Signs of the coronavirus pandemic times

A look at signs of the Coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and lockdown.

I've been documenting the coronavirus pandemic in a number of ways, one of which is by photographing the different signs and posters I see on my walks and limited travels.

We're one year into lockdown in the UK and in that time I've collated some 922 of these (and counting) on my Instagram account.

One of the very first signs I snapped was this one during a local walk that passed by Cheadle Angling Club on Demmings Road in Cheadle.

We first saw social distancing measures in place at a miniature golf course in person on a walk to Bruntwood Park in Cheadle in May last year.

There is certainly a real variety of warnings, instructions and directional signage to do with social distancing, and I was amused by this photo Emily took of the social distancing measures in place on an escalator in M&S!

Surely the 2 metre apart distance stickers should be on the moving walkway as well, rather than the static sides of the escalator? I wonder how many people adhere to the rule and wait for the person ahead of them to reach the first marker?

Have you seen any interesting, quirky or amusing signs during these pandemic times? Do let me know.

City Golf Europe Adventure Golf photo competition

City Golf Europe are running an Adventure Golf course photo competition.

The Adventure Golf course at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

City Golf Europe has built over 300 adventure golf courses in European countries and are now looking to find out which Adventure Golf holes minigolf fans think are the most beautiful.

Congo Rapids Adventure Golf at Ufford Park Hotel in Woodbridge, Suffolk

Jiggers Miniature Golf course at the Thorpeness Golf Club & Hotel in Suffolk

We've played a number of City Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, ranging from permanent Adventure Golf and Mini Golf courses, to their more traditional Swedish Felt types of course.

Congo Rapids Adventure Golf at Norwich Family Golf Centre

The Blackpool Pleasure Beach course - scene of my Pleasure Beach Open tournament victory in 2009

The Adventure Golf course at Hoebridge Golf Centre in Old Woking

Sports World Mini Golf at O'Leary's in the Mall of Scandinavia, Sweden

The Swedish Felt Crazy Golf course at Malkins Bank Golf Club in Betchton, Sandbach

The Swedish Felt Crazy Golf course on Southend Pier

The deadline for submission of photos is 30th September 2019.

Congo Rapids Adventure Golf at Ufford Park Hotel in Suffolk

More info on the Adventure Golf photo competition can be found on the City Golf Europe website.

Congo Rapids Adventure Golf at Norwich Family Golf Centre

Minigolf in Sweden - Mariefred and Siggesta Gård, Värmdö near Stockholm

John Snelgrove has sent over some more great photos from two more miniature golf courses he's spotted from his travels in Sweden. Both are close to Stockholm.

The first minigolf course is in Mariefred. John tells me its a picturesque town on Lake Mälaren and in addition to the minigolf there is a miniature railway too. Sounds marvellous and it looks great there.

What a nice setting for a game of minigolf

The miniature railway looks great too

The course is a Swedish Felt type

The second course is in Siggesta Gård, on Värmdö and is more of a fantasy course compared to the Swedish Felt layout in Mariefred. It also looks brilliant and a course I'd definitely like a round or two on.

The course looks quite tricky, with some long holes

Quite a u-turn!

A fenced off feeding cow as an obstacle!

Followed by a GIANT teacup and saucer

Quite a normal hole after the teacup

The course looked like it was proving popular

A road bridge takes you to the green on this hole

A building you play into / out of!

Earlier this year John sent me some great snaps of the snow covered 'Bangolf' minigolf course at the Hellasgården in Nacka, Sweden and courses in Sandhamn and Sigtuna. It's always lovely to see different courses from around the world.

In 2011 Emily and I viisted Sweden to play for the Great Britain team in the WMF Nations Cup international tournament in Stockholm.

Related blog posts:
- Sweden
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

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Minigolf in Sandhamn and Sigtuna, Sweden

I've received more brilliant photos from John Snelgrove from his visits to two miniature golf courses in Sweden.

The first was a 12-hole course in Sandhamn, on an island around 50km from Stockholm.

Sandhamn Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

Sandhamn Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

Sandhamn Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

The second was an 18-hole layout in Sigtuna, Stockholm.

Sigtuna Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

Sigtuna Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

In April John sent me some great snaps of the snow covered 'Bangolf' minigolf course at the Hellasgården in Nacka, Sweden.

In 2011 Emily and I played for the GB team in the WMF Nations Cup international tournament in Stockholm.

On National Miniature Golf Day this year we played the refurbished Swedish Felt Mini Golf course in Guildford's Stoke Park, and later this month we'll be playing the new Swedish Felt course on the end of Southend Pier.

