Halloween in the City monster at Screamfields in Manchester

A look at the Halloween in the City monster at Spinningfields in Manchester.

The tentacled monster at Spinningfields

One of the monsters on the Manchester Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters art trail is at Screamfields, aka Spinningfields.

Some very find gardening

Pest control will need a lot of bug spray to get rid of this monster

'Manchester Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters' continues until Halloween night. Visit the Halloween in the City website for more information.

Manchester's Halloween in the City

Following the Manchester Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters art trail.

We had a brilliant day out in Manchester yesterday and followed the Manchester Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters art trail around the city.

Look up! Look out! Beware!

The Mayfield Depot monster

The Royal Exchange monster

A monster on Ducie Street

Halloween in the City is a brilliant way to get people out and about exploring Manchester.

The entrance to the Poisonous Maze!

A grim sign for MCR

'Manchester Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters' continues until Halloween night. Visit the Halloween in the City website for more information.

Manchester Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters

Halloween in the City is up and running.

This Manchester street scene looks a little different to normal

It was very nice to see one of the invading monsters appear above the Treetop Adventure Golf sign at The Printworks in Manchester city centre.

A brilliant inflatable

There are ten monsters to spot as part of Halloween in the City.

Some of the monsters I saw on my trip into Manchester

Check out my blog post for a look at Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks.

Related blog posts:
- Halloween in the City 2019
- Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

Halloween in the City 2019

A look at some of the monsters that have invaded Manchester city centre.

The first monster I saw was atop the old Mayfield Station

Halloween in the City has kicked off and the city centre has been invaded by ten monsters.

A monster on top of Next at the Manchester Arndale

I was in Manchester yesterday afternoon and managed to spot five of the beasts.

Two of the monsters at Selfridges in Exchange Square

Emily and I are looking forward to finding them all this weekend.

The Depot at Mayfield monster

Halloween in the City is a superb idea to get people out and about exploring Manchester.

There's a dragon at The Printworks

Visit the Halloween in the City website for more information and to download the Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters map.

Pretty much every tree in the city centre is full of pumpkins!

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 celebrates the ordinary.

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

The last remnants of Blockbuster Video in Manchester

A look at the remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield.

A look at what's left of Blockbuster Video on Fallowfield Retail Park

A few years ago I blogged about seeing the last signs of the Tandy in Hitchen and how it brought back memories of my first job as a Saturday Boy at a Tandy franchise in my home town.

While in Manchester today I found remnants of another dead brand - Blockbuster Video.

Oh, what happened to this sign?

Dark clouds gathered over the brand in 2013

The store sign is prominently displayed on both sides of the main sign at Fallowfield Retail Park and the windows of the shop still retain Blockbuster signage.

A sign in the shop window

Most of the shelves inside have been removed, but the walls and desks clearly retain the brand colours of Blockbuster.

These window graphics still look fresh

Clearly still recognisable as a Blockbuster

The shelves are bare

There is currently one independently owned franchise still operating as Blockbuster in the USA and you can find it in Bend, Oregon.

Quik Drop box to nowhere

A documentary about the rise and fall of the brand called The Last Blockbuster is coming soon.

Interestingly you can play through a 'Blockbuster' store at the Ghetto Golf indoor miniature golf course at The Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham.

The Blockbuster hole at Ghetto Golf in Birmingham

When I was a student I was one of Geoffrey's Helpers at Toys R Us. Most of the former stores have been converted into new stores, Stockport's is now The Range. I wonder if any of the old signage for the Toys R Us brand will still be visible in the next 5-10 years?

Do you have a favourite defunct brand? Are the remains of an old brand still visible near where you live or work? Do let me know.

Related posts:
- Blockbuster
- Tandy in Hitchin
- Remembering Tandy
- RadioShack in Lytham Saint Annes

Putting Greens at Altrincham Golf Course

A look at the two Putting Greens at Altrincham Golf Course.

While in Altrincham back in March 2018 we swung by Altrincham Golf Course as we'd spotted the pub there while driving along the Stockport Road.

Altrincham Golf Course has two Putting Greens, a 6-hole and a 9-hole.

The 19th hole is very good too.

Gluten free at 3 Squared Cafe in Manchester

Finding a 100% gluten free cafe in Manchester.

We recently found out about 3 Squared Cafe in Manchester city centre. The menu is 100% gluten and wheat free, as well as being diary free and refined sugar free.

We visited for the first time yesterday afternoon and it was amazing.

Pulled beef and eggs - perfect

The beef brisket with poached eggs and salsa verde was absolutely delicious.

It was very nice to have a meal out with Emily where we could both eat for a change.

We ordered 3 of the 4 desserts. They were all lovely.

