Showing posts with label Dull Men's Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dull Men's Club. Show all posts

Friday, December 08, 2023

The Dull Men's Club Calendar 2024: Unique and Quirky Passions


The Dull Men's Club Calendar 2024: Unique and Quirky Passions

About the Dull Men's Club

The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary and the life-changing magic of simple, everyday, run-of-the-mill things.

As can be seen by the featured 'dullards' for 2024 it's no just a club for men!

Visit the Dull Men's Club website for more information and to buy a copy of the calendar.


The Dull Men's Club Calendar

We featured in the club's calendar back in 2017 for our never-ending quest to visit and document every minigolf course in the UK.

Monday, October 17, 2022

A Dull Men's Club Event

A report from the COVID-delayed party for Anorak of the Year 2021.


The Sun Trevor pub in Llangollen
The Sun Trevor pub in Llangollen

We attended the first Dull Men's Club in-person event since before the coronavirus pandemic at the COVID-delayed party for the Anorak of the Year Award 2021 at The Sun Trevor pub in Llangollen, Wales on Saturday afternoon.

The Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2022
The Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2022

It was marvellous to meet up with fellow dullsters, including old friends as well as meeting some new characters.

Leland Carlson (Assistant Vice President) and Freddie (Apprentice Dullster) present at the Anorak of the Year awards
Leland Carlson (Assistant Vice President) and Freddie (Apprentice Dullster) present at the Anorak of the Year awards

In recent years the Dull Men's Club has presented an 'Anorak of the Year' award. For 2018 it was presented to Kevin Beresford from Redditch, founder of the Roundabout Appreciation Society. For 2019 to Archie Workman, a drainspotter in Cumbria.

Because of the pandemic no award was given for 2020, instead we won The Dull Men's Club Self-Isolators of the Year Award.

The latest recipient of the Anorak of the Year Award was Rachel Williamson from Rhyl who is a Yarnbomber.

It's always a pleasure getting together at a Dull Men's Club event and the gatherings are anything but boring. Hearing updates from people on their pursuits, interests, hobbies and collections is fun and interesting, and the events always spark conversation and areas of mutual interest - Miniature Golf Day and Telegraph Pole Appreciation Day are both on the 21st September each year for example.

Milk Bottle collector Steve Wheeler has 27,000 milk bottles. Here he holds two new additions to his collection and museum after they were donated by a local farmer
Milk Bottle collector Steve Wheeler has 27,000 milk bottles. Here he holds two new additions to his collection and museum after they were donated by a local farmer

There were a wide-range of dullsters at the event, including milk bottle collectors, park bench appreciators, hill measurers, yarnbombers, roundabout spotters, car park photographers, telegraph pole appreciators, brick collectors, paint inspectors and more.

The Dull Men's Club isn't all about watching paint dry
The Dull Men's Club isn't all about watching paint dry

Find out more on the Dull Men's Club website.

Friday, November 26, 2021

Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2022

The new Dull Men's Club Calendar is out now.


The Dull Men's Club's brand new calendar for 2022 arrived yesterday and we're looking forward to seeing what pursuits interest our fellow dullards over the coming year.

The Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2022
The Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2022

About the Dull Men's Club

The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary and the life-changing magic of simple, everyday, run-of-the-mill things.

Visit the Dull Men's Club website for more information and to buy a copy of the calendar.


The Dull Men's Club Calendar

We featured in the club's calendar back in 2017 for our never-ending quest to visit and document every minigolf course in the UK.

There was an update on our adventures within last year's edition too.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Keep following the brown signs

A blog post about brown tourist signs.


Miniature Golf brown tourist sign in Lytham St Annes

I was pleased to hear that my fellow blogger, 'dull' person and fan of the quirky Amanda from Follow The Brown Signs was back in action after a hiatus.

We've always been interested in straying off the beaten path and even before we found out about Follow The Brown Signs we would look for and find different things to see and do while out and about on our travels.

Golf centre Canolfan golff in Wrexham, Wales

Finding out about Amanda's mission and website in 2011 gave us even more ideas as well as another outlet for us to share tips and stuff from our own quest.

Just last week I spotted a brown sign, followed it and found a Pumpkin Garden!

Pumpkins at a Farm Shop in Handforth

Check out the Follow The Brown Signs website for more information and inspiration.


Here's a selection of brown tourist signs from our adventures.


