Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Competitive socialising spots in Manchester

A look at places to play a range of competitive socialising games and activities in Manchester city centre.

Looking for fun places to play some games in Manchester, then read on...

While minigolf is the main game we play, we're big fans of a wide-range of what are now termed 'competitive socialising' activities.

And luckily for us, Manchester city centre has a brilliant variety of different places to play.

The landscape of competitive socialising venues is constantly changing, with locations opening, closing, and being refurbished, while others expand or change the activities available entirely.

That said, please do check with the venue in advance to make sure they are open and have the game(s) you want to play before travelling!

Places to play some fun games in Manchester city centre.

Below is a list of places to play a range of different games in Manchester city centre.

Minigolf, Crazy Golf, Adventure Golf:

Crazy Pool:

Roxy Ball Room, Arndale Centre

Arcade Games:

Axe Throwing:

Boom Battle Bar, The Printworks

Beer Pong / Prosecco Pong:

Cricket / Batting Cages:

Escape Rooms:

'Game Shows':

Golf / Virtual Golf:

Pitch Golf (opening in Quarter 4 of 2025)

Ice Free Curling:

Interactive / Tech / AR Darts:

Ping Pong / Table Tennis:

Shooting Galleries:

Shuffleboard:

Ten Pin Bowling / Duck Pin Bowling:

Virtual Reality (VR) / Gaming:

All-round venues:

These places offer a range of different games and activities, these are also listed above in the specific activities.

Something missing?

Have we missed any places to play in Manchester city centre? Do let us know.

Your favourite games and places?

What's your favourite game and place to play? Let us know in the comments.

Beyond Manchester city centre.

Moving out from the city centre you'll find several more places to play games in the borough of Manchester, such as the Parrs Wood Entertainment Centre where you can find tenpin bowling, indoor minigolf, laser tag, escape rooms and more. And over at The Trafford Centre and Trafford Palazzo - and some of their neighbours - you can find a lot of fun things to see, do and play too.

Our home town of Stockport is also increasing in the number of competitive socialising places to play a range of games.

And when you take into account all of the competitive socialising venues in Manchester's metropolitan boroughs of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan you have got an incredible choice of places to play!

Richard Gottfried

I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Guinness World Record Holder for 'Most miniature golf courses visited'. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Mediocre polymath. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer. Always feeling nostalgic about something.

Monday, September 08, 2025

NFL Experience Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester

Visiting the NFL Experience New York Jets Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester.

I had a fun afternoon at the NFL UK Experience New York Jets Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester on Sunday.

Richard Gottfried and the The Vince Lombardi Trophy at the NFL Experience Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester

Met some mascots, saw the Vince Lombardi trophy, and played some mini-games.

Baltimore Ravens mascot at the NFL Experience Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester

With Edgar - one of the three Baltimore Ravens mascots

With Jaxson de Ville - aka Union Jaxson - the mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars

I watched a LOT of American Football over the weekend!

Hopefully there'll be more NFL events in Manchester in the future.

Find out more.

Visit the NFL UK & Ireland and Courts Club websites for more information.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy at the NFL Experience Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester

Richard Gottfried

Saturday, August 23, 2025

The Rubbish Seaside Book

Picking up the new Rubbish Seaside book in Leeds.

Rubbish Seaside, the new book by Jack Hurley (aka Loud Ribs), was launched in Leeds last month.

Rubbish Seaside - and other artwork - by Jack Hurley

Sadly we weren't able to make it to the Rubbish Seaside book launch at the Indie Makers shop in the Leeds Corn Exchange as the traffic from Stockport to Leeds was horrendous. We did however pop into the shop to buy a copy of the book on our recent trip to the city.

Dystopia-on-Sea.

We were immortalised on a piece of Filey artwork by Jack as part of his tongue-in-cheek, affectionate and characterful Rubbish Seaside 'Dystopia-on-Sea' collection!

Crazy Golf Art!

It's ace to have copy of the Rubbish Seaside book gracing our coffee table.

Find out more.

You can see more about the Rubbish Seaside book - and other artwork by Jack - on the Rubbish Seaside / Loud Ribs websites.

Visit the Indie Makers website for info on the shop.

Richard Gottfried

Thursday, July 03, 2025

The Rubbish Seaside Book Launch

The Rubbish Seaside Book Launch is taking place in Leeds.

Rubbish Seaside, the new book by Jack Hurley (aka Loud Ribs), is being launched in Leeds on Thursday 10th July.

You'll be able to get your copy of Rubbish Seaside at the book's launch at Indie Makers in the Leeds Corn Exchange between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday 10th July.

The Rubbish Seaside Book Launch is taking place in Leeds

Find out more about the Rubbish Seaside book - and other artwork by Jack - on the Rubbish Seaside / Loud Ribs websites.

Dystopia-on-Sea.

We were immortalised on a piece of Filey artwork by Jack as part of his tongue-in-cheek, affectionate and characterful Rubbish Seaside 'Dystopia-on-Sea' collection!

We're very much looking forward to getting a copy of the Rubbish Seaside book and having it grace our coffee table.

Richard Gottfried

Competitive socialising in Manchester

Competitive socialising, activity bars, entertainment, and leisure venues in Manchester.

A look at places to play a range of competitive socialising games and activities in Manchester city centre.

Looking for fun places to play some games in Manchester, then read on...

While minigolf is the main game we play, we're big fans of a wide-range of what are now termed 'competitive socialising' activities. And luckily for us, Manchester city centre has a brilliant variety of different places to play.

The landscape of competitive socialising venues is constantly changing, with locations opening, closing, and being refurbished, while others expand or change the activities available entirely. That said, please do check with the venue in advance to make sure they are open and have the game(s) you want to play before travelling!

