Visit the TGJones, Toys R Us and WHSmith websites for more information on the brands and their locations.

Related blog posts:

• Toys R Us
• TGJones
• WHSmith
• Retail

Junkyard Golf Club advertising in Manchester

A look at some Junkyard Golf Club advertising in Manchester.

I spotted this advertising signage at Junkyard Golf Club at First Street in Manchester on a walk round the city yesterday.

Playing at Junkyard Golf Club in Manchester.

The three courses at Junkyard Golf Club in Manchester became the 795th, 766th and 767th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we attended the launch party at First Street in 2017.

Junkyard Golf Club first popped up at the Great Northern Warehouse before moving to Piccadilly and has now settled into its permanent venue at First Street.

Junkyard Golf's First Street venue in Manchester was the last course I played before the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown back on the 9th March 2020!

Find out more.

Visit the Junkyard Golf Club website for more information on the Manchester location.

You can also find Junkyard Golf courses in Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle and Oxford.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've now been to 1,099 miniature golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006!

When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the British Isles.

Related blog posts:

• Junkyard Golf
• Junkyard Crazy Golf on the tube
• New advertising for Junkyard Golf in Manchester
• Junkyard Golf advertising in Manchester
• Junkyard Golf minigolf advertising in Manchester

TGJones in the UK

A look at two new TGJones shops in Leeds.

We saw our first two of the newly branded TGJones shops while in Leeds recently.

The start of July 2025 marked the end of WHSmith on the British high street after 233 years. Following the sale of the business to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital earlier this year WHSmith shops have been undergoing a rebrand to the new name of TGJones.

A sign at TGJones in Leeds city centre

WHSmith on the high street, and travel stores.

There were around 500 high street WHSmith shops, and another 580 travel stores in the UK. The WHSmith shops at railway stations, service stations and airports etc. are not affected by the rebrand as they were not part of the sale.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith.

It'll be interesting to see how the sale and rebrand affects the relationship between Toys R Us and the two brands. The relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some high street and travel hub WHSmith stores, so I imagine there'll be Toys R Us concessions within both TGJones and WHSmith shops too...

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with an online presence and in 2023 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops. There are currently over 90 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

Find out more.

Visit the WHSmith, TGJones and Toys R Us websites for more information on the brands and their locations.

Related blog posts:

• From WHSmith to TGJones
• WHSmith
• TGJones
• Retail
• Leeds

A Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube-Man in Chicago

Spotting a pop-up Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tube-Man at the Ace Hardware Fall Convention 2025 in Chicago.

This wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube-man was spotted promoting Pickle Everything Games at the Ace Hardware Fall Convention 2025 in Chicago, Illinois, USA!

Find out more:

• Pickle Everything Games
• Ace Hardware

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube-man at Birch Garden Centre in Cheadle, Stockport

Spotting a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube-man in Stockport.

We were pleasantly surprised to see this wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube-man advertising at Birch Garden Centre while driving through Cheadle on Sunday morning!

We've seen quite a few wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube-men on our travels over the years and they're always fun to spot and see what they're advertising.

Related blog posts:

• Airdancer
• Wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube-men

From WHSmith to TGJones

Changes are afoot on the UK high street with TGJones replacing WHSmith.

The WHSmith branding will be changed to TGJones on the remaining stores UK high street stores.

WHSmith in Oldham (April 2025)

Yesterday marked the end of WHSmith on the British high street after 233 years.

WHSmith shops will be undergoing a rebrand to the new name of TGJones. This follows the sale of the business to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital earlier this year.

One of the WHSmith travel hub shops that will remain - this one is at Manchester Piccadilly railway station (April 2025)

There are around 500 high street WHSmith shops, and another 580 travel stores in the UK. The WHSmith shops at railway stations, service stations and airports etc. will not be affected by the rebrand as they were not part of the sale.

It'll be interesting to see how long the rebrand takes and what a TGJones store looks like. We've got a WHSmith in Stockport town centre, so I'll be keeping an eye on that.

