Happy Shopper shops - Lowestoft

There are still a few Happy Shopper shops around England and Wales.

Here's a look at the Happy Shopper in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Check out this blog post looking back at our visits to Happy Shopper shops since 2020.

View my YouTube Playlist of Happy Shopper shop videos.

New Crazy Golf course opening at Claremont Pier in Lowestoft

Claremont Pier in Lowestoft, Suffolk is home to a new pirate-themed crazy golf course.

A new pirate crazy golf course is opening at Claremont Pier in Lowestoft on Friday 29th March.

The 18-hole indoor crazy golf course will be called Pirates at the Clarement and is planned to open before Easter this year.

Visit the Claremont Pier website for more information.

We've been to Lowestoft several times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the years. It's a nice seaside town and we're looking forward to revisiting.

When it opens, the new course in Lowestoft will become the easternmost crazy golf course in the British Isles.

New Crazy Golf at Claremont Pier in Lowestoft

Claremont Pier in Lowestoft, Suffolk will be home to a new pirate-themed crazy golf course.

A new pirate crazy golf course is planned to open at Claremont Pier in Lowestoft.

The 18-hole indoor crazy golf course will be called Pirates at the Clarement and is planned to open before Easter this year.

Visit the Claremont Pier website for more information.

We've been to Lowestoft several times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the years. It's a nice seaside town and we're looking forward to revisiting.

When it opens, the new course in Lowestoft will become the easternmost crazy golf course in the British Isles.

Thatched Roof Putting at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft

A revisit to the Putting Green at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

We swung by the Putting Green at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft, Suffolk during our East Anglian Road-Trip in August.

We first visited the Kirkley Cliff Putting Green on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in February and June 2009. We played it when we returned in August 2011. It was the 264th course played on our travels.

The course is now known at the Thatched Roof Putting and the layout still looks to be in excellent condition.

As with many things in Lowestoft, the grass miniature golf course at Kirkley Cliff is the most easterly thing of its type in the British Isles.

Visit The Thatch Restaurant website for more information.

A Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk

A look at a Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

We didn't only visit minigolf courses during our East Anglian Road-Trip last month. We always try to pack in as much stuff as possible when we're out and about and one of our interests is in lost brands, retail archaeology and interesting signage.

By the time we reached Lowestoft in Suffolk we'd been to a lost Happy Shopper shop in Ashwellthorpe and been shocked to discover one in Ormesby St Margaret too. We knew there was a Happy Shopper in Lowestoft as we'd been there in 2011.

At a Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft

As with most things in the seaside town, the Happy Shopper is the 'easternmost' example of its type in the British Isles.

The Happy Shopper newsagent, general store and off licence in Lowestoft retains the classic yellow and orange colours of the brand, but differs from other Happy Shopper shops as it doesn't feature the smiling face anywhere on the logo.

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

• Lowestoft (2011)
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin
• Ashwellthorpe
• Ormesby St Margaret

Family Adventure Golf at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft, Suffolk

A look at the easternmost Adventure Golf course in the British Isles.

We visited Lowestoft in Suffolk on our East Anglian road-trip last month and revisited the 20th course we ever played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Back then it was called East Point Family Golf.

The Family Adventure Golf course at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft is the easternmost Adventure Golf course in the British Isles.

Yarmouth Stores in Lowestoft

We saw this nice old shop doorway tile mosaic advertising Yarmouth Stores while in Lowestoft last month.

The company was incorporated in 1898 and is still trading today. Check out the Yarmo website for more information.

Happy Shopper in Lowestoft

The easternmost Happy Shopper shop in the British Isles.

I was looking through my photo archive and happened to find a snap I took of the Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk in August 2011!

I'm a big fan of the classic brand. I was both amazed and pleased that you can still find the original branding on some of the stores - this one is of particular interest as the classic cheeky chappy face is not included on the sign. From memory and looking online other signs on the shop have other versions of the logo

It's a brand I remember from growing up in the 1980s and 90s. Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000, but if you are lucky you can still find the original branding and signage on some shops.

