A Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk

A look at a Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

We didn't only visit minigolf courses during our East Anglian Road-Trip last month. We always try to pack in as much stuff as possible when we're out and about and one of our interests is in lost brands, retail archaeology and interesting signage.

By the time we reached Lowestoft in Suffolk we'd been to a lost Happy Shopper shop in Ashwellthorpe and been shocked to discover one in Ormesby St Margaret too. We knew there was a Happy Shopper in Lowestoft as we'd been there in 2011.

At a Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft

As with most things in the seaside town, the Happy Shopper is the 'easternmost' example of its type in the British Isles.

The Happy Shopper newsagent, general store and off licence in Lowestoft retains the classic yellow and orange colours of the brand, but differs from other Happy Shopper shops as it doesn't feature the smiling face anywhere on the logo.

Take a look at my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Lowestoft (2011)
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin
• Ashwellthorpe
• Ormesby St Margaret

Family Adventure Golf at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft, Suffolk

A look at the easternmost Adventure Golf course in the British Isles.

We visited Lowestoft in Suffolk on our East Anglian road-trip last month and revisited the 20th course we ever played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Back then it was called East Point Family Golf.

The Family Adventure Golf course at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft is the easternmost Adventure Golf course in the British Isles.

Del Boy in Sudbury, Suffolk

We saw an Only Fools and Horses Reliant Regal Supervan racing through Sudbury, Suffolk last month.

It's one of a number of Del Boy vans we've seen while out and about.

A Pizza Hut ghost sign in Ipswich

We spotted this modern day ghost sign on a former Pizza Hut restaurant at the Anglia Retail Park in Ipswich, Suffolk last month.

It is looking likely that a branch of Tim Horton's will be taking over the vacant unit in the future.

The Codfather in Sudbury

The latest Godfather-inspired business name and sign we've seen was in Sudbury, Suffolk.

Toys R Us in Ipswich, Suffolk

A look at the old Toys R Us store in Ipswich, Suffolk.

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

A sign at the old Toys R Us store at the Interchange Retail Park in Ipswich

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.

As close as you can get to the Ipswich store

Working at Toys R Us

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

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

Adventure Golf at Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe

There's a new Adventure Golf course at Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe.

A new 12-hole heritage-themed Adventure Golf course has opened at Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe in Suffolk.

Visit the Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe Facebook Page for more information.

We've visited Southwold on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and on our last visit swung by the Crazy Golf course at the Boating Lake & Cafe on North Parade.

Happy Shopper in Lowestoft

The easternmost Happy Shopper shop in the British Isles.

I was looking through my photo archive and happened to find a snap I took of the Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk in August 2011!

I'm a big fan of the classic brand. I was both amazed and pleased that you can still find the original branding on some of the stores - this one is of particular interest as the classic cheeky chappy face is not included on the sign. From memory and looking online other signs on the shop have other versions of the logo

It's a brand I remember from growing up in the 1980s and 90s. Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000, but if you are lucky you can still find the original branding and signage on some shops.

Happy Shopper still exists as both convenience stores and own brand food & drink products. It has been part of the Booker Group since 1996. Booker itself is now owned by Tesco.

The Happy Shopper newsagent, general store and off licence can be found at 121 London Rd South in Lowestoft. As with many things in the seaside town it's the easternmost thing of its kind in the British Isles.

On our visits to Lowestoft we've played the easternmost adventure golf course and putting green in the British Isles.

Toys R Us in Ipswich

A look at the old Toys R Us store in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Many thanks to my sister-in-law Annette for sending over a snap of the closed Toys R Us store in the Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich.

This sign is still up. But for how much longer?

Sadly Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018. Luckily there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK. I worked in the Gipsy Lane store in Luton, Bedfordshire back in the year 2000.

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

• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby
• Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham

Alton Water Mini Golf in Ipswich

A visit to the Alton Water Mini Golf course in Ipswich, Suffolk.

My brother and Charter Member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has sent over some photos of the miniature golf course at Alton Water in Suffolk.

The Alton Water Mini Golf course is the 982nd course visited overall on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

The course was created by the team at UrbanCrazy and opened earlier this year.

Check out the Alton Water website for more information, opening times and prices.

Visit the UrbanCrazy website for more information about the courses they build and minigolf supplies they offer.

We're looking forward to having a game there in the future. We'd normally have been to see family and friends in Ipswich a number of times already this year but haven't been able to get back once yet.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Christopher and his family have visited 36 courses on their branch of the tour, 26 of those have been unique to them. Emily and I have visited 956 courses on the main tour.

Christopher has been to four courses in 2020.

We've been to a total of 46 courses in 2020, with 15 of those being new courses visited. We've swung by eight new courses in the time of coronavirus.

We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a lot of new courses to play at too!

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Alton Water Minigolf in Ipswich, Suffolk

A look at the Alton Water Minigolf course in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Many thanks to James Palmer from UrbanCrazy for sending over some snaps of the new minigolf course at Alton Water in Suffolk.

We're looking forward to having a game there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future. We'd normally have been to see family and friends in Ipswich a number of times already this year but haven't been able to get back once yet. Fingers crossed we'll get there at some point this year!

Visit the Alton Water website for more information, opening times and prices.

Check out the UrbanCrazy website for more information about the courses they build and minigolf supplies they offer.

