Putters Crazy Golf at the Urban Playground in the Manchester Arndale Centre

The Urban Playground in the Manchester Arndale Centre is opening soon.

We were in Manchester on Saturday and swung by the new Urban Playground in the Arndale Centre to see if it was open yet.

It wasn't.

It does look like the venue is almost finished though.

The Urban Playground will be home to Putters Crazy Golf - a high-tech minigolf course.

We first took a look at the Urban Playground Mini Golf at the Arndale Centre in Manchester last October.

It'll be a new place to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the Urban Playground website for more information.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester (January 2022)

A visit to the old Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester.

I took another look at the former Blockbuster Video store at Fallowfield Retail Park while driving back from Manchester city centre on Saturday 22nd January.

The unit next door has now closed down and there are plans to create a new supermarket on the site.

The graffiti wasn't there the last time I looked

It'll be a shame to see this video shop relic from another time lost forever. It's an interesting and fun little time capsule.

All Rental Returns

I first noticed the remains of the Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019.

The sign that first caught my attention

Someone has tried posting something in the QuikDrop box!

Blockbuster Video Stores

The first Blockbuster Video store opened in Dallas, Texas, USA in 1985.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 stores around the world. 500+ of which were in the UK.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The remaining stores closed on the 16th December.

There is now just one Blockbuster Video store left open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

However, the UK's high streets, shopping precincts, malls and retail parks still hold traces of the brand. And we've been to most of them!

We've now been to 27 former Blockbuster Video stores since we found the remains of the Fallowfield shop.

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

The Chrizy Golf Masters minigolf competition

I won the Chrizy Golf Masters miniature golf tournament nine years ago today!

Chrizy Golf

The first - and to date only - Chrizy Golf Masters minigolf tournament was held on a festive-themed pop-up crazy golf course at Piccadilly Place in Manchester on the 30th November 2012.

Chrizy Golf

The Chrizy Golf course was the 313th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 979 courses since September 2006.

The Chrizy Golf course was gone once the 2012 festive season was over and the building remained empty, or used for other pop-ups, until the team at Junkyard Golf made it their home for another minigolf course. That one was there for a couple of years. They have since moved on and can be found at a permanent venue at First Street in the city.

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

We took some snaps of the signs for Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester during a snowy walk round the city centre on Sunday.

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks is home to two indoor 18-hole courses.

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

You can also find Treetop Adventure Golf courses in Cardiff, Leicester and Birmingham.

Check out the Treetop Adventure Golf website for more information.

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

The Treetop Adventure Golf courses in Manchester were the 799th and 800th courses visited in the UK on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 979 courses overall.

It's a lot more tropical inside Treetop Adventure Golf than outside!

Blockbusters NQ in Manchester

A new video shop-themed bar is opening in Manchester's Northern Quarter.

A new sight to see on Oldham Street

We were excited to hear that a new video store-themed bar is opening up in the Northern Quarter in Manchester city centre.

So we had to go along for a look.

Blockbusters NQ can be found on Oldham Street and according to the signs on the windows it is COMING SOON.

BLOCKBUSTERS NQ - COMING SOON

We're looking forward to checking it out when it opens.

The walls and counter of the bar look brilliant already - we can't wait to see what it'll look like when the installation is completed

Blockbuster Video

We're big fans of video, videos stores, retail history and retro stuff and have been visiting and documenting the last remaining traces of the Blockbuster brand in the UK over the last few years. We've seen a number of the brand's shopfronts, signs and QuikDrop boxes. As well as some other video shops.

The first of the old Blockbuster locations we found was also in Manchester, just up the road from us at Fallowfield Retail Park.

Speakeasies

Blockbusters NQ looks like a cool and nostalgic speakeasy and while we were taking a look at the store the signs were getting some interest from passers-by.

It'll be a fun new speakeasy for us to visit when it opens.

It'll be great to see what the full signage will look like

Find out more

Give the Blockbusters NQ Instagram account a follow for more information on the bar.

Halloween in the City is back in Manchester

Halloween in the City has returned to Manchester city centre.

