Crazy Golf at Bedford's Christmas Lights Switch-On

There will be a free to play Crazy Golf course at Bedford's Christmas Lights Switch-On on Saturday 23rd November.

Pumpkin Patch Mini Golf at Frosts Willington Garden Centre in Bedford

Frosts Garden Centre in Willington, Bedford has a pop-up mini golf course as part of its Pumpkin Patch attraction.

The Pumpkin Patch is open weekends from the 5th October until the 31st October, and is open 7 days a week from the 26th October.

Visit the Frosts Garden Centres website for more information.

Putt Putt Social Crazy Golf Tournament in Bedford

A Crazy Golf tournament is being held at Putt Putt Social in Bedford on Friday 17th May.

The team event will be contested at the indoor Crazy Golf venue.

Visit the Putt Putt Social website for more information.

Bermuda Falls Adventure Golf in Henlow, Bedfordshire is now open

The new Bermuda Falls Adventure Golf course at Perfect Aquatics in Henlow, Bedfordshire has opened.

The 18-hole outdoor Adventure Golf layout is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Perfect Aquatics and Bermuda Falls Adventure Golf websites for more information.

New mini golf at Russell Park in Bedford

Bedford's Russell Park will be home to a new mini golf course.

The new mini golf course at Russell Park in Bedford, Bedfordshire will be a 12-hole layout and will replace the existing grass miniature golf course.

The Putting Green at Russell Park in Bedford, July 2010

The Russell Park outdoor mini golf course will be themed with holes and obstacles containing local history.

The Putting Green at Russell Park in Bedford, July 2010

The Putting Green at Russell Park in Bedford was the 184th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in July 2010 and we played it several times when we lived nearby.

Crazy Golf at the Farmers Craft Market Fun Days in Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard

The upcoming Farmers Craft Market Fun Days in Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard will feature a Crazy Golf course!

What a brilliant idea.

Visit the Fantasia Events website for more information.

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.

'Pop Up' Summertime Fun in Luton

We missed it.

We revisited our old home town of Luton last weekend and spotted this poster in the window of the old Debenhams advertising the 'Pop Up' Summertime Fun event in Luton's Wardown Park earlier this year. It included free Crazy Golf!

We've spent a lot of time in Wardown Park. The park has had some different courses over the years - including a fibreglass Crazy Golf layout, and a Putting/mini-Pitch & Putt course. It's currently home to an Adventure Golf course.

Wardown Adventure Golf course in Wardown Park, Luton (June 2021)

Wardown Park's first miniature golf course opened on the 19th June 1934 - so our visit in 2021 came 87 years to the day since the first putt was taken in the park!

Crazy Golf at Herrings Green Farm Birds Of Prey Activity Centre in Wilstead

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Herrings Green Farm Birds Of Prey Activity Centre in Wilstead, Bedfordshire.

My brother Christopher sent me these photos of the Crazy Golf course at Herrings Green Farm Birds Of Prey Activity Centre in Wilstead, Bedfordshire.

The course became the 1,005 visited on our combined Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

It's not the first time we've seen the course as our friend Cheryl Angel sent us some photos of the course from her visit to the centre back in 2016.

Visit the Herrings Green Farm Birds Of Prey Activity Centre website for more information.

A former Blockbuster Video store in Luton

A look at the former Blockbuster store in Luton.

I spotted the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

My old local Blockbuster was on Park Street in Luton, Bedfordshire. Living very close by for many years I walked past the store on a daily basis, and probably popped in every other day while at uni.

We were recently back in Luton and had to take a look. The shop is still somewhat recognisable from its time as a video shop (if you know what you're looking for), with Blockbuster blue paintwork and the space where the QuikDrop box once was still framed.

The former Blockbuster store is now the Welcome Supermarket 

A windowed space sits where the QuikDrop box used to be

Check out my blog posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Wardown Adventure Golf in Luton

A look at the new Wardown Adventure Golf course in Luton.

We were back in our old home town of Luton, Bedfordshire on Saturday 19th June and while there swung by the new Adventure Golf course at Wardown Park.

The new Wardown Adventure Golf course opened in the park last month. It's a nice looking layout.

Wardown Park's first miniature golf course opened on the 19th June 1934 - so our visit came 87 years to the day since the first putt was taken in the park!

The 18-hole woodland-themed minigolf course is on an elevated bowling green in the park

Unfortunately we didn't have time for a game on the 18-hole course during our flying visit to the town. However, it was very nice to see the course proving popular with players.

It's nice to see a disused bowling green put to good use

We're looking forward to spending some time having some rounds there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Visit the Wardown Adventure Golf website for more information, opening times and prices.

A Covid-19 sign at the entrance to Wardown Park

Miniature Golf at Wardown Park

Wardown Park's latest minigolf course opened in May this year.

The park was previously home to two minigolf courses. One was a crazy golf course, the other was a grass miniature golf course. Both were turned into a 'Mini Golf Meadow' in 2015.

We lived in Luton for 16 years and played the minigolf courses in the park a fair bit during that time. The Crazy Golf course that used to be in Wardown Park was the 18th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back on the 5th May 2007. The Grass Putting Miniature Golf layout was the 19th played on the 19th May. Until the meadows were planted minigolf had been played in the park since the 19th June 1934.

Wardown Adventure Golf in Luton

New adventure golf course opening at Wardown Park in Luton.

A new adventure golf course is opening in Luton's Wardown Park this May.

The 18-hole layout will have a woodland theme.

Check out the Wardown Adventure Golf website for more information.

Minigolf at Wardown Park

Wardown Park was previously home to two minigolf courses. One was a crazy golf course, the other was a grass miniature golf course.

Both were turned into a Mini Golf Meadow in 2015.

