Jubilee Films video shop in Ashton-under-Lyne

A look at the Jubilee Films video shop in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Video, DVD and Laser Disks!

While doing some grocery shopping in Ashton-under-Lyne we took a look at the old Jubilee Films video shop on Old Street.

Jubilee Films closed its doors in 2013, the same year as Blockbuster

 

I wonder how many Laser Disks (sic) were still being rented or sold before the shop closed its doors for the final time?

Coral Island amusement arcade in Blackpool

A look at the Coral Island amusement arcade in Blackpool.

A view of Coral Island and the Tower

I revisited the excellent Coral Island amusement arcade while in Blackpool yesterday.

The skull at the entrance recently suffered a fire. Luckily it didn't cause any real damage

Coral Island is one of my favourite amusement arcades. We've visited a LOT of arcades on our travels to over 200 seasides in the UK since 2006 and it's the only place we've found to have an Pirate Flyer Laser Gun Indoor Monorail!

The view from the Pirate Flyer Monorail

Visit the Coral Island website for more information.

Related blog posts:
- Pirate Flyer Laser Gun Monorail in Blackpool
- Amusement Arcades
- Blackpool

Laser Disk shopping!

I've found the perfect shop to take over to expand my business empire!

Laser Disks!?

I'm sure there's still money to be had in the VHS tape and Laserdisc markets...

Pirate Flyer Laser Gun Monorail in Blackpool

Riding a monorail inside Blackpool's Coral Island amusement arcade.

The Pirate Flyer monorail in Blackpool

I'm a big fan of seaside Amusement Arcades, Monorails and Laser Tag. So when I first saw the Pirate Flyer Laser Gun Monorail ride at the Coral Island Amusements in Blackpool back in 2009 I was amazed.

Can you spot Emily in the crowd below the monorail?

On our recent return to the seaside resort I had to have another go on it.

Well worth a go if you're in Blackpool

Unfortunately the guns in our Monorail car didn't work and no scores were given. And there was a fairly long queue for the £2 ride. But it was still fun to ride the rail above the crowds of people enjoying the arcade games below.

A nice bit of ephemera

There's a blacklit tunnel section of the ride

Coral Island is one of my favourite amusement arcades - and we've visited a LOT of arcades on our travels to over 200 seasides in the UK

Related blog posts:
- Monorail
- Amusement Arcades
- Blackpool

Link:
- Coral Island, Blackpool

Video:
- Pirate Flyer laser monorail ride at Coral Island in Blackpool

Latest Laser Tag Rankings - Update after Laser Tag Battle at MegaZone Rayleigh in Essex

On Sunday 4th December 2011 Emily and I teamed up and joined the ranks of the foot soldiers of the Yellow team as we faced-off in a 27-player three-team Laser Tag Battle against the Reds and the Blues at the MegaZone in Rayleigh, Essex.

In the 30-minute shootout the mighty Yellow team was victorious beating the Blue team by just under 20,000 points!

In the match I was ranked 3rd overall, with Emily in 5th place in the 27-player field.

The Laser Tag Rankings have been updated following the contest and the top three places remain unchanged in the 11-player rankings. I am ranked #1 (with six wins from eight battles), while Oliver 'The Machine' Florence is #2 (with a 100% win/loss record from his four games) and Emily is #3 (with four wins from seven outings).

Click to enlarge ranking list

In the Seemingly Everlasting Laser Tag War waged between the forces of the REDS, BLUES, GREENS, and YELLOWS players in the Laser Tag Rankings have taken part in Laser Battles in 'laser-war-torn' places including Birmingham, Hemel Hempstead, Bristol, London, Peterborough, Crawley, New Brighton, Cannock, Whitstable, Skegness and Rayleigh.

Lazer Blast Laser Tag Arena at the Circus Circus Hotel & Casino's Adventure Dome...

...was not open on our visit to Las Vegas.

A shame, as we'd have loved to have had a game or two!

The 18-hole Pike's Pass Miniature Golf course was open so we had a replay of that.

It's not the first Lazer Tag we've visited that has been closed on arrival (much like in our travels on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour). Sometimes we're lucky enough to have a great Laser Tag battle, but on occasions like on trips to Bristol, Milton Keynes, Colchester, Cleethorpes, Great Yarmouth we haven't been able to.

Other blog posts about Laser-related activity on our travels

The Laser Tag Rankings

The Quest for Excalibur Laser Maze in Las Vegas

While staying at The Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada we headed to the hotel's Fun Dungeon for a play on the amusements there. One of which was The Quest for Excalibur Laser Maze! As fans of Laser Games we had to give it a go!

In had two goes in the Laser Maze, the first time I recorded on the 8th of September was 490.7 which, at the time, put me in 2nd place of 4 players and won me a Magic Hat!

On the 10th of September Emily and I both had a go, with Emily scoring a great 232.5, but I bumbled to another 400+ score of 404.3. The competition was much tougher on the 10th and neither of us made the top ten to earn a hat, but we did both win a pair of Dollar Sign Glasses.

The only other Laser Maze we've ever played on our adventures was the one at Weston-Super-Mare's Grand Pier back in July.

