A video shop shopfront

Spotting a 'video shop' in Watford.

I spotted this nice shop sign for GTV TV & Video on St Albans Road in Watford, Hertfordshire on my recent visit to the town.

I wonder how many TVs and VCRs get rented out in 2025?

Toys R Us at TGJones in Stockport

Toys R Us is now open at TGJones in Stockport.

The rebrand of the former WHSmith shop in Stockport took place last month, and part of the changes to the shop in the Merseyway shopping centre saw a Toys R Us added!

The end of WHSmith, and the start of TGJones.

The start of July 2025 marked the end of WHSmith on the British high street after 233 years. Following the sale of the business to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital earlier this year WHSmith shops have been undergoing a rebrand to the new name of TGJones.

WHSmith on the high street, and travel stores.

There were around 500 high street WHSmith shops, and another 580 travel stores in the UK. The WHSmith shops at railway stations, service stations and airports etc. are not affected by the rebrand as they were not part of the sale.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith.

As well being inside the rebranded TGJones shops, the relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some travel hub WHSmith stores.

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene with an online presence in 2022 and with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops in 2023. There are currently 95 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

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 Toys R Us store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Meeting Geoffrey at the Stockport Toys R Us today!

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.

Find out more.

Visit the TGJones, Toys R Us and WHSmith websites for more information on the brands and their locations.

Related blog posts:

• TGJones in Stockport
• TGJones
• Toys R Us
• WHSmith
• Retail
• Stockport
• Merseyway
• Mascot

Links:

• Toys R Us
• TGJones
• WHSmith
• Merseyway

TGJones in Stockport

TGJones is now open in Stockport.

The rebrand of the former WHSmith shop in Stockport has taken place.

TGJones has opened its store in the Merseyway shopping centre in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

The new TGJones in Stockport town centre is now also home to a Toys R Us!

The end of WHSmith, and the start of TGJones.

The start of July 2025 marked the end of WHSmith on the British high street after 233 years. Following the sale of the business to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital earlier this year WHSmith shops have been undergoing a rebrand to the new name of TGJones.

As the shop in the Merseyway looked when it was still a WHSmith in July this year

WHSmith on the high street, and travel stores.

There were around 500 high street WHSmith shops, and another 580 travel stores in the UK. The WHSmith shops at railway stations, service stations and airports etc. are not affected by the rebrand as they were not part of the sale.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith.

As well being inside the rebranded TGJones shops, the relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some travel hub WHSmith stores.

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene with an online presence in 2022 and with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops in 2023. There are currently 95 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

The shelves were still being filled on my visit

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 Toys R Us store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

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.

Find out more.

Visit the TGJones, Toys R Us and WHSmith websites for more information on the brands and their locations.

Related blog posts:

• TGJones
• Toys R Us
• WHSmith
• Retail
• Stockport
• Merseyway

Links:

• TGJones
• Toys R Us
• WHSmith
• Merseyway

The Watford Pyramid

A look at the pyramid in Watford town centre.

Watford Pyramid was built in 1985 and was designed by Arthurell and Kirkland Architects to be home to a Blockbuster Video store!

The front of the pyramid (or should that be pyramids?)

The shop - located at 161-165 High Street, Watford - is now home to a Cotswold Outdoor store.

A view from the side

More lesser-known UK pyramids.

Check out this thread on Twitter/X from the Twentieth Century Society for more examples of lesser-known pyramids in the UK.

The other side of the pyramid

Pyramid hunting.

I enjoy seeing and discovering different and interesting examples of architecture. And living in Stockport we have a myriad of intriguing buildings. Most notable of which is possibly the Stockport Pyramid! It's a striking sight and clearly seen by thousands of people passing by on the M60 and railway lines each day.

The rear of the Watford pyramid

The Watford Pyramid was doubly interesting to me as it was a) a pyramid, and b) a former Blockbuster Video store - another area of study of mine.

How tall is the Watford Pyramid?

I'd be interested in finding out how tall the Watford Pyramid is, and how it compares in size to the Stockport Pyramid.

Links:

• Arthurell and Kirkland Architects
• Cotswold Outdoor Watford
• Twentieth Century Society

Related blog posts:

• Pyramid
• Pyramids
• Watford
• Architecture
• Blockbuster Video

40 years of Blockbuster Video

Blockbuster Video opened on the 19th October 1985.

The first Blockbuster Video store opened in Dallas, Texas, USA on this day in 1985.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 stores around the world. 500-plus of those were in the UK.

From 9,000 to 1.

There is now just one Blockbuster Video store left open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

There has been a boom in nostalgia for the brand in recent years. The Bend store is now a destination for people wanting to rekindle some of that 90's spirit.

Blockbuster in the UK.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The last stores closed on the 16th December.

Even now, there are still some clearly visible remnants of the brand on the high street and on retail parks. And we've been to most of them on our travels!

Blockbuster Video stores we've visited.

Check out these posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores we've been to in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Failsworth, Manchester
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Lost brands.

