Showing posts with label Manchester. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manchester. Show all posts

Monday, August 24, 2020

Marge Simpson graffiti in Manchester

Spotting some Marge Simpson graffiti high above Deansgate in Manchester.


Marge Simpson graffiti in Manchester
You need a keen eye for street art to spot this piece

While on our first walk in Manchester city centre for quite some time on Saturday Emily spotted this piece of Simpsons graffiti high above Deansgate.

Marge Simpson graffiti in Manchester

We recently spotted some Itchy & Scratchy graffiti on the Fallowfield Loop in Manchester and last August we saw this Simpsons graffiti in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Kingtucky Fried Chicken in Manchester

Do you have a favourite fried chicken takeaway brand?


We've seen quite a few 'KFCs' on our travels.

Kingtucky Fried Chicken in Manchester
The long closed Kingtucky Fried Chicken in Manchester

Invaders in Manchester

A look at a piece of Invader street art in Manchester.


It was nice to have a walk round Manchester again for the first time in a while on Saturday.

One of the best free-to-do activities in the city centre is to look for street art. There's plenty of it about.

Space Invaders

Manchester is the site of an Invasion by French street artist Invader. He created 47 pieces of mosaic tile art with a total points value of 970 back in 2004.

Invader MAN_29 in Manchester
You have to look in a wide-range of places to see the Invaders

Over the years some of these retro video game inspired pieces have been damaged, removed or stolen. While some have been lost entirely because the building they were on has been demolished!

Luckily some of these lost Invaders have been replaced.

Invader MAN_06 in Manchester.
Look up!

Monday, August 17, 2020

Kansas Fried Chicken in Didsbury Village

Finding a 'KFC' in Didsbury Village, Manchester.


Kansas Fried Chicken in Didsbury Village

Another of the 'KFCs' we've seen on our travels is this Kansas Fried Chicken in Didsbury Village, Manchester.

Kansas Fried Chicken in Didsbury Village

Kansas Fried Chicken in Didsbury Village

There are other Kansas Fried Chicken shops in the Manchester and Cheshire area, including one in Handforth.

Friday, August 14, 2020

Luigi's Pizzaria in Little Hulton

Spotting a super takeaway in Little Hulton, Manchester.


Luigi's Pizzaria in Little Hulton

Emily's eagle eyes spotted a brilliant sign on a takeaway in Little Hulton, Manchester as we were driving past en route to Chorley.

Luigi's Pizzaria in Little Hulton

Luigi's Pizzaria in Little Hulton

Seeing Mario and Luigi in other places...

We've also seen Mario Mini Markets in Levenshulme and ReddishMario and Luigi ice cream vans in Buxton and HathersageMario movers in NewcastleMario's takeaway in Barnsley, and MarioLuigi and Mario & Luigi takeaways in Blackpool!

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Krunchy Fried Chicken in Manchester

Another Krunchy Fried Chicken spotted in Manchester.


You can find a 'KFC' on Bloom Street in Manchester city centre.

Krunchy Fried Chicken on Bloom Street in Manchester
Krunchy Fried Chicken

Friday, August 07, 2020

Urbex - Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield

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


Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester. July 2020

Blockbuster Video lives on in Manchester. In a way.

Kind of.

Monday, July 27, 2020

Urban Exploration - Central Retail Park in Manchester

A look at what's left of the old Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester.


Central Retail Park in Manchester

We went for a walk in Manchester city centre for the first time since March on Friday.

We've spent the pandemic within the confines of Stockport borough, save for a few incursions over the border to Fallowfield, Didsbury and Parrs Wood, so it was nice to see some different sights for a change.

Last year we'd walked past the old Central Retail Park in Ancoats and saw the beginning of the work to demolish the retail units. The site looks quite different now.

Central Retail Park in Manchester
Desolate

Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester
The last signs standing

Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester
A view of the entrance roundabout
 
Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester
This was where Toys R Us used to be!

Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester
An old way in

There are plans to turn the area into a car park.

Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester
It's already looking car parky

It was a good spot to practice social distancing.

Related blog posts:
- Manchester
- Urban exploration
- Toys R Us at the Central Retail Park in Manchester
- Lost shops - Toys R Us in Ancoats, Manchester

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championship 2020

Unfortunately the annual Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championship will not be taking place at the current time.


Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open in Manchester

The annual large participation event was due to tee-off today and run until close of play on Sunday.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open in Manchester

The decision is understandable, but we're really looking forward to playing in the event again in the future.


The team at Paradise Island Adventure Golf are hoping to reschedule the event later this year.


Emily won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championship at the Trafford Centre in Manchester last year, while I won the 2018 competition.

Emily Gottfried, 2019 Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Champion
Emily Gottfried, 2019 Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Champion

Emily scored a course record of 30 on the Temple Ruins layout - the course par is 42 - which was enough to fend off the challenge of thousands of other players who competed over the four-day event. Her round included seven holes-in-one on the 18-hole course.

Richard Gottfried, Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Champion 2018
Richard Gottfried, 2018 Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Champion

The annual PIAG Open competition takes place across the brand's eight venues and is the largest Open minigolf tournament in the UK with thousands of players competing across three age categories at each venue.


All of the Paradise Island Adventure Golf centres have now reopened following lockdown and have social distancing measures in place.



