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

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - an infographic

A look at the last 13 years of our crazy golfing adventures.

Related blog post:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

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

Shark at St David's shopping centre in Cardiff

We saw this nice bit of shopping mall marketing at St David's in Cardiff last week.

Sh...sh...SHARK!

The 25ft long Great White Shark has been installed at the shopping centre to hook people in to visit and help them find out more about sustainability, with a particular focus on single-use plastic and the harm it poses to marine life.

In a shopping mall shark cage!

It's one of the best malls I've visited on my travels.

Link:
- St David's shopping centre

Related blog posts:
- Sharks
- Cardiff
- St David's shopping centre

Minigolf consultancy

As marketing and sales professionals Emily and I use our extensive knowledge and skills in supporting and promoting the game we enjoy as a hobby.

Since 2006 we have visited more than 900 minigolf courses in the UK and overseas. This has given us an insight into many aspects of minigolf, from course operators, pop-ups, competitions, clubs, national associations, international federations, suppliers, designers, builders and technology providers.

At our 900th course visit - the North Bay Mini Golf course in Scarborough

Our involvement in the world of minigolf includes blogging, media relations, sponsorship, course design, advice and consultancy, event organisation and promotion, and participation in tournaments around the world.

The Ham & Egger Files blog contains over 3,000 posts that have attracted 1.5 million page views.

Emily playing at Joe Joe Jim's Crazy Crazy Golf at Fletcher's Arcade in Cofton Hackett, Birmingham

As a volunteer I served three terms on the Executive Committee of the British Minigolf Association and was a member of the World Minigolf Sport Federation’s Marketing and Media Committee for six years.

Putting at Lane7 in Newcastle

Please do get in touch to find out how we can help with your minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf activities.

You can also buy my ebook 'The Minigolfer’s Guide to Marketing' on Amazon and Kobo.

Link:
- Marketing consultancy

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf
- Marketing

Player profiles:
- Richard Gottfried
- Emily Gottfried

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing ebook

My ebook to help minigolf players better market themselves, their clubs, tournaments and courses is now available to purchase from Kobo.

You can also buy The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing ebook on Amazon.

I've been so pleased to see the book bought and used by a number of competition players, course owners and managers, bloggers, course reviewers, minigolf associations and federations around the world.

As a minigolfer with over a decade of experience as a tournament competitor and years of experience in marketing and communications I designed the guide so that anyone interested or involved in minigolf could help promote the game. It's a niche title, but an audience and subject I know a lot about.

Playing in the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

Writing the book was brilliant and enabled me to bring two areas of my life together. I've worked in marketing since 2003 and have played minigolf since I was a child. Stepping up to compete on the national minigolf tour circuit and in international tournaments opened my eyes to the potential of the game. I’ve also had the honour of serving on the committees of the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

Minigolf is a sport for all. People of all ages, sexes, backgrounds and abilities can pick up a putter and play the game.

When Emily and I began travelling around the country on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've now visited 918 courses, including 39 overseas, and there are still many more for us to play. The game is really booming and not a week goes by without the announcement of a new course opening.

At our 900th course - the North Bay Mini Golf course in Scarborough

There are a huge amount of interesting and fun stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors and the wider sporting community. The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing should give federations, associations, clubs and our fellow players ideas, inspiration and support in their marketing efforts.

Much of the guidance could also be applied to a number of other sports clubs and organisations to help raise their profile and boost memberships.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing is available on Amazon and Kobo

A very BIG thank you to everyone who has bought a copy of the book to date. It's very much appreciated.

Links:
- The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing ebook on Amazon
- The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing ebook on Kobo

Related blog posts:
- The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing
- Marketing
- Minigolf

The Waste Team in Leeds

On our recent trip to Leeds to visit the Collectorabilia event we spotted this nice advertising from The Waste Team.

If no one else can help, maybe you can hire...

We first became aware of The Waste Team after seeing one of their vans parked outside a hotel we were staying at.

The Waste Team van - no sign of anyone with Bad Attitude driving it

Related blog posts:

- Advertising

- Marketing

- The A-Team

Link:

- The Waste Team

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Newsletter

Do you receive our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Newsletter? If not, please do sign-up for it.

The Arnold Palmer Putting course in Skegness, one of ten courses in the seaside resort

You can read previous editions online.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing ebook

Marking two years since the publication of my marketing ebook.

Time certainly flies when you're having fun!

Two years ago today I published The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing, my ebook guide to promoting the brilliant sport of miniature golf.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing could help you wow the crowd in the crazy world of miniature golf

It's amazing how fast the last two years have flown by. I'm so pleased to have seen the book bought and used by a number of competition players, course owners & managers, bloggers, course reviewers, minigolf associations and federations around the world.

Check out the Amazon listing for The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing to read a preview and see reviews of the book.

As a player with over a decade of experience as a tournament competitor and years of experience in marketing and communications I designed the guide so that anyone interested or involved in minigolf could help promote the game. It's a niche title, but an audience and subject I know a lot about. 