We had the Warm Brownie & Coconut Whip, Carrot & Cinnamon Cake and the Chocolate & Pistachio Tart for pudding

You can find the 3 Squared Cafe in the Royal Exchange Arcade in Manchester city centre.

We're looking forward to our next visit already.

Link:
- 3 Squared Cafe

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac Disease
- Manchester
- 100% gluten free places in the UK

Inflatable advertising at Domino's Pizza in Manchester

We're on a bit of a run in seeing inflatable advertising on our travels.

Yesterday I saw a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man promoting Stockport Powder Coating Ltd and a few weeks ago we saw a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man on The Clubhouse Stoke's Crazy Golf course in Newcastle-Under-Lyme and another wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man advertising Mr Bubbli's Car Wash in Leicester.

While having an evening out in Manchester on Tuesday we spotted an inflatable piece of advertising at Domino's Pizza on Grosvenor Street. The takeaway was doing a booming trade.

A happy piece of Domino's Pizza inflatable advertising

Wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube air-dancers and other inflatable advertising are some of the most fun and eye-catching ways to promote a business. They certainly stand out!

Related blog posts:
- Inflatable advertising
- Advertising
- Marketing
- Wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man

A couple of rounds at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Manchester

Replaying Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Manchester.

We returned to Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester last night for our first rounds on the two 18-hole courses for a few weeks.

I finally got my hands on one of the 'I got a hole-in-one' stickers

Teeing-off on the Temple Ruins course first Emily shot a 33 to take the win, scoring five holes-in-one in the process. I hit a 35, including four aces. I had a crazy start to my round going 1, 3, 1, 1, 3!

Emily playing hole 3 of the Temple Ruins Adventure course

Next up was a quick game on the Tiki Hut Trail. I scored a 34 with four aces, while Emily shot a 36, including four holes-in-one.
 

Emily about to ace hole 6 on the Tiki Hut Trail

This meant our match over 36-holes was a tie, with 69 apiece.

On aces Emily won 9-8.

On round difference I won with a difference of 1, to Emily's 3.

We both won a free game on the lucky last hole too!

On the Temple Ruins Adventure course

A hole-in-one on hole 4 of the Temple Ruins course


A hole-in-one on hole 5 of the Temple Ruins course


Playing hole 7 of the Temple Ruins course


A hole-in-one on hole 8 of the Temple Ruins course


A hole-in-one on hole 9 of the Temple Ruins course


A hole-in-one on hole 5 of the Tiki Hut Trail


Related blog posts:
- Paradise Island Adventure Golf
- Trafford Centre
- Manchester

Link:
- Paradise Island Adventure Golf

Art and sculpture trails

A look at some of the art and and sculpture trails we've followed this year.

This summer we've seen a number of different art and sculpture trails pop-up in Greater Manchester and beyond.

Last year there was the Bee in the City trail in Manchester with 100 big bees and 130 little bees to spot. Some of those are still in situ.

A bee in Didsbury

There was also an ice sculpture trail in Stockport town centre last December and this summer the town has had a very popular frog trail with 22 decorated frogs to spot on the Giant Leap.

A froggy character was part of the Stockport Ice Trail last December

Edgeleap, the Stockport County frog

As fans of tickable lists, wandering and exploring we've enjoyed the different art and sculpture trails we've taken part in.

Earlier this summer the Trafford Centre had a Big Bug Tour and on a recent trip to the Lowry Outlet mall in Media City we saw there was a Bear Hunt.

Meadow grasshopper - number 8 on the Big Bug Tour

Sitting on a sitting Grizzly Bear - number 2 on the Lowry Outlet's Bear Hunt

The latest trail we followed was quite unexpected. On a trip to visit family and friends in Ipswich we noticed an elephant sculpture at the side of the road and soon noticed a lot more of them on the drive to our hotel.

Elephant number 1 - Pip - the first of the elephants we saw

They were part of Elmer's Big Parade Suffolk in aid of St Elizabeth Hospice with 139 placed around Ipswich. In the short time we were in town we managed to find 55 of them.

Nine of the elephants on parade in Ipswich

We've also found quite a few more of the Space Invader pieces of street art by the French artist Invader on our trips to London and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as well as seeing some reactivated pieces in Manchester city centre.

The seven Invaders in Gateshead

A selection of the Invaders in Manchester

The various trails and maps we've followed have seen us explore new places, see different things and also rediscover parts of towns and cities.

They're a nice way to bring communities together, attract and retain visitors to towns, shopping centres and malls, as well as raising money for good causes.

Do you have a favourite art-trail, or know of others? Do let us know in the comments.

Related blog posts:
- Art
- Sculptures
- Tickable Lists