I wonder how many years after the rebrand we'll still be seeing remnants, relics and ghost signs of the WHSmith brand on the high street?

Have you seen a TGJones store yet?

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith.

Toys R Us at the WH Smith shop in Salisbury in December 2024

It'll also be interesting to see how this affects the relationship between Toys R Us and the two brands. The relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some high street and travel hub WHSmith stores, so I imagine there'll be Toys R Us concessions within both TGJones and WHSmith.

Toys R Us at WH Smith at the Trafford Centre in September 2024

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with an online presence and in 2023 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops. There are currently over 90 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

Find out more.

Visit the WHSmith, TGJones and Toys R Us websites for more information on the brands and their locations.

Watermelon Specialists

As today is Summerween - a day to carve a Jack-o-Melon - here's a look at one of my all-time favourite niche businesses.

Logman Ltd - a business on Caledonian Road in London that specialises in watermelons

Have you seen Final Destination: Bloodlines yet?

We were lucky enough to see a special double-bill screening alongside the original Final Destination from the year 2000 last week.

It was superb to see both films, and the new one lived up to my expectations - and more!

While we haven't had anywhere near as much outdoor or experiential advertising or marketing for the film here in the UK as there has been in the USA - there's been a real-life logging truck rolling along the roads over there with promos for the movie for example! - I've seen a lot of buzz for the film online and on social media.

We've spotted two pieces of outdoor advertising for Final Destination: Bloodlines at the Trafford Centre in Manchester, and there was one poster at The Light cinema where we saw the film.

Is there any other advertising for the film I've missed?

A holiday at Barry Island Resort in 1995

A look at the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide.

The Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

As a big fan of the British seaside and traditional holiday entertainment I was pleased to find a Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide a while back.

I can't believe it's 30 years old!

Seeing the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide brought back so many happy memories.

My family used to go on holiday to Barry Island in the late 1980's and 1990's and loved it there. The holiday camp was absolutely marvellous, with everything from swimming to crazy golf, to snooker and darts, to the fun fair and more - all free of charge once you had checked in.

My brothers and I would spend hours going from one activity to another and then spend the evening in the arcades playing games such as Paperboy, Street Fighter (the original), Blasteroids, Xybots, Double Dragon, Wardner and more. Halcyon days.

Check out the six-page Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide below. As a former holidaymaker at the camp, fan of the British seaside, postcard collector and marketer it makes for interesting reading - especially some of the adverts!

What a cover

There was always so much to do at the Barry Island holiday camp - and that was before heading out of the camp to the rest of the seaside town, fun fair, amusements beach and more

The entertainment continues

Back when you could still advertise cigarettes!

A great bit of marketing and use of a postcard image

I spent many an hour at building 5 - Princes Ballroom - as that's where the Crazy Golf, snooker and one of the arcades was 

Barry Island Resort was originally a Butlin's holiday camp when it opened in 1966. It was re-opened as a Majestic holiday camp in the 1980's. Sadly it closed for good in 1996 and was demolished to make way for housing.

I've returned to Barry Island - in 2009, 2010 and 2019. Apart from the disappearance of the holiday camp there were some new attractions, and the resort was still recognisable from the 1990's.

A cool retro shopfront at The iT Store in Canterbury

How cool is this window display at The iT Store in Canterbury?

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing ebook

I published my minigolf marketing ebook eight years ago today.

My ebook to help minigolf players better market themselves, their clubs, tournaments and courses is available to purchase from Amazon.

Don't worry if you don't have a Kindle as you can download the Kindle App on iOS, Android, Mac & PC.

Minigolf Marketing

As a minigolfer with over a decade of experience as a tournament competitor and 20+ of experience in marketing and communications I designed the guide so that anyone interested or involved in minigolf could help promote the game. It's a niche title, but an audience and subject I know a lot about.

Writing the book was brilliant and enabled me to bring two areas of my life together. I've worked in marketing since 2003 and have played minigolf since I was a child. Stepping up to compete on the national minigolf tour circuit and in international tournaments opened my eyes to the potential of the game.

