Toys R Us inside WH Smith in Salisbury

There's a Toys R Us at WH Smith in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Toys R Us at WH Smith in Salisbury

Emily spotted this new Toys R Us store at WH Smith in Salisbury on a recent trip to the city.

Toys R Us inside WH Smith in Salisbury

It was a nice to see these framed pictures showing the evolution of the brand's mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe over the years inside the shop.

While the last of the original Toys R Us stores in the UK closed on the 24th April 2018 the brand returned to the UK in 2022 with an online presence, and further expanded in 2023 with the opening of nine concessions inside WH Smith.

There are currently 76 Toys R Us concessions in WH Smith shops (up from 39 in September this year), with more planned to open. Visit the Toys R Us website for more information.

Working at Toys R Us

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.

Toys R Us concessions in the USA

Emily saw a Toys R Us at a Macy's department store in Fort Worth, Texas and a sign for one at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on a trip to the USA earlier this year.

The old Toys R Us

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 several of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Former Toys R Us locations we've been to 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
• Trafford Centre in Manchester
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Lost Toys R Us Stores

My book about Lost Toys R Us Stores is available to buy from Amazon.

There were once 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. The business ceased trading in 2018 and all of those shops closed. It is still possible to find traces of the brand on some retail parks and shopping centres around the UK. The book takes a look at some of those old stores between 2019 and 2021.

Buy Lost Toys R Us Stores on Amazon.

Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Club

A look back at the Crazy Putting Challenge minigolf course at Hamptworth Golf Club - the 875th course we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Putting Challenge minigolf course at Hamptworth Golf Club (May 2019)

Our 2019 trip to Southampton saw us visit 18 more courses on our tour, playing eight of them. One of the courses we had a round on was the Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Club in Wiltshire.

On hole 4

The excellent 9-hole course was the 875th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 511th played.

We really enjoyed our game on the Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Club. The staff at the club were very welcoming and we could've easily spent a few more hours enjoying the course.

The Rules of the Crazy Putting Challenge course

In our match-up over 18-holes I won with a score of 41 (20 and 21) to Emily's 44 (22 and 22).

Playing hole 4

Emily on hole 1

I played two further rounds to try to shoot a sub-20 score, but hit another 21 and 20. It's the sort of course I could've played over and over again.

Playing hole 5

Check out my blog post with videos of me playing each of the 9-holes.

Teeing-off on hole 8

There was a nice little Putting Green at the Club too and a number of people were enjoying a round on the big golf course. Big being the operative word, as Hamptworth Golf Club is home to a 666 yard par-6 hole!

The Putting Green

Hole 9 was the longest hole on the Crazy Putting Challenge course

Photos of the 9-hole Crazy Putting Challenge course.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 6

 

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 9

Visit the Hamptworth Golf Club website for more information on the venue.

Mini Golf at Fayre on the Square in Salisbury

There will be a Mini Golf course at the Fayre on the Square in Salisbury, Wiltshire this summer.

Fayre on the Square runs from Saturday 20th July until Sunday 1st September.

Check out the Fayre on the Square website for more information.

Jungle Rocks Adventure Golf at Adventure Point in Swindon

There's a 9-hole Crazy Golf course at Adventure Point in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Jungle Rocks Adventure Golf is indoor course at Adventure Point in Swindon.

Visit the Adventure Point website for more information.

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

Minigolf at Coate Water Park in Swindon

The two miniature golf courses at Coate Water Park in Swindon, Wiltshire will be reopening this summer.

The 18-hole Pitch & Putt layout and 18-hole Crazy Golf course at Coate Water Park in Swindon closed during the coronavirus pandemic and haven't reopened since.

They're now set to open for play again from July.

The Crazy Golf course at Coate Water Park was the 750th course visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in August 2017.

Adventure Golf at Lydiard Park in Swindon

A new Adventure Golf course is planned for Lydiard House in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Lydiard House at Lydiard Park in Swindon could soon be home to an Adventure Golf course.

Lydiard Adventure Golf would be an outdoor course with a wildlife-theme.

It'll be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Trowbridge Park Mini Golf

A look at the Trowbridge Park Mini Golf course.

My friend and minigolf rival (and sometimes team-mate) Seth Thomas recently swung by the Trowbridge Park Mini Golf in Trowbridge, Wiltshire and sent me these snaps.