More information on the PIAG courses in Manchester, Cheshire Oaks, Glasgow, Livingston, Sheffield, Derby, Rushden Lakes and Plymouth can be found on the Paradise Island Adventure Golf website.


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Tuesday, July 14, 2020

What a difference a year makes

This time last year I saw my first DeLorean in real life at the Didsbury & South Manchester Car Show in Didsbury Park.

DeLoreans at the 2019 Didsbury & South Manchester Car Show
DeLoreans are like buses - you wait over 30 years to see one and then get to see two at the same time

If only I had a time machine to go back to then - or forward to after the pandemic.

One of the last times we travelled anywhere outside of Stockport was to see a Back to the Future time machine DeLorean at Media City in Salford back on the 13th March.

Back to the Future DeLorean time machine at Media City
What a car!

Happy 12th birthday to Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Manchester

Today is the twelfth birthday of Paradise Island Adventure Golf at Manchester's Trafford Centre.


The Tiki Hut Trail course at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in the Trafford Centre, Manchester
The Tiki Hut Trail course at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in January this year

The 36-hole indoor Adventure Golf venue at the Trafford Centre opened on this day in 2008. How time flies!

The Tiki Hut Trail and Temple Ruins Adventure courses were the 85th and 86th courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2009.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Manchester
The Temple Ruins Adventure Golf course at PIAG Manchester

We've returned a number of times since then and following our move north in 2016 Paradise Island Adventure Golf became one of our local places to play.


I won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championships in 2018 and Emily is the reigning champion having won the tournament in 2019.




Visit the Paradise Island Adventure Golf website for more information about the courses in Cheshire Oaks, Derby, Glasgow, Livingston, Manchester, Plymouth, Rushden Lakes and Sheffield.



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Lost shops - Toys R Us in Ancoats, Manchester

Views of the old Toys R Us store at the Central Retail Park in Manchester.


Toys R Us at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester. February 2019

I took a look at the old Toys R Us store at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester just prior to it's demolition in March 2019.

Toys R Us at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester. February 2019

Toys R Us at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester. February 2019

All of the stores on the site have been demolished and the area is being turned into car parking.

More photos can be found in my blog post: Toys R Us at the Central Retail Park in Manchester.

Working at Toys R Us

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Dead brands

We've seen a number of other old and defunct brands on our travels around the country, including Woolworths in Stoke-on-TrentTandy in HitchinRadioShack in Lytham Saint AnnesKwik Save in Barrow-in-Furness and Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester.

Blade in the place, Didsbury

Spotting the Blade barber shop in Didsbury, Manchester.


We spotted Blade Brown barbers while having a wander last week.

Blade Brown barber shop in Didsbury, Manchester
I wasn't familiar with this shop before last week. A sign I need a haircut perhaps...

We recently saw the Resident Needle tattoo studio in Woodley, Stockport too.

Friday, July 10, 2020

Tee Party Crazy Golf at The Club House in Manchester. July 2016

A look back at the Tee Party Crazy Golf course at The Club House in Spinningfields, Manchester.


Tee Party Crazy Golf at The Club House in Spinningfields, Manchester. July 2016.

It was the 684th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Sadly I was in the city a day after the pop-up had closed so no clubs or balls were available. At least the holes were still there.

Urban Exploration - Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

A look at the old Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester.




Since I found the remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester last October I've been intrigued to see the brand still has a lingering presence in the retail world. It's always interesting to see ghost signs, remnants of old & dead brands and signage while out and about on our travels.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester
It's so odd to see Blockbuster branding along with social distancing signage and notices 

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester
A notice on the door at the old Fallowfield branch. Some retail history

As well as the Fallowfield Blockbuster there are still signs of the stores in Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex, Chiswick in London and Norwich in Norfolk.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester
A view inside the old store

Related blog posts:
- Blockbuster
- Fallowfield
- Urban Exploration

Itchy & Scratchy on the Fallowfield Loop

Spotting some Itchy & Scratchy graffiti on the Fallowfield Loop in Manchester.


We spotted this superb street art by Good Life while out on a walk along the Fallowfield Loop.

The Itchy & Scratchy Show in Manchester
The Itchy & Scratchy Show in Manchester

It's always fun finding Simpsons-inspired artwork while out and about. Last year we saw this nice piece in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Related blog posts:
- Street Art
- The Simpsons

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester

A look at the 9-hole Crazy Golf course at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester.


We revisited the Crazy Golf course at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester while out on our daily exercise on Sunday.


The 9-hole layout was the 114th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back in July 2009.


Here's a look at each of the holes.

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 1

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 2

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 3

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 4

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 5

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 6

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 7

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 8

Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf in Manchester
Hole 9

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Pitch & Putt at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester

A look at the Pitch & Putt course at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester.


We visited Wythenshawe Park in Manchester for our daily outdoor exercise on Sunday and as well as revisiting the abandoned Crazy Golf course there we saw the Pitch & Putt layout on our walk round the park and gardens.

Pitch & Putt at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester

Pitch & Putt at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester

Pitch & Putt at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester

Pitch & Putt at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester

Pitch & Putt at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester

Pitch & Putt at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester

The Pitch & Putt course at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester was the 949th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
Pitch & Putt
- Wythenshawe
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

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