I’ve also had the honour of serving on the committees of the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

Minigolf is a sport for all. People of all ages, sexes, backgrounds and abilities can pick up a putter and play the game.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Emily and I have visited 1,082 courses in the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've got 39 from that original list left to visit.

However, they've been joined by hundreds more new courses opening up across the UK, making our travels never-ending!

The minigolf boom continues

The game is really booming and new courses are being announced all the time.

100+ new courses are being created each year - some are on old sites/locations, some are completely new venues, while others are in planning/development, or under construction.

There are also quite a few other adventure golf, crazy golf and minigolf courses that are short-term 'pop-ups', some of which have been used as proof of concept businesses and developed into permanent courses. 

The minigolf world has a huge amount of interesting and fun stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors and the wider sporting community.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing gives federations, associations, courses, clubs and our fellow players ideas, inspiration and support in their marketing efforts.

Much of the guidance could also be applied to a number of other sports clubs and organisations to help raise their profile and boost memberships.

Buy The Minigolfer’s Guide to Marketing ebook on Amazon.

A skip car in Edgeley, Stockport

We spotted this fun bit of vehicle advertising next to Alexandra Park in Edgeley, Stockport.

A bright yellow skip car advertising A2Z Skip Hire in Stockport

Kebab Near Me in Bridgehall, Stockport

What a name for a takeaway!

We spotted the new Kebab Near Me takeaway in Bridgehall, Stockport over Christmas.

Bravo to the team at Kebab Near Me in Bridgehall, Stockport for selecting the name for the takeaway.

This is one way to be found!

Check out the Kebab Near Me website.

More inflatable advertising in Stockport

Spotting a piece of inflatable advertising in Cheadle Village, Stockport.

Döner chef inflatable at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant in Cheadle Village, Stockport

I spotted this piece of inflatable advertising at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant while in Cheadle Village.

Döner chef inflatable at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant in Cheadle Village, Stockport

It's fun spotting airdancers (aka a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man) and other types of inflatable advertising such as this kebab chef at Cappadocia Turkish restaurant in Cheadle Village.

Merry Skipmas!

You know it's really getting festive in Stockport as soon as you see the Cheadle Skip Hire Christmas Skip Tree go up in Adswood!

Some inflatable advertising in Stockport

Spotting a piece of inflatable advertising in Stockport.

I spotted this piece of inflatable advertising while driving through Woodley and Bredbury in Stockport.

While it's not an airdancer (aka a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man) it was still fun to see it in place advertising the Super Shine Hand Car Wash.

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

A look at the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide.

The Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

As a big fan of the British seaside and traditional holiday entertainment I was pleased to find a Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide a while back.

Seeing the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide brought back so many happy memories.

My family used to go on holiday to Barry Island in the late 80's and 90's and loved it there. The holiday camp was absolutely marvellous, with everything from swimming to Crazy Golf, to snooker and darts, to the fun fair and more - all free of charge once you had checked in. My brothers and I would spend hours going from one activity to another and then spend the evening in the arcades playing games such as Blasteroids, Xybots, Double Dragon and Wardner. Halcyon days.

Check out the six-page Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide. As a former holidaymaker at the camp, fan of the British seaside, postcard collector and marketer it makes for interesting reading - especially some of the adverts!

What a cover

There was always so much to do at Barry Island

The entertainment continues

Back when you could still advertise cigarettes!

A great bit of marketing and use of a postcard image

I spent many an hour at building 5 - Princes Ballroom as that's where the Crazy Golf, snooker and arcade was 

Barry Island Resort was originally a Butlin's holiday camp in 1966 and was re-opened as a Majestic holiday camp in the 1980's. Sadly it closed for good in 1996 and was demolished to make way for housing.

I've returned to Barry Island - in 2009, 2010 and 2019. Apart from the disappearance of the holiday camp there were some new attractions, and the resort was still recognisable from the 1990's.