2011 Worlds £2 Tat Challenge at the Old Town Amusements in Hastings

Results of the 2011 'Worlds £2 Tat Challenge' at the Old Town Amusements in Hastings

Following the completion of the first day's play in the 2011 Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships a group of Seaside Amusements fans made the now traditional and ceremonial walk to The Old Town Amusement Arcade to compete in the second-annual '£2 Tat Challenge'.

Photo: Vice-Chairman of the PTA Scott Lancley runs through the rules of the £2 Tat Challenge 

This Amusements Challenge Tournament saw a total of 26 participants compete for the title on Saturday 29th October 2011. The field was double that of the 2010 event when ‘Johnson’ Paul Johnson took the win with a haul of nine pieces of tat. This year the title was not to be Paul Johnson’s again, as the man now known as Paul ‘Johnson Paul Johnson’ Johnson only managed to win one bit of tat with his stake money.

Photo: Defending champion Paul 'Johnson Paul Johnson' Johnson crashes out of the 2011 £2 Tat Challenge with just one piece of tat. Note Jam Trubridge continuing to play-on in his debut Tat Challenge 

The brains behind the £2 Tat Challenge are Scott ‘Donkey Gringo’ Lancley (the International Worlds Crazy Air Squash Champion) and Emily ‘Lemony’ Gottfried. The rules of the £2 Tat Challenge are simple – the aim is to win the most amount of 2p falls prizes with a stake of £2. The overall winner then gets to bag up all of the tat as their prize!

The 2011 Honours went to newcomer and junior Polly who managed to bag a grand total of eleven pieces of tat with her £2!

Photo: New Worlds £2 Tat Challenge Champion Polly receives her prize of all the tat. Last year's Champion Paul 'Johnson Paul Johnson' Johnson manages to get in on the photo 

In total 127 pieces of tat were won this year with the players spending £52 in total to compete. In the 2010 event the thirteen players won 36 pieces of tat between them.

Photo: The motley crew of Tatters, Ratters and Sharks assemble for the obligatory Group Photo at the 2011 Worlds £2 Tat Challenge Competition

The Full Rankings for the 2011 £2 Tat Challenge can be seen below:

Rank Player Country Tat Won
1 Polly ENG 11
2 Richard Gottfried ENG 10
2 Stu Bowker ENG 10
4 Chris Harding ENG 9
4 James Rutherford ENG 9
6 Pasi Aho FIN 8
7 Alex Exall ENG 7
7 Chris Jones ENG 7
9 Phil Exall ENG 5
9 Terry Exall ENG 5
9 Emily Gottfried ENG 5
12 Anna Green ENG 4
12 Jam Trubridge ENG 4
12 Jes ENG 4
12 Keith Kellard ENG 4
12 Seth Thomas ENG 4
12 Trevor Exall ENG 4
18 Brad Shepherd ENG 3
18 Leo Kukielka ENG 3
18 Marc Chapman ENG 3
18 Peter Jones WAL 3
22 Denis Exall ENG 2
23 Adam Kelly ENG 1
23 Paul Johnson ENG 1
23 Scott Lancley ENG 1
26 Albert ENG 0

Photos from the event:

Photo: Two Crazy Golf World Champions and an Exall line-up at the 2p pusher for a crack at Worlds Tat Challenge Glory. From l-r Keith Kellard, Terry Exall and Chris Harding

Photo: From l-r Jam Trubridge and Seth 'Wandsworth' Thomas tackle The Buttons

Photo: Peter 'Toy Jeep' Jones having a rare old time at the amusements

Photo: From l-r Tat Challenge Rookie Trevor Exall and last year's loser Marc Chapman wait for the prize to drop. Chapman managed to win three pieces of tat this year, beating his total haul of zero last year

Photo: Denis 'I'll bring the bell' Exall pumps the 2p pusher full of money. His tactic and motto was simple - "It's quality of the prizes, not quantity that counts." Not in this game it's not Den ;-)

Photo: From l-r Anna Green, Adam 'ASBO' Kelly and Scott Lancley tackle The Pushers

Photo: Brad Shepherd, Terry Exall, Alex Exall and Phil Exall take a gander at Chris Harding's last push for the win

Photo: The mighty haul of 127 pieces of Tat won by the 26 players!!!

Photo: From l-r Chris Harding and James Rutherford collect a prize each for finishing in tied third place. Peter Jones finished in tied 18th place and just happens to be in the photo

Photo: From l-r Richard 'The Town Crier' Gottfried and Stu 'Stewy' Bowker take their prize each for finishing as tied runners-up. Stu chose the quality prize that Denis Exall had won

Photo: Squire the Town Crier invites one and all to join in the fun at the 2011 Worlds £2 Tat Challenge

The '£2 Tat Challenge' was an open invitation competition and featured in the Unofficial Booklet of the 2011 World Crazy Golf Championships.

Anticipation for the 2012 event is growing already!

