More inflatable advertising in Stockport

Spotting a piece of inflatable advertising in Cheadle Village, Stockport.

Döner chef inflatable at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant in Cheadle Village, Stockport

I spotted this piece of inflatable advertising at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant while in Cheadle Village.

Döner chef inflatable at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant in Cheadle Village, Stockport

It's fun spotting airdancers (aka a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man) and other types of inflatable advertising such as this kebab chef at Cappadocia Turkish restaurant in Cheadle Village.

The Stockport Pyramid

The Stockport Pyramid is reopening in 2025.

One of the first landmarks - among many fine buildings - we noticed when we moved to Stockport in 2016 was the Stockport Pyramid.

The Stockport Pyramid

Not many towns in the UK can lay claim to being home to a pyramid!

A view of the pyramid across the M60 

The Stockport Pyramid had been home to the Co-operative Bank until 2018 and the building had been empty since then.

Views of the Stockport Pyramid in August 2020

It was originally planned to be the first of five pyramids in Stockport's own Valley of the Kings. That plan didn't come to fruition and the Stockport Pyramid sits on in the Kings Valley industrial and trading estate next to the M60.

A view of the pyramid from a train into Manchester on the viaduct

Plans have now been approved for Royal Nawaab to create an Indian dining destination including a restaurant and banqueting hall in the building.

It'll be interesting to make a booking and get to go inside for a look around the intriguing building.

The Stockport Pyramid was completed in 1992 after five years work. Standing 36.6 metres (120 feet) in height, the Stockport Pyramid is somewhat smaller than Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, which stands 147 metres (481 feet) high. However, the striking structure has become a familiar sight to people in the town, those passing on the M60, or passengers on trains on the lines across the viaduct.

Visit the Royal Nawaab website for more information.

CenterCup - an Arnold Palmer-themed golf and dining concept

A new Arnold Palmer-themed golf and dining concept is launching in the USA.

CenterCup will feature a 27-hole mini-golf course at the venue in the Butler Shopping Center District of Gainesville, Florida, USA.

The CenterCup concept is a new partnership between 23 Restaurant Services and Arnold Palmer Enterprises.

Check out the CenterCup website for more information.

Hopefully we'll get to visit CenterCup on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Arnold Palmer Putting Courses

Arnold Palmer Putting Courses are a design classic and include all the elements that make a Crazy Golf course great – the Windmill, the Waterwheel, an Obelisk, ledges, bunkers, traps, flat loops, hills and plateaus – everything laid out to make a course interesting, testing and most of all fun!

They're my favourite type of minigolf course and I've visited most of those that still remain in the UK.

The Arnold Palmer branded miniature golf courses were part of the Arnold Palmer Enterprises empire set-up in 1961 that saw the legendary golfer's name licensed and franchised to a wide-range of activities and products including Dry Cleaning centres and an Arnold Palmer brand foot detergent.

A sign at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, UK

By 1966 there were 130 Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in the USA, with ten in Japan and some in South Africa.

The first Arnold Palmer Putting Course in the UK opened in Coventry in 1965 and was part of an Arnold Palmer Driving Range. A course was also located at a Driving Range in Sheffield.

Take a look at my blog post about Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in the UK for further information.

Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds

Another superb meal at The Oxford Place in Leeds.

We're BIG fans of The Oxford Place restaurant in Leeds. It serves excellent food and the team there do so much to make the dining experience as normal as possible for people with Coeliac Disease. It's brilliant to be able to dine at a 100% gluten free place.

We had a fantastic three course meal there for our recent wedding anniversary.

I had the Duck & Yorkies for my main - the confit duck leg is hidden behind the Yorkshire puddings and under the fried duck egg!

Check out The Oxford Place's website for more information.

Ready to tuck in!

Carozza

My dessert was the Trillionaire's Slice

A Trillionaire's Slice!

Emily had the cod dish - it was similar to the dish I had there on our last visit. It looked delicious, and Emily said it was

We can't wait for our next meal there already!

Mini-Golf at Rosa in Newquay

There's a renovated minigolf course at the Rosa bar, restaurant & mini-golf in Newquay, Cornwall.

The 18-hole course is located at what was previously Gilmore's Golf (a course we played back in 2015). There's been a crazy golf course on the site for more than 60 years.

Check out the Rosa Newquay website for more information.

We'll have to visit on a return trip to Newquay on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds

We had another amazing meal at The Oxford Place in Leeds last Sunday.