Links:
- Seglarhotellets minigolf
- Sigtuna minigolf

Related blog posts:
- Sweden
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Beton Minigolf
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Eternit Minigolf

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

'Bangolf' minigolf course at the Hellasgården in Nacka, Sweden

I was very interested to receive some great photos from John Snelgrove who had spotted this Minigolf (Bangolf) course while in Sweden in January.

Hellasgården Bangolf. Photo by John Snelgrove (January 2016)

The Bangolf course is at the Hellasgården in Nacka, a large nature area 5km southeast of Stockholm city. John tells me the area also has a lake that you can skate on in the winter!

The Hellasgården Bangolf course under cover of snow. Photo by John Snelgrove (January 2016)

Looking online the course looks like it's of the 'Eternit' type, but with some modifications - not least the addition of felt to the playing surface. You can see some snaps of the course on the Hellasgården Facebook page here and here.

In 2011 Emily and I played for the GB team in the WMF Nations Cup international tournament in Stockholm. One of those courses was of a similar variety. The weather for that event was quite different to the conditions found on John's visit to Sweden though.

Emily in action on the 'Eternit' Miniature Golf course at the Tantogårdens Bangolf Klub in Tantolunden Park, Stockholm

Link:
- Hellasgården website - Minigolf

Related blog posts:
- Sweden
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Beton Minigolf
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Eternit Minigolf

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Watermelon specialists

That's quite the specialist area to open up a business in!

Logman Ltd - a business on Caledonian Road in London that specialises in watermelons

I haven't seen the shop unshuttered yet. Specialising in watermelons must be a very secretive business.

Mini Golf by Simon Martin

New Minigolf book from photographer Simon Martin.

London, Kent & Brighton based photographer Simon Martin recently completed his latest project entitled 'Mini Golf'.

'Mini Golf' by Simon Martin - a great coffee table book

From late 2012 until May 2013 Simon travelled around the UK photographing a range of Mini, Crazy and Adventure Golf courses, as well as following the competition players on the British Minigolf Association Tour circuit to capture portraits of the players.

Simon Martin (l) presents Richard Gottfried with a copy of 'Mini Golf' at the 2013 WMF World Adventure Golf Masters tournament in Hastings

The book produced is a brilliant document of his travels to Minigolf 'hot spots' such as Brighton, Wroxham, Herne Bay, Blackpool, Great Yarmouth, Birmingham, Hemsby, Cheddar, Margate, Newport, East Finchley, Camden, Worthing, Sidcup, Canvey Island, The Mumbles, Arkley, Cwmbran, New Barnet and West Horndon. There are a couple of courses in the book that even Emily and I haven't yet visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

The player portraits are a nice touch too - some of us stars of the BMGA Tour are actually quite photogenic!

For more information on the Mini Golf project and to view some of the book's images please check out the Simon Martin Photography website.

Links:

- Simon Martin Photography

- Simon Martin Mini Golf Project

- British Minigolf Association

- Miniature Golf Books at the Crazy Golf Museum

Related blog posts:

- Miniature Golf Books for World Book Day

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Seaside Polaroids book

Attending the launch of the book 'Seaside Polaroids' by Jon Nicholson.

Emily and I recently attended the launch event for a great new book with a subject that greatly interested us. The photo book is called Seaside Polaroids and is by renowned photographer Jon Nicholson.

The event, held at the City office of travel agents Abercrombie & Kent, gave us a chance to look at prints of some of the photos from the book and chat to Jon himself.

During Jon’s journey around the coast with an old Polaroid camera he visited 22 English seaside resorts looking for subject matter for the photos, among the images are piers, amusements, fun fairs, beaches and shops.

Ahead of seeing the book for the first time I was interested and excited to see if Jon had managed to capture and include any of the country’s many seaside Crazy, Mini or Adventure Golf courses. Happily he has and it’s one that had me and Emily guessing as to its location when we saw it reproduced on one of the prints placed around the Abercrombie & Kent venue. Chatting to Jon we found that the course was in Exmouth – in the one part of the country we are yet to thoroughly explore! The course appears in a couple of photos in the book and as a whole if you’re a fan of the seaside then do pick up a copy.

Seaside Polaroids by Jon Nicholson and some seaside rock from publisher's Prestel

The photo adorning the cover of the book is of the pier and a beach full of seagulls (is one of them Top Gull?) in Worthing, West Sussex.

