Toys R Us at the Central Retail Park in Manchester

A look at the old Toys R Us store at the Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats Street in Manchester.

While looking through my photos during lockdown and prompted by my recent look at the old Woolworths store in Brunstane, Edinburgh I found these views of the old Toys R Us store at the former Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats Street in Manchester.

The old Toys R Us unit at Central Retail Park in Manchester

The snaps were taken in February and March last year following the demise of the brand and the closure of the retail park.

How the store looked in early February 2019 

The demolition work had really begun when we passed by a month and a half later

A look at the entrance to the store in March 2019

Geoffrey was the last to leave the Ancoats store

Working at Toys R Us

My first job during my time 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.

Shopping at Toys R Us

It was a real shame to see the brand go under. It was always a treat when me and my brothers would visit to buy games for our SEGA Master System in the 1990s. I've still got those games, some have the Toys R Us stickers on.

A nice piece of ephemera

Other lost brands

Our travels around the country have seen us spot the remnants of a number of old and defunct brands, including Woolworths in Stoke-on-Trent, Tandy in Hitchin, RadioShack in Lytham Saint Annes, Kwik Save in Barrow-in-Furness and Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester.

Do you have a favourite 'lost shop' from years gone by? Maybe the remains of an old brand are still visible on a building near where you live or work? Do let me know.

A 2016 Carl Carmoni Mini-putt Trading Card

A look at a Carl Carmoni Mini-putt Trading Card from 2016.

Being stuck at home during lockdown I've had a bit more time to look back through my minigolf collection and the Crazy Golf Museum's vaults.

One of the nice items to share is this Carl Carmoni Mini-putt Trading Card from 2016.

Signed by the legend himself

Mini-putt courses are similar in appearance to Putt-Putt courses however they have distinct standardised hole designs and are particular to Canada.

"Mini-putt" is the Québécois term for the game of minigolf, thanks largely to the popularity of the Quebec cable sports show 'Défi Mini-putt' (Mini-putt Challenge) in the 1970s and 80s.

Check out a compilation of hole-in-ones Carl Carmoni scored on the Défi Mini-putt show.

We haven't played the Mini-putt format of the game yet. We're looking forward to a trip to Quebec in the future. It'd be ace to meet Carl and play in a tournament there.

With the great Mini-putt merch in 2016

Emily wearing a Mini-putt t-shirt

Carl Carmoni is a player after my own heart as he reacts with a triumphant shout of "BIRDIE!" every time he hits an ace. I'm known to shout "YEE-HA!" when I score a hole-in-one in competition play.

Check out Carl Carmoni's website and Mini-putt for more information.

My friend, minigolf team-mate and rival Jon Drexler also has a trading card. You can see that card in my blog post from 2013.

Links:
- Carl Carmoni
- Mini-putt
- Richard & Emily Gottfrid at Mini-putt

2016 - what a year

A look at a minigolf calendar from 2016.

During lockdown I've been looking through the archives and vaults of the Crazy Golf Museum and one of the things I found was this signed Matt "Mattie 5" Bellner calendar from 2016.

What an item!

What a year!

Matt is a professional Putt-Putt player and a member of the US national minigolf team. Check out the Mattie 5 website for more information.

If you had a time machine would you go back in time or forwards into the future?

New minigolf postcards?

We love seeing, sending and receiving minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf postcards.

One of two postcard designs you can find at Splash Point Mini Golf in Worthing

Do you know of any new/contemporary ones?

Does your course produce them?

Please do get in touch.

Miniature golf postcards from Brighton

A look at four old minigolf postcards from Brighton.

I've enjoyed spending some time looking through our minigolf postcard collection during lockdown. Emily and I have found some brilliant old postcards at fairs, charity shops, car boot sales, antique shops and online over the years. Some are quite new and date from the 2000's while some are from the early 1900's. We also really enjoy finding brand new postcards on sale at minigolf courses we visit.

Three of the same location

One of the first minigolf course postcards I bought is also the earliest dated card I have of Brighton. The colourised card shows the 'Miniature Golf Links, Brighton' and was posted from Brighton to West Harrow on the 29th August 1927.

Miniature Golf Links, Brighton. Postally used 29 August 1927. Publisher unknown

The next dated card I have shows the 'New Miniature Golf Course and Carpet Gardens, Brighton' - the same course as above - and was posted from Wolverton in Buckinghamshire to Rochester, Kent on the 27th May 1928.