Other Blog Posts About Lasers...

Laser Maze at Weston-Super-Mare's Grand Pier - and 'The Crystal Maze'

While on Weston-Super-Mare's Grand Pier we had a chance to play our first ever Laser Maze!

As big fans of Laser Tag (and all manner of other amusements) we couldn't wait to give it a go.

It's quite like playing one of the dreaded 'Automatic Lock-In' games on The Crystal Maze, in that you have to reach a target at one end of the room and return to touch another button to complete the task, all in the fastest possible time, and without breaking any of the Laser Beams!

I managed to beat Emily with a score of 399.4 to 427.0.

The Grand Pier is also home to 'The Crystal Maze'! Unfortunately it only shares its name with the brilliant TV Show and is not the same as the 'Cyberdrome' Crystal Maze Games (such as the one we played in Narbeth, Wales in 2009).

Course Played #43 Hastings (White Rock Gardens) - Minigolf - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Archive

We first visited the 18-hole Adventure Golf course at White Rock Gardens (aka Planet Hastings, aka Clambers) in Hastings, East Sussex on the 14th March 2008 when it became the 43rd course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We were in town preparing to compete in the 2008 Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open, which takes place on each of Hastings' minigolf courses in one day!

On the 14th Emily and I had a practice on each of the courses, with Emily scoring a 62 at the course, with me hitting a 48. In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-ups in Hastings that weekend I defeated Emily 311-332 in the Irregular Mini Golf Tour Hastings Challenge (over seven rounds) and I won the four round Irregular Mini Golf Tour Hastings Open 185-196.

In the 2008 Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open I finished in 25th spot of 32 players, with Emily only one-shot back in 26th place.

The course was the setting for many BMGA Tour competitions over the years, the last of which was the BMGA British Open 2010. This was the final competitive tournament to be held on the course as it was turned into an outdoor laser tag arena in early 2011! A real shame as it was a brilliant miniature golf course.

On Sunday 19th September 2010 the course was also the location of "The Minigolf Welly Boot Swamp Ball Incident in Hastings."

Update - May 2011 - White Rock Gardens - From Minigolf to Laser Tag!

Photos of the new Battle Zone arena (4th May 2011)

Photos of Clambers Adventure Golf (as it was) at MiniatureGolfer.com

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Latest Laser Tag Rankings - Update after Whitstable 'Solo Stun' Battle!

Here is the update to the Laser Tag Rankings (since January 2011 to 10th April 2011):

Click to enlarge ranking list

In the Ongoing Laser Tag War that rages between the forces of the REDS, BLUES, GREENS, and YELLOWS we've all taken part in Laser Battles in 'laser-war-torn' places including Birmingham, Hemel Hempstead, Bristol, London, Peterborough, Crawley, New Brighton, Cannock and Whitstable.

The Laser Tag Rankings - An Update

Here is the update to the Laser Tag Rankings (since January 2011 to 20th March 2011):

Click to enlarge ranking list

In the Ongoing Laser Tag War that rages between the forces of the REDS, BLUES, GREENS, and YELLOWS we've all taken part in Laser Battles in 'laser-war-torn' places including Birmingham, Hemel Hempstead, Bristol, London, Peterborough, Crawley, New Brighton and Cannock.

Laser Tag Arena in Cannock - Gottfried vs. Gottfried

On our way home from our weekend away in Liverpool last week, we headed back via Cannock in the Midlands, as on the way up North we had spotted a Laser Tag Arena at Fun City!

Having had exclusive use of the Laser Quest in New Brighton (with a Party group not turning up) we once again found ourselves in the position of being able to play a game of Laser Tag in a one-on-one format!


This Laser Tag also had 'Aliens' inside, which were able to shoot you and also explode mines which would completely destroy you - requiring a total re-energise!

The final result, with me and Emily having a 'Civil War' as the YELLOW Team, was a win to me - 206 points to 113. Emily was unfortunate to have been hit by the Mines 4 times, compared to me getting hit twice.







Richard Gottfried takes on Emily Gottfried in a one-on-one Laser Tag Battle in Cannock!

"Laser Quest" Laser Tag in New Brighton

While in New Brighton we headed to the Riverside Bowl & Lazer Quest!


We booked in for a Laser Tag battle and were expecting to be playing in a group in a usual team based battle - perhaps pitting the REDS vs. the BLUES, the BLUES vs. the GREENS, the GREENS vs. the REDS, or even a battle involving the seldom seen YELLOWS!

However, the Party that was also due to play in the next game were 'stuck in traffic', which meant for the first time ever we were able to play a one-on-one battle against each other!

It was brilliant!


The Riverside Laser Quest is a two floor arena and as there were only two of us playing, the staff pumped the battlefield full of smoke to help add to the atmosphere, and aide hiding!





Richard Gottfried takes on Emily Gottfried in a one-on-one Laser Tag Battle in New Brighton!


In the battle between me and Emily (both playing as the mighty REDS) I won with 228 points to Emily's 201. Emily had a much better "% of shots on Target" score, with 6%, compared to my 3%. In total I blasted 689 shots!!!