We saw a few of the new Halloween monster inflatables that have popped up in Manchester during a wander round town on Saturday.

The full Halloween in the City event is taking place in Manchester on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st October with a number of large-scale monsters adorning buildings around the city centre as well as other themed activities.

Check out the Halloween in the City website for more information.

Urban Playground Mini Golf at the Arndale Centre in Manchester

A new indoor mini golf course is opening as part of the new Urban Playground at the Arndale shopping centre in Manchester.

A new competitive socialising venue is opening at the Arndale Centre in Manchester and one of the activities on offer will be mini golf.

The Urban Playground in Manchester is opening sometime this year and will be home to the indoor miniature golf course, The Cube Live and food & drinks.

Putters Mini-Golf at the Urban Playground will be a tech-based course. Visit the Urban Playground website for more information.

The Urban Playground will be another new local venue for us.

The Urban Playground entertainment centre is being created by the Mellors Group who own Skegness Pier and Fantasy Island in Ingoldmells. We've played minigolf at Fantasy Island before. The course there was underneath a rollercoaster! There's a new Lava Creek Adventure Golf course we haven't yet had a go on at Fantasy Island too.

Halloween in the City returning to Manchester this month

Halloween in the City is returning to Manchester city centre.

Halloween in the City is taking place in Manchester on the 30th and 31st October with a number of large-scale monsters adorning buildings around the city centre as well as other themed activities.

Halloween in the City Manchester Monsters in 2019

Check out the Halloween in the City website for more information.

Dunkin' in Manchester

Spotting two Dunkin' Donuts in Manchester.

Today is International Coffee Day so I thought it was the ideal day to post about two Dunkin' locations we've seen in Manchester over recent months.

It's always interesting seeing new, different and 'exotic' brands popping up on the high street.

Dunkin' in Manchester

The first Dunkin' branch to open in Manchester was this one on Deansgate in the city centre. We knew the brand had launched in the UK and had a wander past on a trip to town in May. At that point the brand had 12 locations in the UK.

Dunkin' on Deansgate

The second one we saw surprised us as we didn't know it had opened on Piccadilly. We noticed this one in July.

Piccadilly Dunkin'

There is now a third location in Manchester. It's at the Fort Shopping Park in Cheetham Hill.

Dunkin' in the UK

Dunkin' has a total of 16 UK locations at present. As well as the Manchester sites there are Dunkin' branches in Bury, Sheffield, Liverpool, Barnsley, Bradford, Doncaster, Rotherham, Nottingham and London.

The London Dunkin' is the sole location south of Nottingham!

Visit the Dunkin' website for more information.

Minigolf in Manchester city centre

A look at miniature golf courses in Manchester.

There are a number of options for minigolfing in Greater Manchester, with a variety of courses to play, ranging from traditional crazy golf to indoor minigolf to new adventure golf layouts. The city centre itself has seen an increase in courses over the last few years and there are more to open in the coming months too!

Here's a look at the minigolf courses in Manchester city centre.

Junkyard Golf, First Street

Home to three 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses.

Blog from our visit.

Junkyard Golf's website.

Treetop Adventure Golf, The Printworks

A venue with two 18-hole indoor adventure golf courses.

Blog from our visit.

Treetop Adventure Golf's website.

Roxy Ball Room, Deansgate

Home to an 18-hole indoor mini golf course.

Blog from our visit.

Roxy Ball Room's website.

Roxy Ball Room, Withy Grove

Home to a crazy pool layout (a cross between pool and crazy golf - played with cues, golf balls and obstacles on tables).

Roxy Ball Room's website.

Putters Mini-Golf at the Urban Playground, Arndale centre

A new indoor mini-golf course opening in 2021.

Urban Playground's website.

Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar, The Printworks

A new indoor crazy golf course opening in the future.

Boom: Battle Bar's website.

Minigolfing in Manchester

We've been travelling to play minigolf in Manchester since 2009 when I won the Mini Masters and Mini Open at the Trafford Golf Centre. I also won the Chrizy Golf Masters at Piccadilly Place in 2012. We moved to Stockport in 2016 and have continued to compete in events. Emily won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open in 2019, while I won the tournament in 2018. I also won the DinoFalls Masters at the Trafford Golf Centre in 2018.