Following the inaugural £2 Tat Challenge in Hastings last October there were also two tat Challenges in May 2011 which saw Richard Gottfried and Alan Norman crowned as interim champions. Controversially Alan subsequently exchanged 37 pieces of Tat from the overall winner’s swag-bag that he won for one Pingu Teddy Bear that he promptly called 'Penny'!?

£2 Tat Challenge Hall of Fame
#1 - Paul Johnson - 9 pieces of Tat
#2 - Richard Gottfried - 10 pieces of Tat
#3 - Alan Norman - 6 pieces of Tat +1
#4 - Polly - 11 pieces of Tat

Links:
- £2 Tat Challenges at 'The Buttons' in Hastings - May 2011
- 'The £2 Tat Challenge' at 'The Buttons' in Hastings - October 2010

The "Buttons Committee" Mini-Golf-Gold-Fish Classic at Weymouth

Video - The Buttons Committee at Weymouth Pirate Adventure Mini Golf - Feeding the Fishes



The 'Buttons Committee' had their First (Impromptu) Meeting at Reading Services on the M4 back in February 2011!

Boom-A-Rang Crazy Air Squash at Circus Circus in Las Vegas

While at the Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas we spotted a Boom-A-Rang Air Squash table in the Amusement Arcades and as big fans of these games had to give it a go.

Despite my previous poor showings in Crazy Air Squash contests - most notably in the 2010 Undisputed International Worlds Crazy Air Squash Championships - I actually managed to pick up the win, defeating Emily 7-2.

Most of the Crazy Air Squash tables we've found on our travels have been of the 'Air Squash' variety, indeed the Boom-A-Rang table is one of only two that I've played, the other being at LaserForce Laser Tag in Peterborough. 

Hillbilly Shooting Shack in Portobello & Joppa - Edinburgh's seaside

While on our mini-holiday to Edinburgh we found a Hillbilly Shooting Shack in one of the two amusement arcades in Portobello & Joppa.

Other blog posts about Shooting Shacks

The amusement arcade looked like it used to be much bigger and we also found a sign that pointed us in the direction of the now non-existent Fun Park.



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Crazy Air Squash in Great Yarmouth

The one and only sporting title I walked away from our weekend away in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth was the winner of the Crazy Air Squash match at the Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth - winning 7-5 against Emily.

This was alot better than my last tournament outing at the Peterborough Boom-A-Rang Air Squash Championships where I lost against Rebecca 'The Fen Tigress' Evison in the Grand Final and my dismal performance in the Undisputed International Worlds Crazy Air Squash Championships in September 2010 when I crashed out of the tournament on the wrong end of a 9-nil defeat at the hands of the debuting German Crazy Air Squash Wunderkind Gerhard Zimmermann.

In total we found three Crazy Squash Tables in various amusement arcades in Great Yarmouth - perhaps this is where all the tables that used to be in Hastings were shipped to?

Still Jobbing To Arm Champs II Arcade Game in Great Yarmouth

At the time of writing this blog post I have uploaded a total of 387 videos to YouTube. Of these the most viewed video is one of me "Jobbing to Arm Champs II Arcade Machine" which has had 14,071 views since I uploaded it on the 16th of February 2007.

On Sunday 7th of August 2011 we were once again in Great Yarmouth and I had another go on the Arm Champs II machine to see if I could beat 'Chang'. This time I did (legitimately too I might add), only to go and be jobbed out in the Bonus Stage!?



Related Blog Posts:
- 2007 - Jobbing to Arm Champs II Arcade Machine
- 2009 - Arm Champs II – the rematch
- 2009 - Jobbing to Arm Champs - the original Arm Wrestling Arcade Game
- 2011 - Arm Champs II, Turks and Jobbing - a revisit to Great Yarmouth's Best Arcade Machine

Crazy Golf at the Vegas Amusement Arcade in Hunstanton

The 40th and final minigolf course we visited on our seaside and minigolf tour of Lincolnshire & Norfolk was at the Vegas Amusement Arcade in Hunstanton. It became the 24th we were able to play on the road trip, and was the 248th course played overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We didn't know there was going to be a Crazy Golf course there until I spotted the words 'Crazy Golf' on the sign outside, as we came out from the nearby mini-funfair.

The name 'Vegas' promised so much, however the course itself did not live up to our initial expectations... but for a pound a go and an 'experience' it was still fun.

The Crazy Golf course itself was not inside the amusement arcade (as had been the case in Cleethorpes), but was located 'out the back', next to a Go Kart Track.

In June 2010 we visited the real Las Vegas, where we played four Minigolf courses:
175 King Putt (North West Las Vegas, USA) - Indoor Mini Golf - Review at The Putting Penguin here
176 Pike's Pass (Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) - Miniature Golf
177 King Putt (Henderson, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) - Indoor Mini Golf - Review at The Putting Penguin here
178 The Putt Park (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) - Miniature Golf - Review at The Putting Penguin here

So far we've managed to visit a grand total of 384 Miniature Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, playing 248 of them!