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Mini Golf at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft

A look at the Mini Golf course at Africa Alive! in Kessingland, Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried sent me these photos of the Mini Golf course at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

The crazy golf course at the Africa Alive! zoo became the 981st course visited overall on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Check out the Africa Alive! website for more information.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Christopher and his family have visited 35 courses on their branch of the tour, 25 of those have been unique to them. Emily and I have visited 956 courses on the main tour.

Christopher has been to three courses in 2020.

We've been to a total of 46 courses in 2020, with 15 of those being new courses visited. We've swung by eight new courses in the time of coronavirus.

We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a lot of new courses to play at too!

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Hidden in plain sight

It's funny what you see when you look back on your travels.

With my current, new found interest in seeking out old Blockbuster Video stores while there are still traces of them, I checked out if there used to be any in Suffolk ahead of our next visit to see family and friends in the area.

In a normal year we'd have been to Ipswich and Felixstowe a number of times already by now. Felixstowe is probably our most visited seaside of all time, with the minigolf courses in the town our most revisited.

Sadly we've been there a grand total of zero times in 2020.

Looking online Felixstowe was once home to a Blockbuster Video store on Crescent Road.

Strangely I inadvertently blogged about it in 2017! In a way.

When I saw the location of the former store I knew I'd seen it before.

Back in 2017 I was alerted to the fact there was a new American Diner in Felixstowe that served a 98% gluten free menu. Something that intrigued me as it's a strange thing to offer as everyone with Coeliac Disease needs 100% gluten free food!

Looking at that blog post I noticed a remnant of its time as a Blockbuster. Can you see what it is?

Look closely^

Yes, the original Blockbuster Video sign was still in place and the big torn ticket outline is clear to see!

Blockbuster!

It's always interesting to see shadows, ghosts and remnants from a bygone time. Here in Cheadle Hulme you can still see the outline of the old Blockbuster Video logo on what is now a Majestic Wine Warehouse.

Smugglers Bay Adventure Golf at Stonham Barns

A look at the Smugglers Bay Adventure Golf course at Stonham Barns.

Last April we revisited Stonham Barns in Suffolk to play the new Smugglers Bay Adventure Golf course.

In 2018 we'd called in to Stonham Barns Golf Park and seen the course under construction.

We've been to Stonham Barns a number of times before when visiting family in nearby Ipswich.

The old Crazy Golf course there was the 33rd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in August 2007.

Playing the old Stonham Barns Crazy Golf course in 2013

The new Smugglers Bay Adventure Golf course at Stonham Barns Golf Park became the 506th we've played and was the 815th visited overall.

Fantasia Adventure Golf on Sea Road in Felixstowe, Suffolk

A look at the Fantasia Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe a year ago.

The course is one of our most visited layouts. We've been there around three times a year for the last 14 years.

It's looking likely that we won't be going there at all in 2020.

The 9-hole layout was the 7th course we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Magical Golf at Manning's Amusements in Felixstowe

A look at the Magical Crazy Golf course at Manning's Amusement Arcade in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Last Friday we swung by the Magical Crazy Golf course at Manning's Amusements in Felixstowe. It's one of our most visited courses and we've been going there since November 2006.

Back then the indoor Adventure Golf course was known as Golf FX. At that time it was one of only two indoor minigolf courses in the UK.

It's also been known as Magical Golf FX and Harry Putter Crazy Golf. It's currently called Magical Golf.

The course was the fifth visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 939 courses.

Visit the Manning's Amusements website for more information.

One of the long minigolf holes at the indoor course

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

A return to the Fantasia Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe.

The Fantasia Adventure Golf course on Sea Road in Felixstowe is one of our most visited courses. We've been playing there since November 2006.

Hole 3

The course was the seventh visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 900 courses in the British Isles and 939 overall.

Hole 4

We visited the course on our return to the seaside town last Friday.

Hole 1

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 2 

Hole 9

Putting Green at Hintlesham Golf Club

A look at Putting Green at Hintlesham Golf Club in Suffolk.

Earlier this summer we attended the wedding of our niece Beth at Hintlesham Golf Club in Suffolk.

Sadly we didn't have time for a putt on the Putting Green at the venue.

New minigolf course at Alton Water

A new miniature golf course is opening soon at Alton Water in Suffolk.

The team at UrbanCrazy are putting the finishing touches to a new minigolf course at Alton Water in Suffolk.

Each hole will have an information board with details of Alton Water and Anglian Water.

You can see some photos of the course on the Alton Water Facebook Page.

Check out the Alton Water website for more about the reservoir and water park.

We're looking forward to playing the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. It's not too far from Ipswich so will be good to visit while in town to see family and friends.

Alton Water is one of seven Water Parks operated by Anglian Water. Rutland Water also has a minigolf course. We played there in 2015.

Playing the minigolf course at Rutland Water

Southwold Putting Championship 2019

The Southwold Putting Championship takes place this Sunday.

A lovely spot for some miniature golf

Good luck to all of the players in the Annual Southwold Putting Championship taking place in the Suffolk seaside town on Sunday 27th October.

The Southwold Putting course was the 478th played and 811th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in May last year.

I managed to score aces on the 7th and 11th holes. It's always nice to score holes-in-one on grass Putting courses

It's a lovely setting and a really good grass putting layout.

On our visit I shot a 41, the the low round of the week.

The course was a good test of putting skill

The course is well worth a visit. If you gain the lowest score of the week or season you earn yourself a spot in the annual tournament. You can also buy into the two-round competition with a £5 charity donation at the course.

Visit the Southwold Putting & Cafe on the Green on Facebook for more information.