Since making a resolution in 2006 to visit as many of the UK’s seasides as possible Emily and I have so far made it to 175 resorts and coastal towns. The latest being Burnham-on-Sea, Brean and Berrow while on a trip to the Weston-Super-Mare area.

We’ve also got caught up in the spirit of that ever-so-British past-time of Miniature Golf and gone on to play 112 courses at the seaside (and visit 523 courses overall around the UK and a few overseas).

While beside the seaside we’ve also promenaded on 46 Piers in the country and spent countless pounds in the numerous amusement arcades dotted around the coast. We’re looking forward to many more days out and holidays at the great British seaside, and while we’re not there Jon’s book makes for a great look while sat at home in ‘sunny’ Luton.

Links:

- Jon Nicholson Photography

- Abercrombie & Kent

- Seaside Polaroids on Jon Nicholson’s blog

- Seaside Polaroids on Amazon

- Seaside Polaroids on Random House / Prestel

- Abercrombie & Kent and Jon Nicholson's Photo Journey Holidays

Related Blog Posts:

- Six Years on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Miniature Golf Books for World Book Day

Birdies Pop Up Golf Crazy Golf Photo Competition

Winning entry in the Birdies Pop Up Golf Crazy Golf Photo Competition.

Emily's photo of a 'spectator' at the 2012 Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championship was selected as one of the winning entries in the recent Birdies Pop Up Golf Crazy Golf photo competition!

One of the spectators at the World Crazy Golf Championship! Photo by: Emily Gottfried

The prize for the best photo was a Birdies Pop Up Golf t-shirt. Although it's a bit cold to be wearing them now (unless playing Minigolf indoors)!

A pair of Birdies Pop Up Golf t-shirts

Birdies Pop Up Golf launched a year ago today and Emily and I attended the launch event in Manchester. You can check out the report from the launch here. For more information on Birdies Pop Up Golf please visit their website here.

Playing Hole 3 of the Birdies Pop Up Minigolf Course Layout at the Launch Event last year

Related Blog Posts:

- I'm friends with Birdies Pop Up Golf, are you?

- Birdies Pop Up Golf - Launch Event for a New Minigolf Business in Manchester

Links:

- Birdies Pop Up Golf

Emily's Minigolf Photo is 19th in Minigolfnews.com Minigolf Photo Competition

Marián Havlík from Slovakia wins the online competition

Emily’s photo of me playing the 16th hole in the final of the 2011 WMF World Adventure Golf Masters competition at the Hastings Pirate Adventure Golf course finished in 19th place of the 20 finalists in the Minigolfnews.com Minigolf Photo of the Year Competition vote. The picture garnered a total of 118 points (2.8%).

Prior to the voting the Minigolfnews.com team picked the top 20 images from the 116 photos that had been submitted by 30 photographers at Minigolf courses and events in 2011.

You can view the final rankings here.

Emily's submitted photo: Richard Gottfried playing at the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters tournament in Hastings

Links:

- News Item: Marián Havlík takes Minigolf Photo of the Year

- Photo Poll: Minigolf Photo of the Year 2011 - Full Results

- News Item: Vote now: Minigolf Photo of the Year 2011

Minigolfnews.com - Minigolf Photo of the Year Competition!

One of Emily’s photos has been selected for the Minigolfnews.com Minigolf Photo of the Year Competition!

The Minigolfnews.com team selected the top 20 snaps from 116 submitted photos taken by 30 photographers at Minigolf events and courses throughout 2011.

Emily took the photo of me playing the 16th hole at the Hastings Pirate Adventure Golf course at the 2011 WMF World Adventure Golf Masters tournament last May.

Richard Gottfried at the 2011 WMF World Adventure Golf Masters tournament in Hastings

You can read the news item and view the photo shortlist at:

"Vote now: Minigolf Photo of the Year 2011"

Photos from the WMF Nations Cup 2011

You can view the photos Emily and I took on our trip to Stockholm, Sweden in my Flickr set "WMF Nations Cup 2011 - Stockholm, Sweden"

Welcome to Margate

Before we played in the BMGA Kent Open on Sunday 2nd November we had planned to practice at Strokes Adventure Golf Course, however seeing the somewhat stormy conditions on the Seafront course (below) we decided to visit Margate's mysterious Shell Grotto.




According to Shellgrotto.co.uk "The Grotto’s discovery in 1835 came as a complete surprise to the people of Margate; it had never been marked on any map and there had been no tales of its construction told around the town."

If you're in, or around the Margate it's well worth a visit (as is Strokes Adventure Golf Course).



More information about the Shell Grotto can be found here.