Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park

We found a miniature railway at one of our local parks at the weekend!

We've spent a lot of lockdown visiting different parks and outdoor spaces in and around Stockport. On Easter Sunday we went for a walk in Handforth where we found a miniature railway at Meriton Road Park.

Two trains were running!

We're big fans of miniature railways and even though we've lived nearby for almost five years never knew it existed! We've never seen any signs for it even though we've walked and parked near to it many many times before.

There was a Scarecrow Trail in the town - this was The (not so) Fat Controller

Visit the Handforth Model Engineering Society website and Handforth Miniature Railway Facebook Page for more information.

End of the line

Nearby miniature railways

Handforth is in Cheshire East and borders the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. The borough is home to three miniature railways - at South Park in Cheadle Hulme, Brookside Miniature Railway at the Garden Centre in Poynton and the Dragon Miniature Railway at the Garden Centre in Marple.

Related blog posts:

• Miniature Railways
• Handforth

Crazy Golf at Vickersway Park in Northwich

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich, Cheshire. January 2020.

Back in September 2016 the 9-hole course became the 700th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've now been to 956 courses since September 2006.

Leisure Orienteering at Bruntwood Park in Cheadle

While having a walk round Bruntwood Park in Cheadle on New Year's Day we spotted this nice old sign for Leisure Orienteering at the park.

The sign is at the Pitch & Putt kiosk in the park

It's one of the few remaining signs in the borough that carries the old council logo. We've seen others near the Stockport Pyramid, at Woodford Recreation Ground and on Adswood Road.

The logo for Stockport Leisure Services

Social distancing at Telford Town Park's Adventure Golf course

A look at the social distancing and Covid-19 measures on the Adventure Golf course in Telford Town Park.

We revisited the Adventure Golf course in Telford Town Park while on a recent trip to Telford, Shopshire.

The course is open but currently has restrictions on the opening times, with online bookings required to enter the course.

 

Visit the Telford Town Park website for more information.

A look at minigolf and competitive socialising in the time of coronavirus and social distancing

I've been blogging about the world of minigolf since 2006 and have seen how the game boomed in the last decade.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works into the whole world and as such minigolf courses and competitive socialising venues have taken a hit.

I've collated a number of blog posts from recent months, looking at the rise of competitive socialising, tenpin bowling and minigolf combinations, minigolf in a retail setting, technological innovations through minigolf scoring and loyalty apps, as well as the popularity of mixing art and minigolf.

You can read more about social distancing at minigolf courses in this blog post - Social distancing minigolf.

Minigolf in the time of coronavirus

My specialist knowledge and experience in the worlds of minigolf and marketing were recently demonstrated in InterGame's discussion of the opportunities and challenges of operating a mini-golf venue amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

You can watch the Minigolf in the time of Covid-19 video on the InterGame website and YouTube.

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Playing Crazy Golf at Cae Glas Park in Oswestry

A revisit to the Cae Glas Park Crazy Golf course in Oswestry, Shropshire.

There aren't too many 'Eternit' Miniature Golf courses here in the UK and some of those that do exist have been modified over the years.

One of the best examples is at Cae Glas Park in Oswestry.

We first played the course in 2009 and returned to compete on it during the Oswestry Games in 2012. It was the 149th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It was nice to have a game on it again earlier this week. Even if it started tipping it down as soon as we teed-off.

The 18-hole layout is still in great condition and there are some nice ace opportunities.

The course only costs £1.30 for adults / 50p for children to play! Unbelievable value.

Cae Glas Park is a superb setting and right in the town centre.

We're looking forward to playing it more in the future.

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Adventure Golf in Telford Town Park

A look at the Adventure Golf course in Telford Town Park.

We swung by the Adventure Golf course in Telford Town Park while on a recent trip to Telford, Shopshire.

The 12-hole Adventure Golf course was made by City Golf and has a Telford-theme to it featuring local landmarks.

It was the 716th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when I first visited it in October 2016. we've now been to 956 courses since September 2006.

Unfortunately it hasn't been open on either occasion I've been there.

The course is open but currently has restrictions on the opening times, with online bookings required to enter the course.

Visit the Telford Town Park website for more information.

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Minigolfing in Oxford's Parks

A look back at three minigolf courses in Oxford's Parks.

On this day in 2009 we played three Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses in Oxford.

We first visited the three Swedish Felt type minigolf courses in my home city on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in December 2008. We got to play them on the 13th August 2009 at the start of a nine-day road-trip that took us around the coast of Wales. Back then you could find layouts in Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park and Florence Park in Cowley.

Mini Golf in Bury Knowle Park, Headington.

Emily playing the first of many crazy golf holes we played on the holiday

This Swedish Felt Mini Golf was called Crazy Golf...

...and Putting!

A lesser spotted type of rules sign

Spectating

Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses contain some tricky optical illusion obstacles

Here's another lane that requires precision

Mini Golf at Florence Park in Cowley.

Teeing-off on the second of three courses in Oxford

Emily playing a very tricky obstacle

A nice line

Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford.

At the third Swedish Felt Mini Golf course in the third park

Another long, straight shot required

And another!

An uphill dog-leg lane

Mini Golf in Oxford

Sadly the Florence Park Minigolf course was removed in March this year.

The course at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park is now Crazy Croc's Mini Golf.

As far as I'm aware the course at Bury Knowle Park in Headington is still there.

Other places to play minigolf in Oxford include Gravitee Adventure Golf at the Ozone Leisure Park and Junkyard Golf venue in the Westgate Centre.

Earlier this year I found out there's also a minigolf course at the Fulbrook Centre at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

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Miniature Golf in Salford

Finding two minigolf courses in Salford.

We found two miniature golf courses by accident while out on our daily outdoor exercise yesterday afternoon!

Both layouts were in the City of Salford - one was a Putting Green at Victoria Park in Pendlebury, Swinton and the other was a Pitch & Putt course at Buile Hill Park in Salford.

Neither course was open

It's always nice to find minigolf courses we didn't previously know about. It was especially crazy as both are fairly close by!

We've now been to 954 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

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Enchanted Garden Adventure Golf course proposed for Raphael Park, Romford

A planning proposal has been submitted for a new Enchanted Garden Adventure Golf course at Raphael Park in Romford, Essex.

The themed minigolf course would be an 18-hole layout located at the Raphael Park Cafe.

The course would be created by Saturn Rock Creative.

It'll be interesting to see what the course looks and plays like. It'll be another new place to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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Petanque at the Memorial Park in Marple

A look at the Petanque piste at Memorial Park in Marple, Stockport.

We found another Petanque piste while out on our daily walk on Friday. It's at Memorial Park in Marple, Stockport.

It's in a nice setting

We're looking forward to playing Petanque on the piste in the future. We haven't had a game in a while

Last month we saw a sign for a Boules area at Bramhall Park. But couldn't find any trace of the terrain itself.

We play for the Woodstock Petanque Club at Alexandra Park in Edgeley, Stockport.

TT Putting Crazy Golf course in Ramsey on the Isle of Man

A look at the TT Putting Crazy Golf course on the Isle of Man.

In 2018 we had a holiday on the Isle of Man and clocked up five more course visits on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. One of which was the TT-themed Crazy Golf course at Mooragh Park in Ramsey.

The 18-hole TT Putting Crazy Golf course was the 827th visited and 487th played on our travels.

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