Places to play some fun games in Manchester city centre.

Below is a list of places to play a range of different games in Manchester city centre (as at July 2025).

Minigolf, Crazy Golf, Adventure Golf:

Crazy Pool:

Roxy Ball Room, Arndale Centre

Arcade Games:

Axe Throwing:

Boom Battle Bar, The Printworks

Beer Pong / Prosecco Pong:

Cricket / Batting Cages:

Escape Rooms:

'Game Shows':

Golf / Virtual Golf:

Pitch Golf (opening in Quarter 4 of 2025)

Ice Free Curling:

Interactive / Tech / AR Darts:

Ping Pong / Table Tennis:

Shooting Galleries:

Shuffleboard:

Ten Pin Bowling / Duck Pin Bowling:

Virtual Reality (VR) / Gaming:

All-round venues:

These places offer a range of different games and activities, these are also listed above in the specific activities.

Something missing?

Have we missed any places to play in Manchester city centre? Do let us know.

Your favourite games and places?

What's your favourite game and place to play? Let us know in the comments on this post.

Beyond Manchester city centre.

Moving out from the city centre you'll find several more places to play games in the borough of Manchester, such as the Parrs Wood Entertainment Centre (our nearest venue) where you can find tenpin bowling, indoor minigolf, laser tag, escape rooms and more.

Richard Gottfried

Sunday, April 27, 2025

RBT Video in Wakefield - a video shop speakeasy

A visit to RBT Video in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

We visited RBT Video in Wakefield while in the city for the Star Walk event at Trinity Walk.

We've wanted to revisit Wakefield and go to RBT Video for quite a while, so it was brilliant to check out the speakeasy and visit the pop culture event at the shopping centre too.

We've been nostaglic for the halcyon days of the video shop for a few years now, and while you can't actually rent out videos at RBT, it is fun checking out the video shop 'front' to the speakeasy.

I don't remember seeing R.B.T. on the shelves at my local Ritz Video back in the day!

Definitely not a Blockbuster Video shop

You don't need to ask Spuds MacKenzie to let you into the bar, but you do need to know the movie codename of the week to gain access!

Inside the bar at RBT Video

Behind this wall of VHS tapes is a bar!

My movie pick - it's no Pulp Fiction though

A poster for RBT Video's events we spotted while at Subs & Suds - a sister venue of RBT Video and part of the Host & Home group. Emily got a delicious Chicken Parm and Fries for lunch there (while I played Street Fighter II on one of the arcade machines)

Take a look on the RBT Video website for more information, opening times, and clues on how to gain access to the bar behind the VHS tape stacked shelves!

NOT a V.H.S. Rental shop

Richard Gottfried

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Competitive socialising, activity bars, entertainment, and leisure venues in Manchester

A look at places to play a range of competitive socialising games and activities in Manchester city centre.

While minigolf is the main game we play, we're big fans of a range of what are now termed 'competitive socialising' activities. And luckily for us Manchester city centre has a variety of different places to play.

The landscape of competitive socialising venues is constantly changing, with locations opening and closing, while others expand or change the activities available.

Below is a list of places to play a range of different games in Manchester city centre as at April 2025.

Minigolf, Crazy Golf, Adventure Golf:

Crazy Pool:

Roxy Ball Room, Arndale Centre

Arcade Games:

Axe Throwing:

Boom Battle Bar, The Printworks

Baseball:

Base Bar, Millow Street

Beer Pong / Prosecco Pong:

Cricket / Batting Cages:

Escape Rooms:

'Game Shows':

Golf / Virtual Golf:

Pitch Golf (opening 2025)

Ice Free Curling:

Interactive / Tech / AR Darts:

Ping Pong / Table Tennis:

Shooting Galleries:

Shuffleboard:

Ten Pin Bowling / Duck Pin Bowling:

Virtual Reality (VR) / Gaming:

All-round venues:

These places offer a range of different games and activities, these are also listed above in the specific activities.

Have we missed any places to play in Manchester city centre?

What's your favourite game and place to play?

Do let us know in the comments.

Richard Gottfried

Friday, March 21, 2025

Memories of The Cyberdrome Crystal Maze game experience

We played The Crystal Maze game at the CC2000 tenpin bowling & entertainment, near Narbeth in Wales back in 2009.

The Crystal Maze was a staple part TV diet during my childhood and teenage years, and it would've been brilliant to go on the show.

During our minigolfing road-trip around the Welsh coast in 2009 we took a break from playing Crazy Golf to visit the Oakwood Indoor Family Entertainment Centre - where we entered The Crystal Maze!

At that time it was the last remaining example of the 'Cyberdrome Crystal Maze' games in the UK. Sadly it closed for good in June 2010. It would've been brilliant to return for a few more games there.

The Cyberdrome Crystal Maze was absolutely superb to play. We think more of them should have been built back in the day. There were only ever eight built - five in the UK, two in Japan, and one in Dubai.

Just like the TV show, games were played in four themed zones - Aztec, Futuristic, Medieval, and Ocean. But unlike the TV show players were guided around the maze by Merlin - a computerised Maze Master.

We managed to win six of the nine games we played, and in the Crystal Dome itself we collected 103 Gold and 28 Silver 'tokens' for a grand total of 75. So we didn't win the "super-duper" prize. However, we were first on the leaderboard for the day and got "1st of 1" printed on our souvenir certificate!

At that time the Cyberdrome Crystal Maze was the closest you could get to playing the real Crystal Maze. Now you can play The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience in London and Manchester. The Manchester venue is so close to us that we really ought to get a team together for a game there!