Only Food & Sauces in Norwich

Spotting another Only Fools... business name.

We saw Only Food & Sauces in Norwich on our trip to the city last month.

Only Food & Sauces in Norwich

It's the latest Only Fools & Horses business name / sign we've seen on our travels.

Crazier Golf scorecard from Boom Battle Bar in Norwich

A look at a minigolf scorecard from Boom Battle Bar in Norwich.

From the Crazy Golf Museum vaults - a minigolf scorecard from our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to the Crazier Golf course at Boom Battle Bar in Norwich, Norfolk earlier this year.

Crazier Golf scorecard from Boom Battle Bar in Norwich

Crazier Golf scorecard from Boom Battle Bar in Norwich

Crazier Golf scorecard from Boom Battle Bar in Norwich

Check out the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

Putt Noodle Mini Golf at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

Putt Noodle Mini Golf opening at the Castle Quarter in Norwich, Norfolk.

Coming very soon...

The new Putt Noodle indoor crazy golf and Asian food venue at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich is planned to open this month.

We were a little too early when we swung by on a trip to Norwich last weekend.

Putt Noodle will be home to three minigolf courses and is opening in the former New Look unit in the Castle Quarter.

Putt Noodle Mini Golf at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

The venue sits below Boom: Battle Bar - a business owned by the same team behind Putt Noodle.

Retailtainment and minigolf

Putt Noodle Mini Golf is one of the latest in the new wave of retail entertainment (retailtainment) activities opening up around the UK.

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

Visiting Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich

Playing the Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar in the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich, Norfolk.

We stayed in Norwich for part of our East Anglian road-trip last month and the second miniature golf course we played was the Crazier Golf layout at the first Boom: Battle Bar location in the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment venue in the city centre.

The 9-hole course differs from 'standard' crazy golf courses as not all of the holes require the use of your putter and ball! Some of the obstacles require you to pump the ball, or launch it, via another mechanism. There's also a timed hole which is fun to play.

Our match-up was close and I picked up the win by one-shot with a 23-24 scoreline. Working out the scores was interesting as the holes don't necessarily have a stroke score - on the 4th I took 37:42 to play out the hole, while Emily took 46:08. On the 7th and 9th we had to race each other to figure out our points score!

Photos of the 9-hole Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar

Hole 1

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 2

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 4

Hole 4

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 5

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 9

Check out the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

The Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich was the 970th course Emily and I visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Combining the courses we've visited with those that my brother Christopher - a founding member of the tour - has too it was the 1,000th course we've been to overall!

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Social distancing at Freeman, Hardy & Willis

A look at some new decals on an old shop doorway mosaic.

We saw these modern day social distancing floor markings at the entrance of a charity shop while having a walk along Magdalen Street in Norwich last month.

The shop was once a branch of the national footwear chain Freeman, Hardy & Willis. All that remains of that brand is the lovely old advertising mosaic in the doorway.

Packri Monster game at Retro Replay

We spotted this nice old handheld game from Bandai on display in the window of the Retro Replay Arcade, Gaming Lounge & Bar at the Castle Quarter shopping centre in Norwich last month.

Check out that Woolies price sticker on the box too

It's one of a number of retro gaming items in the window at the arcade bar.

Visit the Retro Replay website for more information.

Toys R Us in Norwich, Norfolk

A look at the closed Toys R Us store in Norwich, Norfolk.

Toys R Us in Norwich

Toys R Us closed it's UK stores in April 2018. However, there are still visible remnants of the old brand around the UK.

Closed

Toys R Us travels

We've visited a number of former Toys R Us sites over the last couple of years, the latest being in Norwich and Ipswich. 

At another former store location

Working at Toys R Us

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

Toys R Us in Norwich

Toys R Us at the Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich (August 2021)

The sign on the side of the former store in Norwich

Check out my blog posts below about former Toys R Us stores:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Enfield Retail Park in Enfield
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Eaton Park Crazy Golf course in Norwich

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Eaton Park in Norwich, Norfolk.

My brother Christopher took a stroll round Eaton Park in Norwich and sent me this snap of the Crazy Golf course there.

We played the layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in May 2017 when the 18-hole course became the 432nd played and 734th visited overall. We had a superb time playing the course and the park is a marvellous setting for a game.

Check out the Eaton Park Crazy Golf course website for more information.

Jurassic Golf at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Reedham, Norfolk

A visit to the Jurassic Golf at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Norfolk.

My brother Christopher, a charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, has made the 993rd course visit of the tour with a trip to the Jurassic Golf course at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Reedham, Norwich, Norfolk!

Check out the Pettitts Animal Adventure Park website for more information.

New Crazy Golf centre opening in Norwich

Putt Noodle Crazy Golf planned for the Castle Quarter in Norwich, Norfolk.

Norwich city centre could soon be home to a new indoor minigolf venue as Putt Noodle Crazy Golf is looking to create three 9-hole themed layouts at the site in the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre.

It'll be a new set of courses for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. My brother and charter member of the tour doesn't live too far away so I'm sure we'll swing by for a game when it opens.

Retailtainment minigolf

Putt Noodle Crazy Golf is proposed to open in a retail unit in the centre and is the latest in the new wave of retail entertainment (retailtainment) activities opening up around the UK.

Indoor minigolf

When our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began in 2006 there were only two indoor places to play the game, both in East Anglia. Now there are around 100 indoor miniature golf courses around the UK, with more planned and opening all the time.

Jurassic Putt Crazy Golf in Lenwade, Norwich

A look at the Jurassic Putt Crazy Golf course at Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure in Lenwade, Norwich.

My brother and his family visited Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure in Lenwade, Norwich in February of this year and while there spotted the Jurassic Putt Crazy Golf course.

On a recent return visit he sent me this snap of the sanitisation station outside the entrance to the course.

Jurassic Putt Crazy Golf is an 8-hole layout and play on the course is included with entry to the park.

Visit the Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure website for more information.

Boom: Battle Bar at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

The new indoor games venue is opening at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich this month.

Norwich's new indoor entertainment venue is opening its doors on the 23rd July. Boom: Battle Bar is home to a minigolf course, boules piste, axe throwing arena, electric darts and shuffleboard.

Many thanks to the team at HM Adventure Golf for sending over photos of the minigolf course there.

  

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information, opening times, prices and booking details.

We're looking forward to playing at Boom: Battle Bar in the future.

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