Happy Shopper still exists as both convenience stores and own brand food & drink products. It has been part of the Booker Group since 1996. Booker itself is now owned by Tesco.

The Happy Shopper newsagent, general store and off licence can be found at 121 London Rd South in Lowestoft. As with many things in the seaside town it's the easternmost thing of its kind in the British Isles.

On our visits to Lowestoft we've played the easternmost adventure golf course and putting green in the British Isles.

Mini Golf at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft

A look at the Mini Golf course at Africa Alive! in Kessingland, Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried sent me these photos of the Mini Golf course at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

The crazy golf course at the Africa Alive! zoo became the 981st course visited overall on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Check out the Africa Alive! website for more information.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Christopher and his family have visited 35 courses on their branch of the tour, 25 of those have been unique to them. Emily and I have visited 956 courses on the main tour.

Christopher has been to three courses in 2020.

We've been to a total of 46 courses in 2020, with 15 of those being new courses visited. We've swung by eight new courses in the time of coronavirus.

We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a lot of new courses to play at too!

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Happy 34th Birthday to DK Fibreglass

Congratulations to the team at DK Fibreglass on achieving 34 years in business.

The Crazy Golf course at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Anne's

This week the team at DK Fibreglass are celebrating 34 years in business. In that time they have produced lots of Crazy Golf courses, many of which we've played on our travels.

Playing the Crazy Golf course in Hunstanton

The first DK Fibreglass Crazy Golf course we played was in Verulamium Park back in 2007. That particular minigolf course was replaced by another of the DK Fibreglass range, one which spells out the word 'CRAZY GOLF' in the layout.

Letters / Holes C and G on the Verulamium Park Crazy Golf course in St Albans

When we lived in Luton our local course at Wardown Park was a DK Fibreglass one and we played on it a lot before it was removed in 2015.

Hole 1 of the second DK Fibreglass course we ever played. Our old local course in Luton

One of the trademark obstacles on DK Fibreglass courses is 'Humpty'. I've been photographed with him a lot on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

The first Humpty I saw was on the first DK Fibreglass course I played. This was in St Albans back in 2007

Since our Crazy Golf adventures began in September 2006 we've visited 859 courses. Of those 31 have been DK Fibreglass minigolf courses. However, only one of those has been of the special '5 Star Crazy Golf' variety - a course I managed to complete a perfect round on back in 2011.

There are 5 numbered cups on the 5 Star Crazy Golf courses from DK Fibreglass

There are still a number of minigolf courses for us to visit around the country and we know that some of those are DK Fibreglass layouts. One of which is the Crazy Golf course at the Herrings Green Farm Birds Of Prey Activity Centre in Bedford.

Check out the DK Fibreglass website for more information on their products.

With Humpty at Bainland Country Park in Woodhall Spa

The Crazy Golf course in Beacon Park, Lichfield

Crazy Golf at Bitts Park in Carlisle

Emily playing Crazy Golf in Eglwyswrw, Wales

Crazy Golf at Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth

Crazy Golf at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan

With Humpty in Wigan

Rolling the dice on the Crazy Golf at the Vegas Amusement Arcade in Hunstanton

Crazy Golf in Knaresborough

With Humpty in Maidenhead

Another Humpty, this one is in Tywyn in Wales

DK Fibreglass courses we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour:

- Crazy Golf at Verulamium Park in St Albans (2007)

- Crazy Golf at Verulamium Park in St Albans (2013)
- Crazy Golf in Wardown Park in Luton

- Crazy Golf at Lytham St Anne's (2008)
- Crazy Golf at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Anne's (2017)
- Crazy Golf at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Anne's (2018)
- Crazy Golf at Fairhaven Lake in Lytham