Related blog posts:
- List of courses visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

Skeg-Vegas!

We noticed in a few souvenir shops in Skegness, Lincolnshire, you could buy items bearing the name 'Skeg-Vegas'! There was also an amusement arcade there called 'Las Vegas'!

I really enjoyed the trip to Skegness and will go back. I also enjoyed our holiday to Las Vegas last summer (where we will also be returning).

If you enjoy the British seaside, with its Crazy Golf, beaches, Pier, rock, saucy postcards and lots to see and do, then you should definitely check the town out.

While we were visiting there was a news story in the local press about a review of the town in the latest Lonely Planet Guide, where Skegness was described as a 'tacky spectacle'.

In a way the Lonely Planet review was correct - the seaside is a bit 'tacky', but so are lots of UK seasides, and it depends on if you think 'tacky' is a bad thing or not? Along with the millions of other visitors to the resort, I enjoyed our stay and will go back again.

The review also said the town had the "ABC of the English seaside – amusements, bingo and candy floss" - on this I disagree. With twelve Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf courses on offer to visitors, surely the 'C' should stand for 'Crazy Golf'!

Emily and I have so far visited 137 seasides since we made a resolution in 2006 to try and visit every seaside in the UK. We've visited places like Great Yarmouth (which is great), Blackpool - which offer Minigolf and Amusements, to Southwold and Aldeburgh - which are a bit more sedate, but still nice to visit.

Really, you can visit loads of different types of seasides in the UK, some are tacky, some offer a more slow-paced resort, others offer great beaches, some are more like harbours with a little bit of beach, many offer great views and seascapes. With so much on offer, you can take your pick!

Related blog posts:
- List of courses visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

Our latest Seaside, Minigolf, Pier and Amusements Roadtrip - Lincolnshire & a bit of Norfolk

Our latest Seaside, Minigolf, Pier and Amusements Roadtrip took us to Lincolnshire and a little bit of Norfolk.

Over five days we visited seven seasides, visited 34 minigolf and crazy golf courses, went to countless Amusement Arcades and visited a few Piers too.

Great fun indeed, and details, photos and videos to follow over the coming weeks!

Related blog posts:
- List of courses visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

£2 Tat Challenges at 'The Buttons' in Hastings - May 2011

There were two "£2 Tat Challenges" at 'The Buttons' in Hastings over the World Adventure Golf Masters weekend, with minigolfers tearing themselves away from practice at the Adventure Golf course to try their hand at the challenge of winning the most amount of prizes from the 2p falls machines!

In the afternoon session on Friday the 13th May Richard Gottfried walked away the winner, while in the evening session, also on the 13th, Alan Norman stormed to victory in a sudden play-off after three players tied with six pieces of Tat won!

Afternoon Results:
Richard 'Tat Mon' Gottfried - 10 pieces of Tat won
Seth 'Buttons' Thomas - 8
Alan 'Penny' Norman - 8
James 'Ruthers' Rutherford - 5
Brad 'The Claw' Shepherd - 4*
Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried - DNP
Oliver 'Slot Machine' Florence - DNP
Michael 'Richard Skeggs' Skaggs - DNP
* Brad was Disqualified after he 'lorst' his Tat!

Evening Results:
Alan 'Penny' Norman - 6 pieces of Tat won - +1 won in the 50p sudden-death play-off**
Nick 'Slow and Steady Wins The Race' Sandqvist - 6
James 'Ruthers' Rutherford - 6
Richard 'Tat Mon' Gottfried - 5
Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried - 5
Oliver 'Slot Machine' Florence - 4
Brad 'The Claw' Shepherd - 4
Seth 'Buttons' Thomas - 2
Michael 'Richard Skeggs' Skaggs - DNP
** After the event, Alan exchanged 37 pieces of Tat from the overall winner's swag-bag that he won for one Pingu Teddy Bear that he promptly called 'Penny'!?

£2 Tat Challenge Hall of Fame
#1 - Paul Johnson - 9 pieces of Tat
#2 - Richard Gottfried - 10 pieces of Tat
#3 - Alan Norman - 6 pieces of Tat +1

Photos from the afternoon session.
Note: No photo exists for Seth Thomas and his prizes!?

Photos from the evening session.

The "£2 Tat Challenge" amusements contest was created by Scott ‘Donkey Gringo’ Lancley (the International Worlds Crazy Air Squash Champion) and Emily ‘Coach’ Gottfried, with the very first edition of the event taking place in October 2010 during the World Crazy Golf Championships weekend in Hastings.

A "£2 Tat Challenge" Order of Merit is being formulated! Suggestions on its calculation welcome...?

Other Amusements Photos:

Non-participant Michael Skaggs goes for a ride

Alan Norman braves serious injury by taking on Brad Shepherd at Air Hockey - a risky business indeed, especially in Hastings!

Ruthers and some Meerkats