We lived in Luton for 16 years and played the minigolf courses in the park a fair bit during that time. The Crazy Golf course that used to be in Wardown Park was the 18th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back on the 5th May 2007. The Grass Putting Miniature Golf layout was the 19th played on the 19th May. Until the meadows were planted minigolf had been played in the park since the 19th June 1934.

A snowy day on two lost minigolf courses

A look back at a snow day on the minigolf courses in Wardown Park, Luton.

Snow play allowed. This was back in January 2010

When we lived down in Luton, Bedfordshire our local park had two miniature golf courses. One was a 9-hole grass Mini Golf layout, the other was a 9-hole fibreglass Crazy Golf course.

That's hole 1 of the Crazy Golf course under the snow

The grass course at Wardown Park opened in 1934 and was an interesting one to play. It was too big to be considered to be a Putting Green, but not large enough to be classed as a Pitch & Putt, even though you were issued with an iron and a putter when you played.

You also received a paper ticket every time you played a round on the courses. A really nice touch and something we've rarely seen elsewhere on our travels

Sadly both courses are now long gone. Luckily we played a lot of games there in the latter half of the noughties.

The area where the two courses were was turned into a mini meadow in 2015.

Playing Minigolf at Kent Athletic Club in Luton

A look back at a pop-up crazy golf course in Luton.

We played a pop-up one-day-only minigolf course set-up on the football pitch at Kent Athletic Club in Luton nine years ago today.

The layout was the 267th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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Happy Bedfordshire Day

Today is Bedfordshire Day.

The 28th November is Bedfordshire Day.

I lived in Luton, Bedfordshire for 16 years before moving north to Stockport in 2016.

I've got some great memories of exploring the county.

I might make myself a Bedfordshire Clanger later to celebrate the day.

Visit the Friends of Bedfordshire Society's website to find out more about Bedfordshire Day.

Crazy Golf at The Olde Watermill Shopping Village in Barton-Le-Clay

A look at the Crazy Golf course at The Olde Watermill Shopping Village in Barton-Le-Clay, Bedfordshire.

My friend and sometimes minigolf opponent Simon 'Practice' Hall was recently at The Olde Watermill Shopping Village in Barton-Le-Clay, Bedfordshire and spotted a poster for a Crazy Golf course there.

He sent over this snap of the layout.

We used to visit The Olde Watermill Shopping Village when we lived in nearby Luton. Typical that there's a course there now we've moved away.

Visit The Olde Watermill Shopping Village website for more information.

Home Counties Gluten Free Food Fair in Biggleswade

The Beds & Mid Herts Coeliac UK support group is once again organising a food fair in Biggleswade.

It'll be a great opportunity to see what's new and speak with exhibitors from a wide-range of gluten free specialist businesses in attendance. There are usually plenty of samples available too.

The 5th Home Counties Gluten Free Food Fair will take place between 10am and 2pm on Saturday 23rd September. The venue is The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8JH. Check out the group's poster below for more info and contact details.

I've been a member of the group since just after my diagnosis with Coeliac Disease in June 2008. The members of the group have been a great help - especially so in the early days when I was first stepping onto the strict and lifelong gluten free diet.

The group organises a number of events, has a regular newsletter and peer support. Emily and I have made some great friends through the group.

Ireland in Bedfordshire

Back in January 2010 we were driving through rural Bedfordshire and spotted that we were near Ireland!

On our way back from Biggleswade yesterday we revisited the hamlet

The hamlet of Ireland, Bedfordshire is near the town of Shefford. Apart from the sign and the Black Horse pub there's not much there at all!

We first found this Ireland while on a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour revisit to The Green Man Pub in Stanford.

On our travels we've been to New England, Essex, Egypt, Buckinghamshire, the Isle of Wight, Bedfordshire, and Oxford in Northumberland. This summer we also visited another Luton in Devon.

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Luton Mini Golf Meadows

Visiting the new meadows in Wardown Park, Luton.

Luton's new Mini Golf Meadows

Earlier this week I read about the developments at the old minigolf and crazy golf site in Luton's Wardown Park and today Emily and I headed down for a look at the new 'Luton Mini Golf Meadows'.

The area does look really nice

As part of our visit we met the project's co-ordinator Helen Hoyle who told us about the project, while we were able to tell her more about the minigolf courses that used to be there. We also completed a survey for the research while we wandered around the meadow.

Exploring the Mini Golf Meadows and completing my survey of 'Plot G'. Emily did 'Plot H'

The year-long project has been set-up to monitor how local Luton residents and insects react to the new meadows.

One of the pretty plots in the meadow

Over the years we played the minigolf courses in the park a fair bit. The Crazy Golf course that used to be in Wardown Park was the 18th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back on the 5th May 2007. The Grass Putting Miniature Golf layout became the 19th played on the 19th May. Until the meadows were planted minigolf had been played in the park since the 19th June 1934.

I spotted a metal cup from one of the grass minigolf holes sitting on the 'green' of the old Crazy Golf course. As a connoisseur of derelict minigolf courses it was interesting to see what had become of the old holes

Hole 1 as it used to look

Hole 1 now

A view of the old Crazy Golf site. The markings from the old fibreglass holes are still clear to see

Out standing in his field. In the middle of what once was a grass putting course

It was nice to see at some signs that the area was once home to two miniature golf courses.

A view of the Luton Mini Golf Meadows from the old Crazy Golf course

Hole 8 is no longer this way. You can find plots A-D there though

Signs of golf still exist 'in the rough'

Playing the Miniature Golf course back in 2010

Links:
- Department of Landscape at the University of Sheffield
- F3ues Urban BESS project
- Green Estate
- Pictorial Meadows
- Luton Borough Council

Related blog post:
- Crazy Golf in Wardown Park Luton

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