Toys R Us at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

A visit to the old Toys R Us store at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby.

We visited the old Toys R Us store at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby back in November 2020.

Lots of the signage was still visible at the location.

Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018.

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

A Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

Finding a Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston.

On our way back home from a trip south we visited the abandoned Toys R Us in Derby as well as the still open Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston.

One of the retro brands I remember clearly from growing up in the 80s and 90s was Happy Shopper. The colourful sign with the happy chappy face is a lovely throwback. Happy Shopper received a rebrand in 2000, but if you are lucky you can still find the original branding and signage on some shops.

Having a look round the Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston we spotted an extra bonus - it used to be a video shop too!

Other Happy Shopper shops

We didn't think there would be many - or any - of the original orange and yellow branded shops still around, but we were proven wrong when we saw one in Preston in September 2020.

Since then we've been lucky enough to spot and snap a few more.

Take a look at my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin
• Ashwellthorpe
• Ormesby St Margaret
• Lowestoft (2011)
• Lowestoft (2021)
• Wisbech
• Sittingbourne
• Burton-on-Trent 1
• Burton-on-Trent 2

Bonkers Illumination Golf opening in Matlock Bath

A new minigolf course is opening in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.

Visit the Bonkers Illumination Golf course website to find out more about the 9-hole indoor minigolf venue.

It'll be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Bonkers Illumination Golf in Matlock Bath

A new minigolf course is opening in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire.

Bonkers Illumination Golf is planned to open in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire in October.

The minigolf course will be a 9-hole layout.

It'll be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

You can find out more on the Bonkers Illumination Golf Facebook Page.

Gloryholes Golf in Derby

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Mini Golf course at Laser Quest Derby

A look at the indoor Mini Golf course at Laser Quest Derby.

Mini Golf at Laser Quest Derby. Photo by James Trubridge, May 2022

Many thanks again go to our friend and minigolf rival Jam Trubridge for sending over these photos of the indoor Mini Golf course at Laser Quest in Derby.

Mini Golf at Laser Quest Derby. Photo by James Trubridge, May 2022

Mini Golf at Laser Quest Derby. Photo by James Trubridge, May 2022

Mini Golf at Laser Quest Derby. Photo by James Trubridge, May 2022

Mini Golf at Laser Quest Derby. Photo by James Trubridge, May 2022

It'll be ace to play it on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future. We love playing both minigolf and laser tag so the 9-hole course is in the right location!

The Toys R Us at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby is no more

The former Toys R Us store at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby is now a completely lost shop.

Toys R Us at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby. November 2020

The unit is now home to a Go Outdoors.

It's good that the site is being used again, but kind of sad to see the relic from the past slip away.

Toys R Us at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby. November 2020

We're glad we went to take a look at the unit on our tour of the former Toys R Us stores in the UK back in November 2020.

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Mini Golf at Laser Quest Derby

A look at the Mini Golf course at Laser Quest Derby.

A BIG thanks go to our friend and minigolf rival Jam Trubridge for sending over these snaps of the Mini Golf course at Laser Quest in Derby.

We love playing both minigolf and laser tag so the 9-hole course is in the right location. It'll be ace to play it on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Manor Park Crazy Golf in Glossop

A view of the Crazy Golf course at Manor Park in Glossop, Derbyshire.

Our last minigolf course visit of 2021 was to the Crazy Golf course at Manor Park in Glossop, Derbyshire.

The course was originally the 743rd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in June 2017. It became the 438th played when we returned in better weather conditions the following month.

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Manor Park in Glossop, Derbyshire.

Our last minigolf course visit of 2021 was to the Crazy Golf course at Manor Park in Glossop, Derbyshire.

The course was originally the 743rd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in June 2017. It became the 438th played when we returned the following month.

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Manor Park in Glossop

Our last minigolf course visit of 2021 was to the Crazy Golf course at Manor Park in Glossop, Derbyshire.

The course was originally the 743rd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in June 2017.

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Revisiting the Crazy Golf course in Glossop's Manor Park.

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

We had an afternoon in Glossop on Tuesday and made what is likely to be our last minigolf course visit of 2021 when we swung by the Crazy Golf course at Manor Park in the town.

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

The course was originally the 743rd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in June 2017. It became the 438th played the following month when conditions were drier.

The course hasn't changed a great deal in that time.

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

Crazy Golf at Manor Park in Glossop

We had a nice walk round the park and are looking forward to returning again in the Spring or Summer.

Minigolf at Laser Quest Derby

There's a minigolf course at Laser Quest Derby.

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Jam Trubridge for letting me know there's a minigolf course at the Laser Quest centre in Derby. The indoor layout is a 9-hole glow-in-the-dark course. It's a new local course for him and one we're looking forward to playing on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Galaxy Quest Mini Golf in Derby is the sister venue of the Galaxy Quest Mini Golf at Laser Quest Sunderland and another new course at Laser Quest Coventry.

Visit the Galaxy Quest Mini Golf website for more information.

Crazy Golf at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton

There's a Crazy Golf course at Buxton's Pavilion Gardens.

You can now play Crazy Golf at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton on weekends.

Visit the Pavilion Gardens website for more information.

We visited nearby Buxton a couple of years ago. We had a look for the old minigolf course there, but couldn't find any trace of it. The park is also home to a miniature railway so that was a nice thing to find on our trip.

Popeyes in Chesterfield

A look at Popeyes takeaway in Chesterfield.

We've seen other Popeyes takeaways in Blackpool, Southport and Edinburgh.

Toys R Us at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

A look at a relic from a lost time.

The front of the store

It was marvellous to find the old Toys R Us store at Wyvern Retail Park in Derby.

A corner of the store

Sadly Toys R Us ceased trading in the UK in April 2018.

All of the big signs are still in place

The rear and side of the store

Luckily there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK.

I worked in the Gipsy Lane store in Luton, Bedfordshire back in the year 2000. I got the job shortly after arriving in the town to study at the university.

A magical place

Thanks to Blast From The Past on Instagram for the heads-up about the Derby store still being there.

If you know of any other old Toys R Us shops do let me know.

More photos from our trip to Toys R Us at Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

The container loading bay. When I worked at Toys R Us I spent parts of my evening shifts unloading the containers at the Luton store

A lovely old sign

Look at the markings in the car park bay on the left

One part of the trolley bays is still there

Other former Toys R Us stores

This year we've also been to the old Toys R Us stores at Gemini Retail Park in Warrington, the Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent and at the Deepdale shopping centre in Preston.

We took at look at the old Toys R Us store at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester just prior to its demolition in March 2019.

Other lost brands

Our travels have seen us spot the remnants of a number of old and defunct brands, including Woolworths in Stoke-on-Trent, Tandy in Hitchin, RadioShack in Lytham Saint Annes, Kwik Save in Barrow-in-Furness and Blockbuster Video stores in Fallowfield, Manchester, Colne, Lancashire, Prescot, Merseyside and Chester, Cheshire.