A SELNEC Central bus and a Metrolink Tram in Manchester

A mix of the present and the past of travel in Manchester city centre.

I spotted this double decker bus in a SELNEC Central livery in Manchester city centre today. It was interesting to see it being passed by a Metrolink tram.

SELNEC was the Passenger Transport Executive in the area from 1969 until it was renamed Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) in 1974.

The SELNEC Central area covered Manchester and Salford. There were also SELNEC Northern and Southern.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) itself ended in 2011 when it became part of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).

Related blog posts:

• Vintage SELNEC bus in Stockport
• One of the last buses out of dodge
• A vintage SELNEC bus in Eccles
• SELNEC
• GMPTE
• TfGM
• Bee Network
• Metrolink

'The Rio Revival' InterCity 125 train in Shaw Heath, Stockport (October 2026)

Spotting an InterCity 125 train in Shaw Heath, Stockport.

An InterCity 125 train - 43025 'Exeter' - passing underneath Adswood Road in Shaw Heath, Stockport, Greater Manchester at 15:26 on Sunday 4th October 2026. This was on the Buxton Line between Davenport and Stockport stations.

The train was 'The Rio Revival' InterCity 125 12:06 service from St Pancras International to Manchester Piccadilly.

The train was a celebration of 50 years of trains travelling at 125 mph on the railways of Great Britain. The first public trains operated at 125 mph on the 4th October 1976.

'The Rio Revival' InterCity 125 was operated by the 125 Group.

Check out my rail playlists for more:

• InterCity 125 trains
• Heritage trains
• Trains

Videos:

• 'The Rio Revival' InterCity 125 train in Shaw Heath, Stockport on Sunday 4th October 2026
• 'The Rio Revival' InterCity 125 train in Shaw Heath, Stockport on Sunday 4th October 2026 - Short

The Great Britain XVIII steam train - 34067 Tangmere - in Stockport (20th April 2026)

The Great Britain XVIII steam train spotted on the railway bridge above the line at Europa Way in Cheadle Heath, Stockport, Greater Manchester on Monday 20th April 2026.

The locomotive is 34067 Tangmere - a Battle of Britain class engine built in 1947.

The journey began at Chester and will end the day in Carlisle.

The train is on an eight day tour around England, Wales and Scotland. Its journey began at London Paddington on Saturday 18th April and will end at London Euston on Saturday 25th April.

The train tour was operated by The Railway Touring Company.

Heritage buses and coaches in Hunstanton

A look at some heritage buses and coaches in Hunstanton.

While walking around Hunstanton we spotted several old buses and coaches parked up at the bus depot.

They were very interesting to see.

The vehicles were on the 'Geoff Hanson Memorial Run' - an annual event in honour of local transport enthusiast Geoff Hanson. You can read more about the Geoff Hanson Memorial Run on the East Norfolk Bus Blog.

Some nice old advertising on this Eastern Counties bus

This double decker bus had some nice old advertising on it too

Hunstanton railway station

A look at what's left of Hunstanton railway station.

While in Hunstanton we walked across a car park as we walked towards the sea. If we hadn't looked to our right we might have missed seeing what's left of Hunstanton railway station!

Buffers

The 'Waiting Room'

Hunstanton railway station opened in 1862 and closed in 1969.

End of the line

Mini Golf at English Heritage sites this summer

There will be Mini Golf at six English Heritage sites this summer.

Six English Heritage locations will have Mini Golf activities this summer.

Summer Mini Golf at Osborne

The Mini Golf courses at English Heritage sites are part of a summer of activities in partnership with the TV show Taskmaster.

Summer Mini Golf at Kenilworth Castle

The pop-up mini golf courses have been created at six of English Heritage locations around the country including Audley End House and Gardens, Carisbrooke Castle, Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, Osborne, Pendennis Castle, and Wrest Park.

Summer Mini Golf at Pendennis Castle

Where to play Mini Golf.

The six English Heritage sites with Mini Golf courses in July and August 2025 are:

1. Audley End House and Gardens - Saffron Walden, Essex
2. Carisbrooke Castle - Newport, Isle of Wight
3. Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden - Kenilworth, Warwickshire
4. Osborne - East Cowes, Isle of Wight
5. Pendennis Castle - Falmouth, Cornwall
6. Wrest Park - Silsoe, Bedfordshire

When to play Mini Golf.

The Crazy Golf courses at the English Heritage locations will be playable from Saturday 19th July to Sunday 31st August 2025.

Summer Mini Golf at Kenilworth Castle

Find out more.

Visit the English Heritage website and the Taskmaster at English Heritage sites page for more information.

Summer Mini Golf at Wrest Park

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It's always excellent to find out about new minigolf courses - whether they're permanent, pop-ups, or refurbs - and the English Heritage pop-up activities look like the courses are in nice spots for a round during the summer.

My little brother Christopher, a charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, has been a member of English Heritage and he and his family have been to a lot of English Heritage properties over the years (including Audley End House and Gardens, Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, Pendennis Castle, and Wrest Park). It'll be interesting to see if they will be going to any of the six sites with Crazy Golf this summer.