New Miniature Golf Course and Carpet Gardens, Brighton. Postally used 27 May 1928. Publisher unknown

The Tuck's card No. 2162 I have shows the same area and is captioned 'Lower Parade & Miniature Golf course, Brighton'. It was posted from Brighton to Fulham on the 10th October 1928. However, looking at the course, surrounding area and the clothing people are wearing I would suggest the course was the first to be on the site and was there pre-1927.

Lower Parade & Miniature Golf course, Brighton. Postally used 10 October 1928. Tuck's Photogravure Postcard No. 2162

The pier in the background of those three postcards is the West Pier.

One of a different old course

The next dated card was posted from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire to Lancing, Sussex on the 15th April 1945. This card is captioned 'Aquarium & Palace Pier showing Miniature Golf Links, Brighton'.

Aquarium & Palace Pier showing Miniature Golf Links, Brighton. Postally used 15 April 1945. Publisher unknown

Playing minigolf in Brighton

We've played minigolf in Brighton a number of times over the years but haven't been to the south coast seaside resort since 2011. Where have the last nine years gone!

The 12th course visited on our travels. This was back in July 2007

One of the first courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Crazy Golf on the seafront near the Palace Pier back in 2007.

The Inverted Jenny stamp

Celebrating the Inverted Jenny stamp.

It's been 102 years since the 24 cent US postage stamp, known as the Inverted Jenny, was issued.

The stamp is the most famous error in US stamps and only 100 of the inverted stamps were ever found.

It's my favourite stamp. Probably because it appeared in the 80's classic film Brewster's Millions.

I was lucky to receive two examples of the stamp's re-issue, in $2 form, in some post I received from the USA a few years ago.

Posted from Skegness

A look at a minigolf stamp from the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness.

Playing the course in May 2011

Playing the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness as part of our Minigolf Weekender in 2015

Of the places we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Skegness is the town with the most minigolf courses in the UK. Skeggy has 120-holes spread across ten seafront courses.

Posted from Worthing to Worthing

A look at a minigolf stamp of Splash Point Mini Golf in Worthing.

The stamp shows me playing hole 13 of the course in 201. It looks a lot different there now

Hole 13 in 2010

Hole 13 in 2019

Scorecards from Swansea Crazy Golf

A pair of old scorecards from Swansea Crazy Golf.

I bought two old Swansea Crazy Golf scorecards at the last postcard fair I attended in Stockport.

One is an adult ticket/scorecard and the other is for a child.

They're lovely items.

Very rulesy!

Has anyone ever met a Crazy Golf course Ticket Inspector?

We played the two Crazy Golf courses in Swansea back in 2009. I'll have to dig out the scorecards from those games to compare.

Crazy Golf at Southend Park in The Mumbles Swansea

It's interesting to note the scorecards were printed in Ashton-under-Lyne. Looking online Williamson was a big printing business and produced tickets for all many of events, activities and transport. The business was sold in the late 1970's.

Printed in Ashton-under-Lyne for a course in Swansea and bought in Stockport from a seller from Southport.

An old postcard from Bournemouth's Lower Gardens minigolf course

A look at an old postcard showing Bournemouth's Lower Gardens minigolf course.

After writing about the old J. Arthur Dixon postcard showing the Mini-Golf course at the Lower Gardens in Bournemouth, Dorset I had a look through our collection to find the earliest posting date we had on a card of the course.

It was this one, posted 40 years ago this year!

The 'Miniature Golf in Central Gardens, Bournemouth' postcard by The Photographic Greetings Cards Co Ltd, London was posted from Bournemouth to Cleveleys in Lancashire on the 24th July 1970

You can see what the Lower Gardens Mini Golf course looks like now on the course's Facebook Page.

We're looking forward to replaying the course later this year.

A postcard from Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight

A look at an old postcard from the Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.

While browsing through the many boxes at the Stockport Postcard Fair we spotted this nice old postcard showing the Rylstone Crazy Golf course and Tea Gardens at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. Jarrold Publishing, Norwich postcard CKIW 2309

The card is un-posted but has had the year 1999 written on the reverse. The photo on the card was taken a long time before then.

We visited the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2008. It was incredibly well signposted then, and still was on our return in 2016.

Rylstone Tea Gardens Crazy Golf course in Shanklin, Isle of Wight in 2016

In 2008 the course still looked very much like it does on the postcard. However due to decades of wear and tear the base of the 'tables' meant that a new concrete layout had to be created to house the original obstacles.

Rylstone Tea Gardens Crazy Golf course in Shanklin, Isle of Wight in 2008

Visit the Rylstone Tea Gardens & Crazy Golf course on Facebook for more info, opening times, events and prices.