Pan-Fried North Sea Cod with Crushed New Potatoes, Lilliput Capers and a Prosecco and Brown Shrimp Sauce - this was one of the best things I've ever eaten

It was my first meal out since last September!

Mozzarella Carozza with a Rich Basil and Tomato Sauce - note the side order of Skinny Fries, another must have to share before the main courses

I've had some brilliant meals there before, and this was right up there with the best food I've had. Delicious.

As someone with Coeliac Disease it's always nice to be able to eat out-of-the-home with safety and peace of mind. And when that is combined with delicious and interesting food (such as the Carozza) and a variety of drink options it makes the experience absolutely marvellous.

Emily had the Tempura Battered Vegetables with Homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce for her starter

The Oxford Place is a must visit restaurant if you're a Coeliac or on a gluten free diet. I've dined there with people with Coeliac Disease as well as people on 'normal' diets and we've always been impressed by the food and service.

Emily's main course of Slow Cooked Belly Pork with Baked Apple, Celeriac Purée, Crackling and a Red Wine Jus

I'm really looking forward to my next visit already.

99.9% of the time I have the Sticky Toffee Pudding for my dessert when I'm at The Oxford Place

Check out The Oxford Place's website for more information.

Our friend had the Vanilla Cheesecake - and I nabbed a bit of the ice cream. It's so nice to be able to share meals with friend, something that is very tough for people dining gluten free, unless they're somewhere that is 100% like The Oxford Place

Robotazia - a robot-themed restaurant in Milton Keynes

On our recent trip to Milton Keynes we spotted a robot-themed restaurant in the Theatre District.

Sadly it was permanently closed.

What a concept though.

The restaurant opened in 2020 and closed earlier this year.

Little Chef at Tot Hill

A look at the former Little Chef restaurant at Haughley Park Services in Stowmarket, Suffolk.

We drove past the old Little Chef on what was once the A14 while on a trip to Suffolk last week.

We used to pass by the roadside restaurant a fair bit on our visits to Ipswich back in the noughties, that was until the A14 at Haughley Park Services was bypassed in 2008.

This Little Chef restaurant soldiered on until it was closed in September 2012.

It's an interesting piece of roadside history.

We felt very nostalgic during the pandemic and spent time seeing what old brands from our childhood we could still find while out and about on our rather limited travels. We've been to quite a lot of Blockbuster Video stores, Happy Shopper shops, Toys R Us locations, Grainger Games shops, and Woolworths locations over the last couple of years!

Related blog posts:

• Little Chef

Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds

We had another superb meal at The Oxford Place.

We revisited our favourite restaurant at the weekend and had an excellent three-course meal.

It was lovely to return and once again were in the nice position of having lots and lots of choices on the 100% gluten free menu.

A very happy pair of diners

It really does make a massive difference in being able to visit a restaurant, sit down, place an order, be served, and eat great food without once worrying about cross-contamination. The team at The Oxford Place make sure your dining experience is safe and as normal as can be for someone with Coeliac Disease.

The Oxford Place really is a must visit restaurant for anyone with Coeliac Disease or gluten intolerance.

We were already thinking about what we're going to order on our next visit before we'd even paid the bill for this meal!

Check out The Oxford Place's website for more information.

Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds

Having my first meal out since March 2020.

We went out for dinner on Saturday. The location was our favourite restaurant - The Oxford Place in Leeds.

It was the first time I've had a meal out since March last year and the first meal Emily and I have had together since our last visit to The Oxford Place in December 2019!

We're very pleased to report that the food and service was superb, it always is.

I had 3.5 courses as I felt that I needed to treat myself. The .5 was a pre-starter starter of a portion of French Fries.

I then had the marvellous Posh Prawn Cocktail, followed by the Sea Bream, with the trio of Ice Creams (Cherry, Rum & Raisin and Honeycomb) for dessert.

We're really looking forward to our next meal there already.

The Oxford Place is a must visit restaurant for anyone with Coeliac Disease or gluten intolerance.

Check out The Oxford Place's website for more information.

When you have Coeliac Disease dining out can be hard work at the very best of times, let alone during a pandemic!

Luckily we have found a handful of 100% gluten free places that are able to cater to the specific needs of people with Coeliac Disease. As well as The Oxford Place in Leeds there is Off the Wheaten Track in Altrincham, Remedy Kitchen in Manchester, the Wildcraft Bakery in Leeds and Gloof in Soham.

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.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs

I didn't realise there were Nathan's Famous hot dog restaurants in the UK until I spotted this one on a recent trip to Southampton.