Mini-golf at the Urban Playground in Manchester

A mini-golf course is opening as part of the new Urban Playground in Manchester.

A new competitive socialising venue is opening at the Arndale Centre in Manchester and one of the activities on offer will be mini-golf.

The Urban Playground in Manchester will be home to the indoor minigolf course, The Cube Live and food & drinks.

Looking on the website Putters Mini-Golf at the Urban Playground will be a tech-based course.

The Urban Playground will be another new local venue for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Urban Playground entertainment centre is being created by the Mellors Group who own Skegness Pier and Fantasy Island in Ingoldmells. We've played minigolf at Fantasy Island before. The course there was underneath a rollercoaster! There's a new Lava Creek Adventure Golf course we haven't yet had a go on at Fantasy Island too.

Many thanks to our friend Jam Trubridge for letting us know about Putters Mini-Golf and the Urban Playground.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championships 2021

The PIAG Open Championships are back for 2021.

The Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championships are once again taking place at the indoor Paradise Island Adventure Golf courses around the country. The events were cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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

This year's event runs from the 15th to the 18th July.

Emily won the PIAG Open at the Manchester course in 2019 and I won it in 2018.

More details of the event and 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.

A Happy Shopper at The Hart of the Triangle

Finding a Happy Shopper shop in Fallowfield, Manchester.

We've been looking for examples of classic Happy Shopper shops and signage since spotting a closed version in Preston last year. Last night we found there's one very nearby to us! It's in the Fallowfield Triangle.

A few years ago the convenience store now known as The Hart of the Triangle was a full blown Happy Shopper. While most of the signage and branding has gone, the window decals are still in place. A lovely thing to see.

The Hart of the Triangle - formerly Happy Shopper Supermarket

The window decals are still there, although this one is temporarily covered by some posters

Checking online there were a few years when the Happy Shopper decals were covered up completely so it's nice to see it was still intact underneath

Emily's first job was at a Happy Shopper in Ipswich and I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was growing up in Oxfordshire back in the 1980's and 1990's. We didn't think there would be many left nowadays considering Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000.

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

• Lowestoft
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin

Lost shops - Debenhams

Debenhams recently became the latest retail casualty as the brand ceased trading on the high street in May 2021 after 243 years of operation. More than 100 bricks & mortar stores closed and Debenhams will continue as an online-only brand as it is now owned by online retailer Boohoo.

Debenhams in Stockport

The lights were still on in December 2020

A view of the store during lockdown in April 2021

In the store in April 2021

In January 2021

Debenhams in Nuneaton

In May 2021

Debenhams in Manchester

Debenhams on Market Street in Manchester one day after the store's closure

Covid-19 signs

Covid-19 signage in January 2021

A Covid-19 sign in August 2020

What next for the former shops?

As with other collapsed chains it'll be interesting to see who moves in to the former Debenhams shops and how long the last traces of the brand will linger on the high street.

There are already plans for one former store to become an indoor entertainment venue. Gravity Active Entertainment will be opening a new centre in Wandsworth, London. The four-floor site will be home to a crazy golf course, bar & restaurant, pool, tenpin bowling, darts, high ropes, go-karting and more.

The retailtainment and minigolf boom

Miniature Golf is a big part of the retailtainment boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in malls, high streets and retail parks.

Some of these retailtainment activities are permanent, while others are pop-ups catering to a mix of audiences, from children and families, to adults looking for competitive socialising fun.

Minigolf has really grown in popularity in the last decade and has moved from only being a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.

A number of high streets, retail parks and shopping malls are now home to minigolf courses, with more new venues planned to open.

Minigolf is also a popular addition to boost footfall, create awareness and attract people to a location. Businesses also use portable and temporary minigolf layouts for product launches and promotions.

Other lost shops

We've seen traces, remnants and signage of a number of lost shop brands on our travels including Blockbuster Video, Toys R Us, Woolworths, British Home Stores, Kwik Save, Tandy, RadioShack, Grainger Games, Carphone Warehouse and JJB Sports.