It's the second copy of the postcard we've got as we received one in the post from the Isle of Wight itself after our friend Cat - aka WightHot on Twitter - found some in a charity shop on the island.

A mini-golf postcard from Bournemouth

A look at an old mini-golf postcard from Bournemouth.

One of the old postcards we found at the recent Stockport Postcard Fair was this J. Arthur Dixon card showing the Mini-Golf course at the Lower Gardens in Bournemouth, Dorset.

Mini-Golf at the Lower Gardens, Bournemouth, Dorset. J. Arthur Dixon postcard. PDO/89332 Posted August 1990

It was sent from Bournemouth to Uttoxeter, Staffordshire in August 1990.

It's one of a number of postcards we've got that show the Lower Gardens minigolf course. By the look of the card the photo is from at least the early 80's.

We'll be down in Dorset soon and are looking forward to replaying the course.

The Bournemouth Gardens Classic Mini Golf course in the Lower Gardens has been in the gardens for decades. It re-opened following a refurbishment a few years ago. We first visited in 2009 and returned in 2013. The Lower Gardens have been home to miniature golf courses since 1931 when the first Putting Green was introduced to the park.

Minigolf at Bournemouth Lower Gardens

A Crazy Golf postcard from Sandbanks

A look at a long-gone Crazy Golf course in Sandbanks, Poole.

We found some brilliant old postcards at the recent Stockport Postcard Fair in the Town Hall.

One of which was this Dennis Publications postcard showing the Crazy Golf and Rockery in Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset.

Crazy Golf and Rockery, Sandbanks, Poole. P.2674 Dennis Productions Postcard. Postally used. Date unknown

The card was sent from Bournemouth to Winchester.

While that particular Crazy Golf course is no longer there, you can still play minigolf in Sandbanks on a much larger layout.

Sandbanks Crazy Golf is an fun and tricky 18-hole course. We've played tournaments there in the past.

Sandbanks Crazy Golf

We're looking forward to visiting and playing the courses down in the Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole and Sandbanks areas in the Spring.

Savage Golf scorecard from the minigolf pop-up in Norwich

Many thanks to my brother and Crazy World of Minigolf Tour member Christopher Gottfried for saving me a scorecard from his visit to the Savage Golf minigolf pop-up in Norwich last December.

The Savage Golf pop-up crazy golf course was only open for a month last year.

Savage Golf minigolf pop-up in Norwich. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

New scorecards in the Crazy Golf Museum

A look at two minigolf scorecards from the USA.

Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin minigolf review website has kindly contributed two new miniature golf scorecards to the Crazy Golf Museum's archives.

First is a scorecard from Mountasia Family Fun Center in Santa Clarita, California, USA.

The second is from the Hole 19 pop-up bar and minigolf course in Los Angeles.

It's always brilliant to see minigolf scorecards and items from courses around the world.

Check out the The Putting Penguin minigolf review website to see more from Pat's minigolfing travels.

Ninja Golf! in Granger, Indiana

Finding out about Ninja Golf! in Granger, Indiana.

Ninja Golf! in October 2018

A BIG thank you goes out to John Miller from Ninja Golf! in Granger, Indiana who has sent us a huge pile of minigolf swag from his course.

A whole host of Ninja Golf! merch

Ninja Golf! opened in 2018 and the minigolf centre's three Japanese Garden-style courses have proved very popular.

Three Ninja Golf! stickers

The theming of the whole Ninja Golf! brand is amazing and the scorecards for the course are some of the finest we've seen.

Ninja Golf! scorecards

The scoring side of the Ninja Golf! scorecard 

A Ninja Golf! flying disc 

A Ninja Golf! visor

A Ninja Golf! t-shirt

The reverse of the Ninja Golf! t-shirt 

A lovely Ninja Golf! pin badge 

Three Little Ninja by Jon Anon-San 

The Rules of Ninja Golf!  

Ninja Golf! course leaflets

As well as the three 9-hole miniature golf courses Ninja Golf! is also home to a Lazer Maze challenge, Kabuki Theater and a Karaoke Lounge.

Ninja Golf! course leaflet

Check out the Ninja Golf! website and give them a like on Facebook and a follow on Instagram. It was brilliant following the progress of Ninja Golf! as the site developed from a patch of land to the venue it is today.

Ninja Golf! as it looked in June 2018

Ninja Golf! is definitely another course we'd love to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Links:
- Ninja Golf! website
- Ninja Golf! on Facebook
- Ninja Golf! on Instagram

Related blog posts:
- Ephemera
- Scorecards
- Merchandise