A London Pub & Jumble Sale Crawl

Post-Hopathon shenanigans in London

Following the Guinness World Record attempts at the Ripping Yarns Hopathon on Hampstead Heath we headed to the first stop on what would become a bit of a Pub & Jumble Sale Crawl!

The first stop after a ramble through Hampstead Heath was The Freemasons Arms pub on Downshire Hill. This pub is the home of the Hampstead Lawn Billiard and Skittle Club.

The Freemasons Arms pub in Hampstead

The club meets every Tuesday and Saturday evening, but we were too early to watch the Pros in action. Unfortunately we found out that bookings to play are only taken in advance – you can’t just turn up to play. The alley is available for hire on weekday evenings and weekends when the pub is open.

This way to the Skittle Alley

The Skittle Alley at The Freemasons Arms

The club is known as the Hampstead Lawn Billiard and Skittle Club and The Freemasons Arms was home to the only known pitch for the extinct game of Lawn Billiards! However, the pub extended its beer garden in the 1970’s and the Lawn Billiards court was covered. You can view the game in action in a film from 1933 at British Pathé.

The Beer Garden that was once home to the game of Lawn Billiards

While wandering through Hampstead on our way to Kentish Town we spotted a stall on the street with a huge banner advertising the NomNom Gluten & Egg Free Bakery! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get some Gluten Free cakes.

Walking through Gospel Oak Brad ‘Frugal’ Shepherd spotted a line of people outside the school there – it was a queue for a jumble sale. Not one to pass up a chance to look for a bargain we decided to head to the nearest pub to wait the 15 minutes until the 2pm opening time. 45 minutes later we left the Old Oak pub refreshed and ready for the next stage of the crawl.

The only notable purchase was of a pre-decimal 'A-Z Atlas of London' by Alan ‘Stormin’ Norman, who also bought a chocolate fairy cake.

The A-Z Atlas of London (circa 1900)

After arriving in Kentish Town we spent some time in a couple of pubs including the Assembly House and the George IV before heading towards Camden to show Alan and Chris ‘Stretch’ Jones the random Crazy Golf course in Clarence Way.

Alan 'Stormin' Norman refuels with the meal of champions

En route Brad pointed out his favourite off-license – Drinkers Paradise on Prince of Wales Road. He had lied and said that they stocked Gluten Free Beer and was laughing about it until we actually spotted a bottle of Glebe Farm Gluten Free Ale in the window!

Drinkers Paradise - just call for details...

Brad, me and a bottle of Gluten Free beer at Drinkers Paradise

Alan also made his second wise purchase of the day and picked up a bottle of Monty Python themed Holy Grail ale!

Alan and the Holy Grail

The day out of shenanigans that began with me riding a fake camel before the Ripping Yarns Hopathon ended at the Clarence Way Crazy Golf Course in Camden. Talks of the 2012 London Invitational Minigolf Tournament taking place there are underway...

The Clarence Way Crazy Golf course by night

The Minigolfers at the Crazy Golf course in Camden

An Unplayed Minigolf Course - Clippesby

Unfortunately we were too late to play the Minigolf course at Clippesby Touring Park in Norfolk on Sunday 5th June 2011.

We'd heard about it from our friends and minigolf rivals Brad Shepherd, Chris Jones and Alan Norman, who were staying at the campsite during the BMGA English Open weekend.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Team Squire beat The Booze Brothers - Minigolf Doubles Match at Strokes Adventure Golf, Margate

Richard & Emily Gottfried teamed up for the first time since the 2010 minigolf season, as they took on BMGA Tour rivals, and London Minigolf Club members, Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd & Chris 'Stretch' Jones aka The Booze Brothers, at Strokes Adventure Golf course in Margate, Kent last weekend.

In the 18-hole Doubles Strokeplay Match, the Gottfrieds aka Team Squire, defeated The Booze Brothers by 89(+17) to 100(+28).

Richard (l) and Chris (r) show off their fine footwear on the 3rd hole at Strokes Adventure Golf, Margate

In the only previous meeting of the two teams Richard & Emily also beat Shepherd & Jones, that time it was a 2&1 Matchplay victory at the 2008 BMGA British Doubles Championships at Warwick.

Richard & his regular Doubles partner Kevin Moseley also hold a victory over The Booze Brothers, with a hard-fought 1up victory that came after two-extra holes of a sudden-death play-off at the 2009 BMGA British Club Championships at Boscombe Chine Minigolf.

Richard Gottfried's Minigolf Doubles Record (Click to Enlarge)

Rock Paper Scissors Tournament at The Crown in Bristol

While at the Geoffrey Oi!cott gig on Saturday night we held an impromptu Minigolfers Rock Paper Scissors Tournament (following on from the GoRPS Rock Paper Scissors Championships in Birmingham in January)

Irchester's Marc 'The Roller' Bazeley had triumphed at the Star City event, with an impressive undefeated streak of 4 wins in a row, in the 'best-of-3-throws-winner-stays-on' format event. But this time out he lost to a slightly confused Alan Norman, who was DQ'd in his next match for using an illegal RPS throw!?

Full Results from the GoRPS Rock Paper Scissors Championships in Bristol
Match 1 - Marc Bazeley beat Richard Gottfried
Match 2 - Marc Bazeley lost to Alan Norman
Match 3 - Alan Norman was disqualified for using an illegal throw of 'Sausage' in his match versus Brad Shepherd
Match 4 - Brad Shepherd beat Chris 'Lobster Scrumpy' Jones in the final

No photos from the matches exist, although there is a great video of Alan Norman's dancing following the Punk Gig!

Adventure Golf at St Nicholas Park in Warwick

Our first minigolfing visit to Warwick was over the 13th, 14th and 15th July 2007 for the BMGA English Open tournament (we have since played there at the Midlands Invitational 2007, Midlands Open 2007 and the BMGA British Doubles Tournament in 2008).

The 18-hole UrbanCrazy designed Adventure Golf course is a very testing one, and is good fun to play. Fellow Minigolf Tourists Paul & Owen Johnson also told me recently that the course has had its borders/edging repaired, which makes it even better to play.





















Photos from the Midlands Open competition weekend in October 2007.





There was also some World Class Conker Action after the Midlands Open event, as (then) World Conker Champion Chris 'Stretch' Jones (left) was challenged by Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd!


More course visits on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.