It looks to be a type of Eternit-style miniature golf layout.

Check out the Trowbridge Park Mini Golf Facebook Page for more information.

It's another new old course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Golf at The Fayre on the Square in Salisbury

There's a pop-up Crazy Golf course at The Fayre on the Square event in Salisbury, Wiltshire this summer.

The Fayre on the Square opened yesterday (Saturday 22nd July) and runs until Sunday 1st September.

Find out more about the event and 9-hole minigolf layout here.

Crazy Golf at Laser Quest Swindon

There's a new Crazy Golf course at Laser Quest Swindon.

The Laser Quest centre in Swindon, Wiltshire now has an indoor Crazy Golf course.

Visit the Laser Quest Swindon website for more information on the 9-hole Jungle Rocks Adventure Golf Trail course.

Boom: Battle Bar at Regent Circus in Swindon

There are plans for a new Boom: Battle Bar at Regent Circus in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Boom: Battle Bars are home to a range of competitive socialising games including crazy golf (crazier golf), axe throwing, curling, skeeball, darts, boules and more.

There are Boom: Battle Bars in Norwich and Cardiff and plans for others in Liverpool, Glasgow, Oxford, Coventry, West Thurrock, Eastbourne, Aberdeen, Aldgate, Wandsworth and Manchester.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more info.

Minigolf at Fayre on the Square in Salisbury

An event is planned to take place in Salisbury, Wiltshire this summer and it'll feature a pop-up minigolf course.

The Fayre on the Square in the city's Guildhall Square will also include a bar and food vendors.

More information can be found on the Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID) website.

New Adventure Golf course at Broome Manor Golf Complex in Swindon

The creation of a new Adventure Golf course is part of plans submitted for the redevelopment of Broome Manor Golf Complex in Swindon.

Check out the Broome Manor Golf Complex website for more information.

We're looking forward to visiting on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Club

A look at the Crazy Putting Challenge course at Hamptworth Golf Club.

We played there a year ago today.

The excellent 9-hole course in Hamptworth, Wiltshire was the 875th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 511th played.

Of all the golf clubs we've visited to play minigolf we found Hamptworth to be one of the very best. It had excellent facilities and we received a very warm welcome.

The Crazy Putting Challenge was the sort of minigolf course I could play all day and not tire of as it offered so many different angles and lines to get a hole-in-one.

Crazy Golf at Coate Water Country Park in Swindon

Playing Crazy Golf at the 750th course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

On Friday 4th August we hit another big minigolf milestone as the 750th course was visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since our odyssey began back in September 2006.

At the 750th miniature golf course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

The Crazy Golf course at Coate Water Country Park was in good condition and proving popular on my visit. It's an older style of course with nods to the continental European 'Beton' style of minigolf. The layout reminded me of the Crazy Golf course at Lister Gardens in Lyme Regis, with some very similar hole designs.

A look at holes 11-13 at Coate Water Country Park

In my round I scored a 48 - 21 out and 27 in. I was close to getting some holes-in-one too.

Holes 3-5 on the Crazy Golf course

After my fun round I had a go on the 9-hole Putting Green which was in excellent condition. I scored a 19.

On the green

A look at the Putting Green at Coate Water Country Park

I didn't have time to play the 18-hole Pitch & Putt course on this occasion, but it looked like a superb course.

Hole 1 on the Pitch & Putt

The 18-hole Crazy Golf course was £3 for a round, the Putting Green was £1 and the Pitch & Putt was £4. Great prices. Check out the Coate Water Country Park website for more information.

At the 750th course visited on our travels

Photos of the Crazy Golf course at Coate Water Country Park.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 2

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 5

Hole 5

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 10

Hole 10

Hole 10

Hole 11

Hole 12

Hole 12

Hole 13

Hole 13 

Hole 13

Hole 12's green and the jump on hole 13

Hole 14

Hole 14

Hole 14

Hole 15

Hole 15

Hole 15

Hole 16

Hole 16

Hole 17

Hole 17

Hole 17

Hole 18

There's also a miniature railway at Coate Water Country Park. I didn't have time to see it this time, but look forward to having a go on it in the future.

On the 17th September last year we visited the 700th course on our travels at Vickersway Park in Northwich, Cheshire. 28 of the courses we've visited have been overseas and the 700th visited in the UK was at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan back in April.

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

Link:
- Coate Water Country Park

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