Anyone for Tennis?

A look at the sports-themed Adventure Golf course at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex in Southampton, Hampshire.

There were lots of sports on offer as obstacles on the sports-themed minigolf course at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex in Southampton, Hampshire when we swung by for a visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2019.

The 18-hole course was the 877th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 1,127 courses since 2006.

Check out the Romsey Rapids Sports Complex website for more information.

Mini Golf at LEVEL1 at Southampton FC

Southampton Football Club is opening a new indoor entertainment centre at St Mary's Stadium.

The new LEVEL1 indoor entertainment and activity centre at Southampton FC's St Mary's Stadium will include a mini golf course.

The indoor crazy golf course at Southampton FC's new LEVEL1 centre will be a 9-hole layout.

In addition to the mini golf course, LEVEL1 will also be home to climbing walls, a high ropes course, AR darts, arcade machines, a bar & kitchen, and more.

LEVEL1 at Southampton FC is planned to open in October 2025.

Puttify Mini Golf.

The course will be a Puttify Mini Golf - an indoor tech-minigolf course.

Puttify Golf is a new type of interactive mini golf. You can find out more about Puttify Golf on the Greenspan website.

Find out more.

Visit the Southampton FC and LEVEL1 websites for more information on LEVEL1.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

LEVEL1 at St Mary's Stadium will be a new venue and crazy golf course for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Anyone for Tennis?

A look at the sports-themed Adventure Golf course at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex in Southampton, Hampshire.

The tennis-themed hole and obstacles on the Romsey Rapids Adventure Golf course in Southampton

There were lots of sports on offer as obstacles on the sports-themed minigolf course at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex in Southampton, Hampshire when we swung by for a visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2019.

The podium was a nice obstacle to have on the final hole of the course

The 18-hole course was the 877th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Romsey Rapids Sports Complex website for more information on the course and venue.

The Pyramid-like Leonardo Royal Hotel Southampton Grand Harbour

A look at the Leonardo Royal Southampton Grand Harbour Hotel.

We visited Southampton back in May 2021 and spotted this pyramid hotel.

Check out the Leonardo Royal Hotel Southampton Grand Harbour website for more information.

Pizza Vending Machines

A look at two pizza vending machines in Southampton and Worthing.

Let's Pizza in Southampton

Pizza Rebellion in Worthing

Have you ever used one? What was the result like?

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

Looking back at our visit to the Crazy Golf course at the Outdoor Sports Centre in Southampton.

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

The Crazy Golf course at the Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre was the 872nd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2019. Sadly we didn't have time to play it as we had to get to a wedding!

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

The course was surprising to see as it was of the mini-Eternit Miniature Golf variety - a smaller version of a minigolf type more commonly found in continental Europe.

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

We'd only been to one course like it before, at Sutton Farm Cheshire at Sutton Weaver Village near Runcorn, Cheshire.

Here's a look at the 12-hole layout.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 10

Hole 11

Hole 12

Visit the Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre website for more information and opening times.

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

Tenpin Putt Crazy Golf in Sheffield, Southampton and Parrs Wood Manchester

There are now Tenpin Putt crazy golf courses at the Tenpin venues in Sheffield, Southampton and Parrs Wood Manchester.

The Tenpin centres in Sheffield, Southampton and Parrs Wood Manchester are now home to indoor Tenpin Putt crazy golf courses.

Check out the Tenpin website for more information.

The three courses are new ones for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Blockbuster Video in Southampton - May 2021

A look at the former Blockbuster Video store on Portswood Road in Southampton, Hampshire in May 2021.

Blockbuster Video store locations we've visited on our travels

Our interest in lost brands and retail history has taken us to several former Blockbuster stores:

• 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
• Failsworth, Manchester
• 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
• Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Adventure Golf at Tenpin Southampton

There's an Adventure Golf course at Tenpin Southampton.

Visit the Tenpin Southampton website for more information about the indoor prison-themed Adventure Golf course.

It's another new one for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Toys R Us on the Western Esplanade in Southampton

Visiting the old Toys R Us store on the Western Esplanade in Southampton, Hampshire.

We made a trip to the former Toys R Us store at Western Esplanade in Southampton in May 2021.

There was still a lot of signs on display at the large old unit.

Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018.

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

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

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

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

The old Blockbuster Video store in Southampton

A look at the former Blockbuster Video store in Southampton.

We visited the old Blockbuster Video store on Portswood Road in Southampton, Hampshire back in May 2021.

Work was underway to open the location as a new business. Luckily there were still some traces of the Blockbuster brand.

Finding other old Blockbuster Video shops.

It's always fun to see ghost signs, remnants of old & dead brands and interesting signage while out and about on our travels. Since I found the remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019 I've been intrigued to see the brand still has a lingering presence on the high street. The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK in December 2013!

Our travels have taken us to several former Blockbuster stores:

• 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
• Failsworth, Manchester
• 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
• Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

East Park Mini Golf in Southampton

A look at the East Park Mini Golf course in Southampton.

My friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown sent me these photos of the East Park Mini Golf course in Southampton from his visit last month.

East Park Mini Golf in Southampton. Photo by Simon Brown, February 2023

East Park Mini Golf in Southampton. Photo by Simon Brown, February 2023

East Park Mini Golf in Southampton. Photo by Simon Brown, February 2023

We played the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2019.

Putt Club opening in Eastleigh, Southampton

A new Putt Club indoor crazy golf course is opening in Eastleigh, Southampton in October.

You can find Putt Club minigolf course in Hull, Leicester, Edmonton, London Docklands and Watford.

Visit the Putt Club website for more information.

Crazy Golf at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex

There are plans to refurbish the Crazy Golf course at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex in Romsey, Southampton, Hampshire.

We visited the sports-themed Adventure Golf course at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2019.

Adventure Golf at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex in Southampton

Visit the Romsey Rapids Sports Complex website for more information.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs

I didn't realise there were Nathan's Famous hot dog restaurants in the UK until I spotted this one on a recent trip to Southampton.

This is one of two Nathan's Famous in the UK - it's in Portswood, Southampton. The other is in Bournemouth.

We saw Nathan's as we were on our way to check out the Only Foods and Sauces food van in the area.

It's always fun finding US brands where you wouldn't expect to see them. We saw quite a few 7 Elevens in Sweden on our last visit.

Adventure Golf advertising

We spotted this advert for the Dino Islands Adventure Golf course at Sandham Gardens in Sandown Bay on the Isle of Wight at the Red Funnel Ferry Terminal in Southampton.

We're yet to play the Dino Islands Adventure Golf course at Sandham Gardens on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, but did play the course that was on the same spot before it.

Visit the Dino Islands Adventure Golf website for more information.

Pac-Man at Southampton Inside/Out

We spotted Pac-Man and a blue ghost while walking around Southampton last month!

They were created as part of the social distancing floor markings as part of the Southampton Inside Out dining campaign to create more places to dine out during the coronavirus pandemic.