Writing the book was brilliant and enabled me to bring two areas of my life together. I've worked in marketing since 2003 and have played minigolf since I was a child. Stepping up to compete on the national minigolf tour circuit and in international tournaments opened my eyes to the potential of the game. I’ve also had the honour of serving on the committees of the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

Minigolf is a sport for all. People of all ages, sexes, backgrounds and abilities can pick up a putter and play the game.

When Emily and I began travelling around the country on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've now visited 865 courses, including 38 overseas, and there are still many more for us to visit. The game is really booming and not a week goes by without the announcement of a new course opening.

There are a huge amount of interesting and fun stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors and the wider sporting community. The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing should give federations, associations, clubs and my fellow players ideas, inspiration and support in their marketing efforts.

Much of the guidance could also be applied to a number of other sports clubs and organisations to help raise their profile and boost memberships.

A BIG thank you to everyone who has bought a copy of the book to date. It's very much appreciated.

Links:

- The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing on Amazon
- RG Marketing & Events
- Minigolf Consultancy

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf
- Marketing
- Exhibition Minigolf
- Richard Gottfried's minigolf player profile
- The Crazy World of Minigolf - the story so far

Exhibition minigolf

Looking for a way to engage with delegates at events, then use minigolf.

We've played a number of portable and pop-up minigolf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, many of which were at business events and exhibitions.

Putting courses and obstacles are a popular addition to stands at trade shows and exhibitions. Way back in May 2007 I played an UrbanCrazy minigolf hole at the International Direct Marketing Fair at Earl's Court.

As a marketer I'm all for innovation. Over the years I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly of events.

Putting on the nice portable minigolf course at The Golf Show by American Golf at EventCity in Manchester

Crazy Golf is experiencing a boom and gaining popularity as a business tool. UrbanCrazy's range of minigolf games and course layouts have been going strong for well over a decade. Putterfingers also offer Crazy Golf layouts for a number of different business and leisure events. While the team at HM Adventure Golf have a modular minigolf course layout that is being used for events and temporary courses.

At the International Direct Marketing Fair at Earl's Court way back in 2007. This was the first portable course I saw being used at a business event

Putting a Putter in the hands of a delegate at an event is a great way to keep them on your stand, break the ice, have a chat and generate some friendly competition.

Emily's friends and colleagues were at the Electronic Retailing Association's Great Ideas Summit in Orlando, Florida and found there was a miniature golf course set up for a Tee Up Tuesday Evening Reception! Photo by Liezl van Zyl

The Trade On Tap Hole-in-One challenge at the CIH Housing 2016 Exhibition. I scored a hole-in-one

Minigolf courses have also been hired by a number of venues to increase footfall. Among these are shops, shopping centres, retail parks, schools, colleges, universities, office developments and even a brewery!

An UrbanCrazy Mini Golf course at the Camden Town Brewery in London

Lyle & Scott created a Woolly Mini-Golf course as part of Wool Week

UrbanCrazy created a special Crazy Golf course for the Ipswich Building Society - this was one-third of it, set-up in the Sudbury branch

A Minigolf & Games temporary layout at the Garden Square shopping centre in Letchworth Garden City

A Putterfingers layout at the Oswestry Games in Shropshire

The beauty of minigolf is that it's such a fun and easy, pick up and play game.

There are a number of suppliers of portable minigolf course and I've listed those whose courses I've played on below:

• HM Adventure Golf
• Minigolf & Games
• Putterfingers
• Putting Edge
• UrbanCrazy

Below is a selection of photos showing the portable minigolf courses we've played at events over the years.

The teeofftimes.co.uk's incredibly lengthy Long Putt Challenge at The Golf Show by American Golf

The Chrizy Golf pop-up course in Manchester

Lyle & Scott's Carnaby Street shop in London used an UrbanCrazy course for a special Minigolf Hole-in-One Challenge

  

UrbanCrazy's Signature Course at the London Golf Show at Earl's Court

Playing UrbanCrazy's Signature Minigolf Course at Regent's Place in London

Crazy Golfing at the Pier Head in Liverpool on a summer pop-up course 

Bridlington's Foreshore Sands has a semi-portable Crazy Golf course from UrbanCrazy. It looks great, plays well and attracts people to that part of the seafront

If you enjoy minigolf and marketing crossovers you'll like my ebook too - check out The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing on Amazon.

If you'd like to know more about my marketing work and how I can help you and your business please do get in touch via my website.

To date we've visited 859 minigolf courses. You can view them on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list.

Related blog posts:
- Business
- Marketing
- Indoor Minigolf
- Portable Minigolf
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

New advertising for Junkyard Golf in Manchester

Spotting some new advertising for Junkyard Golf in Manchester.

While on a recent trip to Manchester city centre I spotted this new piece of advertising for Junkyard Golf's indoor minigolf courses in Oxford, Manchester, Leeds and London.

Advertising for Junkyard Golf. Spotted at Manchester Piccadilly railway station

We've visited all four of Junkyard Golf's venues on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Junkyard Golf website for more info, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Junkyard Golf
- Advertising

Putt-Putt Germiston in Johannesburg, South Africa

A look at a postcard coupon good for one free round at Putt-Putt Germiston in Johannesburg, South Africa.