Milestones Museum brown tourist sign in Basingstoke

Playing a brown tourist sign crazy golf hole in London

Brown tourist sign for Penarth Seaside and Golff Mini

Brown tourist sign for a Chair Making Museum in High Wycombe

Playing a brown tourist sign minigolf hole in London

A brown tourist sign for Oak Mead Family Golf Centre

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

The Dull Men's Club Self-Isolators of the Year Award

We won it.


We have been declared the Self-Isolators of the Year by the Dull Men's Club for the way we have continued to explore, promote and enjoy our minigolf hobby during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

The Dull Men's Club Self-Isolators of the Year Award

In recent years the Dull Men's Club has presented an 'Anorak of the Year' award. For 2018 it was presented to Kevin Beresford from Redditch, founder of the Roundabout Appreciation Society. For 2019 to Archie Workman, a drainspotter in Cumbria.

Leland Carlson, Assistant Vice President of the Dull Men's Club said "Normally the Dull Men's Club would have awarded the Dull Man of the Year Award in person, but coronavirus has put a stop to our ability to meet up and discuss the merits of our member's interests and present the award. At the last event in Manchester in November 2019 we awarded Archie Workman the Dull Man of the Year Award for his services to the world of Drain Spotting."

Leland continued "2020 was certainly a different year to most and it's unfortunate that the wide-range of people who make up our club haven't been able to get together in person. We've had a lot of conversations and meetings online and found that members of the club have adapted remarkably well to life indoors. Many of the hobbies and pastimes we practise are perfect for whiling away the hours, days, weeks and months of a lockdown."

"Richard and Emily are long-standing members of the club and always supportive of our events and the interests of fellow Dull people. While on the surface minigolf is not the dullest of activities and many would argue it is far more flashy than its 'big' brother Golf, there are plenty of rabbit holes to head down to research, explore and archive in the mini game. Dullness is a spectrum and everyone's hobby or interest has a place on it."

We appear in the 2021 edition of the Dull Men's Club Calendar along with a number of other characters each with their own 'dull' pursuit.

It was fun to be included in the Dull Men's Club Calendar again this year after debuting in the 2017 edition. To have been presented with the Self-Isolators of the Year Award is a fine accomplishment.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and obsession with the game does cause mixed opinions - some people find our fascination with all things related to miniature golf over-the-top to the point of dullness.

Southend Pier Crazy Golf
We're looking forward to getting back out on our minigolf travels again soon

I have given presentations on the history of minigolf at a number of Dull Men's Club events and always get good feedback. Perhaps it's a nice palate cleanser on the agenda in-between talks about such things as roundabouts, telegraph poles, postcards, cacti, drains, lawnmowers, giant vegetables and valve radios. I'm certainly looking forward to the time when we're able to meet up in person again to hear about other people's hobbies and interests and also what they've been up to during lockdown.

Minigolfing activities we have been involved in during the last year have included:
  • Creating crazy golf holes and obstacles at home.
  • Promoting a minigolf bucket list of things to do.
  • Judging a crazy golf course design competition with the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club community group in Knowle West, Bristol.
  • Helping two charities re-open a crazy golf course on Princess Parade in Blackpool.
  • Archiving contents in the online Crazy Golf Museum.
  • Competing in tournaments on the Putt18 home putting game where we play against people in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and other parts of the UK.

When the first lockdown started we did wonder when we'd be able to play minigolf again, but as we're always keen to be active in minigolf projects we've managed to find lots to do.

Putt18 indoor golf putting game
I've been playing a lot of indoor golf in the last year

We have now visited 957 minigolf courses around the world since 2006, with 918 of them in the British Isles. In recent years before the pandemic we had visited around 60-80 new courses per year. We got off to a tremendous start to 2020 and visited 20 courses in the first 20 days of the year. But by the end of the year we had only been able to get to a total of 46.

Lofty's Crazy Golf course in Seaton Carew
Lofty's Crazy Golf course in Seaton Carew was the first course we've visited this year

Find out more on the Dull Men's Club website.


The Dull Men's Club 2021 Calendar is available from Amazon.

Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021

Looking ahead to next year. Now.


The Dull Men's Club's brand new calendar for 2021 arrived yesterday and we're looking forward to reading up about our fellow dullards as the year progresses.

Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021
What does next year have in store?


You'll be able to find an update on our adventures within the 2021 edition too.