The Stratford Flyer steam train passing through Adswood, Stockport

The Stratford Flyer steam train service from the Railway Touring Company passing through Adswood in Stockport, Greater Manchester at 7.47am on Saturday 8th March 2025.

The service was hauled by Black 5 locomotive No. 45212.

The Peaks Express steam train passing through Shaw Heath, Stockport

The Peaks Express steam train passing through Shaw Heath, Stockport at lunchtime on Sunday 27th October 2024.

The service was pulled by LMS Stainer Class 5 4-6-0 No. 45212.

Heritage Train passing through Edgeley, Stockport

Early morning train nerdery in Edgeley, Stockport on Saturday 24th August 2024.

This was the West Coast Railways Unadvertised Express from Crewe to Carlisle.

InterCity 125 Heritage Train passing through Edgeley, Stockport

Early morning train nerdery in Edgeley, Stockport on Saturday 24th August 2024.

This was the Hanson & Hall Unadvertised Express InterCity 125 from Crewe to Edinburgh.

It's really saying something when a Midland Mainline InterCity 125 that I used to commute into London from Luton on is considered a heritage train!

Princess Parade Crazy Golf in Blackpool

The Princess Parade Crazy Golf course in Blackpool has now been open again for a year and a day.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf is on the North Shore in Blackpool

The Princess Parade Crazy Golf course in Blackpool was re-opened on the 28th May 2021.

A view of the 18th hole

Holes 1-9

Holes 10-18

Check out the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course Facebook Group for more information.

Reopening the abandoned North Shore course

Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels and Blackpool Fulfilling Lives joined forces to refresh and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore in 2019 and a number of other people and groups have been a part of the project. Including me.

The base of the course itself has changed very little since it was first created in the late 1950's and it's wonderful that the area is easily recognisable from old postcards from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

There have still been some very noticeable improvements to the course and the whole area it sits in. Most notable are the repairs to the obstacles as well as the addition of professional putting carpet to the holes. It makes the course very nice to play.

More information can be found in my blog post from the launch event in May 2021, in one of my previous posts charting the progress on the refurbishment and this blog post from September 2020.

Crazy Golfing at Princess Parade in Blackpool

Playing the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course in Blackpool.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf is on the North Shore in Blackpool

I was recently back in Blackpool and swung by the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course. Luckily I was just in time for a round on the 18-hole course.

A view of the 18th hole

It was the first time I've had a game on the fully refurbished layout and it was a delight.

The course was created in the 1950's but had been in a state of disrepair for the last twenty years.

It now plays like a dream. I can't wait to get back for a few more goes on it.

Take a look at the photos of the front and back nine holes below.

Holes 1-9

Holes 10-18

I shot a round of 36 - with one hole-in-one and a dropped shot (on the 18th). The course record stands at 34, which is a very good score indeed.

Check out the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course Facebook Group for more information.

Reopening the abandoned North Shore course

Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels and Blackpool Fulfilling Lives joined forces to refresh and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore in 2019 and a number of other people and groups have been a part of the project. Including me.

The base of the course itself has changed very little since it was first created in the late 1950's and it's wonderful that the area is easily recognisable from old postcards from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

There have still been some very noticeable improvements to the course and the whole area it sits in. Most notable are the repairs to the obstacles as well as the addition of professional putting carpet to the holes. It makes the course very nice to play.

More information can be found in my blog post from the launch event in May, in one of my previous posts charting the progress on the refurbishment and this blog post from September 2020.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf course in Blackpool

Playing the Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore.

I finally got to play the Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore as it reopened last month. We've been to the course a number of times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the years but it had always been closed.

Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels and Blackpool Fulfilling Lives joined forces to refresh and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore in 2019 and a number of other people and groups have been a part of the project.

The base of the course itself has changed very little since it was first created in the late 1950's and it's wonderful that the area is easily recognisable from old postcards from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

There have still been some noticeable improvements to the course and the whole area it sits in. Most notable are the repairs to the obstacles as well as the addition of professional putting carpet to the holes. It makes the course very nice to play.

Here are videos of me playing the crazy golf course on Blackpool's North Shore at the launch event on Friday 28th May 2021.

The course is now open to play at weekends with plans to increase the opening times in the future. Take a look at the Princess Parade Crazy Golf Facebook Group for more information.

It's been a pleasure to be a part of the Princess Parade Crazy Golf project and I've enjoyed working with the teams at Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool & the Fylde Street Angels, Blackpool Council and the Blackpool Civic Trust to get the course reopened.

We're looking forward to getting back to Blackpool again later this summer and playing a few more rounds on the course.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf on Blackpool's North Shore

The Crazy Golf course at Princess Parade, Blackpool is now open.

Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels and Blackpool Fulfilling Lives joined forces to refresh and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore in 2019 and a number of other people and groups have been a part of the project. You can see what the course has looked like over the last few years in some of my previous posts.

Check out the Princess Parade Crazy Golf Facebook Page and the media release about the activity for more information.

We're looking forward to getting back to Blackpool again later this summer and playing a few more rounds on the course.

Here's a video of me playing the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore at the launch event on Friday 28th May 2021.