This is one of two Nathan's Famous in the UK - it's in Portswood, Southampton. The other is in Bournemouth.

We saw Nathan's as we were on our way to check out the Only Foods and Sauces food van in the area.

It's always fun finding US brands where you wouldn't expect to see them. We saw quite a few 7 Elevens in Sweden on our last visit.

My last pre-pandemic meal out

I had my last pre-coronavirus pandemic lockdown meal out a year ago today. In fact it was the last time I dined out full stop as eating 100% gluten free is tough enough at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic.

What a fine last meal out this was

The steak and eggs I had at Remedy Kitchen in Manchester were superb and I can't wait until it's safe to get back out and eat there again.

I REMEMBER LITTLE CHEF

Do you remember Little Chef?

Many thanks to Megan Clark-Bagnall for sending me this brilliant badge from her mission to visit all of the remaining Little Chef diners in 2017 - a total of 41.

A very nice addition to my collection

What a quest. Find out more on Megan's Little Chef website.

While the brand was an ever present through my lifetime, I don't remember stopping at Little Chef's, or even Happy Eaters, when my family were on the road for day trips and holidays. Perhaps there weren't any on the routes from Abingdon to Barry Island or Minehead. I do however remember going to the Little Chef in Berinsfield, Oxfordshire for a meal in the late 80's or early 90's.

We also used to regularly pass by the Little Chef in Flimwell while en route to Hastings for minigolf tournaments.

The last Little Chef closed its doors in 2018. Interestingly the Little Chef website is still online.

Happy Eater

Do you remember Happy Eater?

Did you used to stop at Happy Eater, or were you more of a Little Chef fan?

Happy Eater restaurants were once a familiar sight on A-roads in the South East and Midlands of England. Set up in 1973 Happy Eater was created as a competitor to Little Chef.

The brand was eventually bought out by it's big rival Little Chef in the mid-nineties. The last Happy Eater closed its doors in 1997.

Neither brand exists on the roadsides of England anymore.

Interestingly if you visit Mauritius you can still dine at a Happy Eater restaurant!

Lost brands

We've seen traces of a number of old and defunct brands that were big in the 80s and 90s on our travels around the country. These have included Woolworths in Stoke-on-Trent, Woolworths Big W in Edinburgh, Kwik Save in Barrow-in-Furness, Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Tandy in Hitchin, RadioShack in Lytham Saint Annes and Toys R Us in Ancoats and Warrington.

Lunch at The Remedy Kitchen in Manchester

Guess who had lunch* out yesterday?

Marvellous steak and eggs at The Remedy Kitchen in Manchester

It was delicious.

* technically I should call it 'dinner' since I now live in the North West!

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Finding 100% gluten free food.

As someone with Coeliac Disease the challenge to find food that is not only safe, but healthy and tasty when out of the house is massive.

The Remedy Kitchen in Manchester city centre is superb as it's one of the very few 100% gluten free places that are safe for people with Coeliac Disease in the whole of the UK.

I highly recommend a visit.

Check out The Remedy Kitchen website for more information.

The Remedy Kitchen was previously called 3 Squared Cafe and rebranded last year. The name is different, but the approach to serving high quality food is the same.

We first heard about the restaurant last September.

The menu is 100% gluten and wheat free, as well as being diary free and refined sugar free.

Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds

We were recently back in Leeds and so had to have a meal at our favourite restaurant, The Oxford Place.

The food at The Oxford Place is superb. And 100% gluten free

The menu at The Oxford Place is 100% gluten free. Check out The Oxford Place website for more information.

Luckily we've got some more trips to Leeds planned this year and can't wait for our next meals there.

The Cereal Killer Cafe in Birmingham

While on a recent trip to Birmingham I spotted the Cereal Killer Cafe on the link between New Street Station and the Bull Ring shopping centre!

The Cereal Killer Cafe just before it opened for breakfast

It's full of great retro items from the 80's and 90's.

A wall of VHS tapes!

There are loads of retro and import breakfast cereals on display

  

WWF breakfast cereal!

Wocka wocka wocka

While I couldn't eat any of the (gluten-full) breakfast cereals, I could buy some of the great merch there

  

And there's a Simpsons arcade cabinet at the cafe - it's a classic game and one I've been playing since 1992!

I've been trying to complete the game for 25 years and I finally achieved it at the Cereal Killer Cafe (thanks to the Free Play)

Check out the Cereal Killer Cafe website for more info.

Related blog posts:
- Cereal
- Birmingham