Dull events

This year has certainly been a strange one. While not completely dull, it has had its moments.

We had an enjoyable evening of mild excitement at the Dull Men's Club Anorak of the Year Award event in Manchester last November. I can't believe the world has changed so much since then.

I was also a speaker at the Dull Men's Club's 'Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening' at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston back in 2018.

I'm moderately excited about speaking at Dull Men's Club events again the future.

About the Dull Men's Club

The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary and the life-changing magic of simple, everyday, run-of-the-mill things.

Visit the Dull Men's Club website for more information.


The Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021 will be available from Amazon.

Friday, November 27, 2020

The Dull Men's Club 2021 Calendar

A look ahead to the Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021.


The Dull Men's Club

The new Dull Men's Club Calendar will be available shortly.

The Dull Men's Club 2021 Calendar

We featured in the club's 2017 calendar for our relentless mission to visit and document every miniature golf course in the UK.

You'll be able to find us somewhere in the 2021 edition too.

The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary and the life-changing magic of simple, everyday, run-of-the-mill things.

Check out the Dull Men's Club website for more information.

Wednesday, July 01, 2020

A look back at July 2017

A look back at the 2017 Dull Men's Club calendar.


2017 Dull Men's Club calendar

We featured in the Dull Men's Club calendar for 2017 where our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was highlighted for the month of July.

2017 Dull Men's Club calendar
July 2017

What a year. Halcyon days.

2017 Dull Men's Club calendar
The dullest people in the UK in 2017

2017 Dull Men's Club calendar
The 2017 Dull Men’s Club calendar celebrated the men and women who were born to be mild

The Dull Men's Club is where dull men, and women who appreciate dull men, share thoughts and experiences about ordinary things. Visit the Dull Men's Club website for more information.

Check out the latest blog post on the Dull Men's Club website, it's about us and how we've been coping during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

I've spoken at Dull Men's Club conferences and events in Preston and Manchester.

Related blog posts:
- Calendar
- Dull Men's Club

Thursday, June 11, 2020

International minigolf on the Dull Men's Club blog

Check out the latest blog post on the Dull Men's Club website, it's about us and how we're coping in lockdown.



North Bay Crazy Golf in Scarborough
At the North Bay Crazy Golf course in Scarborough last June. It was our 900th course visit. What a difference a year makes

Saturday, May 16, 2020

A look back at a Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening in Preston

A look back at the Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening in Preston, May 2018.


Back in May 2018 I was invited to be a speaker at the Dull Men's Club's 'Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening' at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston.

The Dull Men's Club is where dull men — and women who appreciate dull men — share experiences of enjoying everyday, mundane things, far from glitz and glam — "Celebrating the Ordinary".

The Dull Men's Club

The keynote speaker at the event was Dr Sandi Mann, aka ‘Dr Boredom’, author of The Science of Boredom: The Upside of Downtime, who spoke to the attendees about the benefits of boredom and her research on the Thirty Habits of Boring People.

My speech at the summit centred on the world of miniature golf.

Talking crazy golf at the Dull Men's Club Summit in 2018
Talking crazy golf at the Dull Men's Club Summit in 2018

Some highlights of my presentation covered my travels on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and how I, along with Emily, had - up to that point - visited 815 miniature golf courses since 2006.

Some of the intricacies of the sport were also discussed, with the show & tell element on minigolf balls being a particular highlight.

Check out the latest posts and interviews from the Dull Men's Club.

In November last year we had an enjoyable evening of mild excitement at the Dull Men's Club Anorak of the Year Award event in Manchester.

Related blog posts:
- Dull Men's Club
A Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening in Preston
- A dull evening in Manchester

Links:
- Dull Men's Club website 
- Dull Men's Club blog "We’ve been trendsetters all along? Our way of life is now the ‘new normal’?"

Monday, January 13, 2020

Benches at Vickersway Park in Northwich

A look at the variety of benches at Vickersway Park in Northwich, Cheshire.


On Saturday we revisited Vickersway Park in Northwich to have a look at the Crazy Golf course and Putting Green there.


Bench at Vickersway Park in Northwich
A view of the Vickersway Park Crazy Golf course

There are plenty of different benches in the park to have a rest on between walking, exercising and playing miniature golf.