I recently bought 50 more postcards for my collection of minigolf cards and among them was this Putt-Putt advertising postcard/coupon. It's not the first version I've seen, but it was still well worth getting as it's such a nice piece of ephemera and minigolf history.

Putt-Putt Golf Courses - South Africa's Premier Putting Courses. A postcard coupon good for one free round at Putt-Putt Germiston, Johannesburg

This postcard is stamped for a free game at 'Putt-Putt Germiston', the other one I have is for 'Putt-Putt Southdale'. Sadly the Germiston location is no longer there.

The reverse of the postcard coupon good for one free round at Putt-Putt Germiston, Johannesburg

My expert minigolf contact from South Africa PJ Goedhals identified the location on the front of the card as the Putt-Putt miniature golf course at Three Anchor Bay in Moullie Point/Sea Point in Cape Town - PJ's local course! Some of my cousins have also visited the course.

A photo of the Three Anchor Bay Putt-Putt course in January last year

Putt-Putt is the only patented game of miniature golf and began in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1954. In the 1960's Putt-Putt franchises began opening outside of the US, in locations such as the one on the postcard, as well as Australia and Japan. At one time there were even Putt-Putt courses in the UK. You can read the Putt-Putt story on the Putt-Putt Fun Centers website.

Related blog posts:
- Putt-Putt
- Postcard
- Postcards
- South Africa
- A Putt-Putt Postcard from South Africa

New advertising for Treetop Adventure Golf in Manchester

Spotting some of the new advertising for Treetop Adventure Golf in Manchester.

The new digital advertising for Treetop Adventure Golf

It was nice to spot this digital outdoor advertising for Treetop Adventure Golf while recently shopping at the Arndale centre in Manchester.

We played the two Treetop Adventure Golf courses in September last year. They were the 799th and 800th courses we've visited in the British Isles.

You can find Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks on Dantzic Street

Check out the Treetop Adventure Golf website for more info, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Advertising
- Treetop Adventure Golf
- Manchester
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Tandy in Hitchin

Spotting some old Tandy branding in Hitchin.

We were recently back in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and spotted the electronics shop at Churchgate had closed down. Electronic Universe had been trading in the town since 1982 and closed due to retirement last February. The old shop signs had been taken down and luckily for us we were able to see some even older branding from when the shop was a Tandy dealer! A nice blast from the past.

A once familiar sight on UK high streets. Circa 1990

While visiting Hitchin Market back in March 2016 I spotted a great old Tandy sign at the back of the shop at Biggin Lane that brought back happy memories for me.

The Tandy sign round the back of the shop

My first job was at a Tandy franchise shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, where I remember selling a number of electronic products bearing the 'RadioShack', 'Genexxa' and 'Realistic' brand names. Halcyon days.

In 2001 Tandy said goodbye to the UK high street as the last of the shops were converted after their acquisition by Carphone Warehouse.

I thought the Tandy brand name was still defunct, but it's not as Tandy lives on as an online retailer of electronic components and kits!

Interestingly the name Tandy comes from one of the founders of a leather goods company called Tandy Leather - a business that later became RadioShack.

There is still a RadioShack trading in the UK. It's in Lytham Saint Annes.

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

A look at the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide.

The Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

As a big fan of the British seaside and traditional holiday entertainment I was pleased to find a Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide while sorting through some paperwork at home.

Seeing the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide brought back so many happy memories.

My family used to go on holiday to Barry Island in the late 80's and 90's and loved it there. The holiday camp was absolutely marvellous, with everything from swimming to Crazy Golf, to snooker and darts, to the fun fair and more - all free of charge once you had checked in. My brother's and I would spend hours going from one activity to another and then spend the evening in the arcades playing games such as Blasteroids, Xybots, Double Dragon and Wardner. Halcyon days.

Check out the six-page Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide. As a former holidaymaker at the camp, fan of the British seaside, postcard collector and marketer it makes for interesting reading - especially some of the adverts!

What a cover

There was always so much to do at Barry Island

The entertainment continues

Back when you could still advertise cigarettes!

A great bit of marketing and use of a postcard image

I spent many an hour at building 5 - Princes Ballroom as that's where the Crazy Golf, snooker and arcade was 

Barry Island Resort was originally a Butlin's holiday camp in 1966 and was re-opened as a Majestic holiday camp in the 1980's. Sadly it closed for good in 1996 and was demolished to make way for housing.

I've returned to Barry Island - in 2009 and 2010. Apart from the disappearance of the holiday camp there were some new attractions, but the resort was still recognisable from the 90's. I'll have to return for another look as the last eight years since our last visit has flown by!

Barry Island in 2010

Outside the gates of the former holiday camp

Related blog posts:
- 45 minutes on Barry Island
- Minigolf Course Visit No. 121 - Barry Island / Ynys y Barri
- Barry Island
- Holiday Camp
- Postcards
- Butlin's