- Minigolf at Riverside Gardens in Maidenhead

- Minigolf at Tywyn Leisure Park
- Crazy Golf at Knightly's Amusements and Fun Park in Towyn

- Crazy Golf at Bitts Park in Carlisle

- 5 Star Crazy Golf at Bainland Country Park in Woodhall Spa
- Crazy Golf at the Victorian Pavilion in Hunstanton

- Crazy Golf at the Vegas Amusement Arcade in Hunstanton

- Crazy Golf at Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth

- Crazy Golf at The Grove Park in Carshalton
- Crazy Golf at Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough

- Crazy Golf at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan
- Crazy Golf in Woodlands Park Gravesend
- Crazy Golf at Southwold Boating Lake
- Crazy Golf at Beacon Park in Lichfield
- Crazy Golf on Grass in Cromer
- Crazy Golf at Mill Hill Park in London
- Crazy Golf in Tamworth
- Crazy Golf at Shobnall Leisure Complex in Burton upon Trent
- Miniature Golf at Walton Hall Gardens near Warrington
- Crazy Golf in Saundersfoot
- Crazy Golf at the Dyfed Shires and Leisure Farm in Eglwyswrw
- Crazy Golf at the Penrhos Golf and Country Club in Llanrhystud
- Crazy Golf at Kingsway Golf Centre in Melbourn
- Crazy Golf at the Riviera Hotel in Weymouth
- Crazy Golf at The Woolpack Inn at Smeeth
- Crazy Golf at Tonbridge Golf Centre
- Crazy Golf at Ancaster Karting in Grantham

Related blog posts:

- DK Fibreglass

- Humpty courses
- Richard and Humpty

Links:

- DK Fibreglass website
- DK Fibreglass on Twitter
- DK Fibreglass on Facebook
- DK Fibreglass on Instagram

Adventure Golf at Pontins Pakefield

A look at the minigolf course at Pontins Pakefield in Suffolk.

Our friends Sophia and Karl Moles were on a family holiday at Pontins Pakefield and sent us some photos of the Sailing Through The Ages minigolf course at the holiday park. It looks great fun.

There's even a 'Titanic' on the course!

Always nice to see BIG obstacles on minigolf courses

There are plenty of nautical obstacles on the course

Iceberg dead ahead!

It looks like a good minigolf layout

Check out the other guest blog posts from Sophia and Karl about minigolf courses at Allhallows Leisure Holiday Park in Rochester, Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park and the Minigolf Sport Club Sanremo in Arma, Italy.

Emily and I have played two minigolf courses at Pontins holiday parks - at Prestatyn Sands and Camber Sands.

Related blog posts:
- Pontins

Link:
- Pontins Pakefield

Kirkley Cliff Putting Green - Course Revisit and First Play #264 - Lowestoft, Suffolk

On our visit to Lowestoft on the 6th of August 2011 we were finally able to play the Kirkley Cliff Putting Green.

On our previous visits in February and June 2007 the Minigolf course had been closed. Happily for us the course was open on this occasion and the course became the 264th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up Emily defeated me 43-45 scoring a Hole-in-One on the 18th after I had scored the first four of the match.

The 18-hole layout is in great condition, and at £2.25 a round for adults is great value.

Related blog post:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Then & Now - Minigolf at the East Point Family Adventure Golf in Lowestoft, Suffolk - #20 on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

On our first Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Lowestoft Suffolk in February 2007 we had found the Eastpoint Family Golf Adventure Golf course there to be closed (as well as every other one we visited in Great Yarmouth).

However, when we returned on the 9th of June 2007 we were able to play the course, which was nice. Review Here. In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up I defeated Emily 37-40.

On the 6th of August 2011 we were once again in Lowestoft and had a round on the course. This time Emily defeated me 32-34.

An interesting fact is that the course lies at the Easternmost point of the British Isles!

Photos from August 2011.

Photos from June 2007.









Photos when the course was closed/out-of-season in February 2007.













More courses visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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