Bench at Vickersway Park in Northwich
A nice spot for a sit down

Bench at Vickersway Park in Northwich
A seat next to hole 8

Benches at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Benches next to an old pub sign in the park

Benches at Vickersway Park in Northwich
A range of benches near the kiosk

Bench at Vickersway Park in Northwich

Bench at Vickersway Park in Northwich

Bench at Vickersway Park in Northwich
The bench looked different on our last visit in September 2016

Northwich town centre is an interesting place to visit and we found out about the salt mining history of the area - and the problems the town has suffered over the years because of it.

There are plenty of benches around the town to have a nice sit down on between wandering.

Related blog posts:
- Benches
- Northwich
- Crazy Golf

Friday, December 20, 2019

Happy Underdog Day

Happy Underdog Day 2019.


Today is Underdog Day.


Happy National Underdog Day to ham and eggers, journeymen, jobbers, local competitors, enhancement talent, jabronis, wildcards, second placers, also-rans, palookas, runners-up, Mr Nobodies, silver medalists, and Average Joes everywhere.


Ham and Egger Sign at Sam's Diner in Denver 2009

The third Friday in December is the day to celebrate and honour unsung heroes, the second best among us and life’s runners-up. Not to forget those people that have made a name for themselves against the odds.

Related blog posts:
Underdog Day
- National Underdog Day
Dull Men's Club
Day

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

A dull evening in Manchester

We had an enjoyable evening of mild excitement at the Dull Men's Club Anorak of the Year Award event in Manchester yesterday evening.


The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary

It was good to catch-up with our fellow dullsters and see presentations on topics including roundabouts, boredom and drains.


The evening was topped off with the presentation of the 2019 Anorak of the Year Award which this year went to Archie Workman for his outstanding work in celebrating the ordinary in his passionate pursuit of drainspotting.


Dull Men's Club Anorak of the Year Award

Archie was presented with his certificate and a hi-vis waistcoat, rather than an actual anorak, by Leland Carlson Assistant Vice President of the Dull Men's Club and Kevin Beresford of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society who was also the outgoing Anorak of the Year from last year.

I was delighted to be able to give a presentation to the group about the crazy world of minigolf, the history of the game, the sporting side and tournaments, equipment used and the wide-range of ephemera and collectibles related to miniature golf.



For more information visit the Dull Men's Club website.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Dull Men's Club - Anorak of the Year

A dull event is being planned to announce 'Anorak of the Year'. It will take place in Manchester on Tuesday 26th November, 6pm to 8.30pm.

The Dull Men's Club - celebrating the ordinary

The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary.

If you'd like to see more simple, everyday, run-of-the-mill things visit the Dull Men's Club website.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Benches in Middlewich, Cheshire

A look at some benches on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.


Bench in Middlewich, Cheshire
Welcome to Middlewich. Please take a seat

I was in Middlewich on Saturday and as it was the my first time in the small town I had a good wander around.


On my walk I found the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.


Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal
A nice spot for a sit down. If it wasn't tipping it down that is

The thing that really caught my eye was this unusual bench next to the towpath.

A narrowboat bench
A narrowboat bench

A narrowboat bench in Middlewich
The seat part is meant to depict a cargo of salt

A narrowboat bench in Middlewich
A view looking north

As it was raining quite heavily I didn't get to walk too far alongside the canal, but on my wander I did spot some other benches of interest.

A bench by the canal in Middlewich
Can you spot the bench in this photo

A bench by the canal in Middlewich
There it is

A bench by the canal in Middlewich
What a view

A bench by the canal in Middlewich
Another nice bench. This one depicts the three locks at Middlewich

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Benches at Prestatyn Crazy Golf

Since being members of the Dull Men's Club and finding out about the Park Bench Appreciation Society from our friend Leland we can't help but see interesting benches everywhere we go!

The Prestatyn Crazy Golf course
The Prestatyn Crazy Golf course

There are some Crazy Golf benches at the course in Prestatyn.

Bench at Prestatyn Crazy Golf
An Arnold Palmer bench

Bench at Prestatyn Crazy Golf
A Crazy Golf bench

The Prestatyn Crazy Golf course on Bastion Road is one of our favourite courses to play.

The bench at full capacity during the Holiday on the Buses Weekender Crazy Golf Competition

Take a look at the bench-related blog posts below and the Park Bench Appreciation Society for more interesting benches.

Related blog posts:
Bench
Park Bench Appreciation Society

Links:
Park Bench Appreciation Society
Dull Men's Club