Emily and I have spent the last few years reminiscing about 'the good old days'. One of our areas of interest is in old retail brands - we're both marketers by profession and two of my first jobs in the 1990's and the year 2000 were at Tandy and Toys R Us, while Emily's first job was at a Happy Shopper shop. It's been fascinating to find remnants of these brands - and a number of other lost, dead and defunct brands - on the high street and at retail parks around the UK.

Toys R Us at Macy's in Chicago, USA

A look at a Toys R Us at a Macy's department store in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Emily visited this Toys R Us within a Macy's in Chicago earlier this year.

Emily first visited the store in August 2024.

It's one of over 450 Toys R Us stores you can find within Macy's in the USA.

Find out more.

Visit the Toys R Us at Macy's 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.

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.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith in the UK.

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with an online presence and in 2023 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops.

The relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some travel hub WHSmith stores, as well being inside some of the rebranded TGJones shops.

There are currently over 90 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

7-Eleven in Thailand

A look at two (of the many many many) 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand.

My brother Christopher and his family had a summer holiday in Thailand this summer. As 7-Eleven convenience stores can be found across the country they popped into quite a few. Here's a couple of snaps of two of the 7-Eleven shops in Khao Lak.

There are more than 13,000 7-Eleven shops in Thailand!

Emily has also been to some 7-Elevens this year too, and spotted this closed 'gold' 7-Eleven in Chicago, USA earlier this year.

The closest I've been to a 7-Eleven in 2025 is the 8-Twelve in Nottingham last month!

Find out more.

Visit the 7-Eleven Thailand website for more information.

Related blog posts:

• 7-Eleven 

Toys R Us at TGJones in the UK

There's a Toys R Us inside the TGJones in Cambridge.

The start of July 2025 marked the end of WHSmith on the British high street after 233 years. Following the sale of the business to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital earlier this year WHSmith shops have been undergoing a rebrand to the new name of TGJones.

WHSmith on the high street, and travel stores.

There were around 500 high street WHSmith shops, and another 580 travel stores in the UK. The WHSmith shops at railway stations, service stations and airports etc. are not affected by the rebrand as they were not part of the sale.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith.

As well being inside the rebranded TGJones shops, the relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some travel hub WHSmith stores.

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with an online presence and in 2023 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops. There are currently over 90 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

Find out more.

Visit the TGJones, Toys R Us and WHSmith websites for more information on the brands and their locations.

Related blog posts:

• Toys R Us
• TGJones
• WHSmith
• Retail

Bird Brain Bakery - A gluten free bakery in Hazel Grove, Stockport

There's a gluten free bakery in Hazel Grove, Stockport.

Bird Brain Bakery is a gluten free bakery in Hazel Grove, Stockport.

All of the bakes at Bird Brain Bakery are organic, gluten free and plant-based, with products made using unrefined sugars.

Find out more.

You can find out more on the Bird Brain Bakery Facebook Page.

Netflix House Mini-Golf at the King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia, USA

Netflix House will be home to a mini-golf course.

There will be a mini-golf course at the new Netflix House at the King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia, USA.

The first of three planned Netflix House locations will have a mini-golf course inside it.

The new Netflix House at the King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA opens on Wednesday 12th November 2025.

About Netflix House.

Netflix House is a new entertainment concept from the streaming service, with the physical locations offering people the chance to play and experience branded activities based on TV and film properties.

The first two Netflix House locations are planned for Philadelphia and Dallas in 2025, with a third venue opening in Las Vegas in 2027.

Netflix House is the latest branded entertainment centre that aims to bring together multiple games and activities under one roof.

Top 9 mini-golf at Netflix House

The Netflix House mini-golf at the King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia will be a high-tech course called "Top 9" and feature nine holes inspired by fan-favourite stories.

One of those hole designs has been announced to be WWE Raw-themed!

Other Netflix shows to be featured on the indoor mini-golf course at Netflix House include Stranger Things, Bridgerton and Squid Game.

It'll be interesting to see what the location looks like and how the mini-golf course plays. I wonder if there are future plans to roll-out Netflix Houses in other countries too...?

Find out more.

Check out the Netflix House website for more information.

The Rubbish Seaside Book

Picking up the new Rubbish Seaside book in Leeds.

Rubbish Seaside, the new book by Jack Hurley (aka Loud Ribs), was launched in Leeds last month.

Sadly we weren't able to make it to the Rubbish Seaside book launch at the Indie Makers shop in the Leeds Corn Exchange as the traffic from Stockport to Leeds was horrendous. We did however pop into the shop to buy a copy of the book on our recent trip to the city.

Dystopia-on-Sea.

We were immortalised on a piece of Filey artwork by Jack as part of his tongue-in-cheek, affectionate and characterful Rubbish Seaside 'Dystopia-on-Sea' collection!

Crazy Golf Art!

It's ace to have copy of the Rubbish Seaside book gracing our coffee table.

Find out more.

You can see more about the Rubbish Seaside book - and other artwork by Jack - on the Rubbish Seaside / Loud Ribs websites.

Visit the Indie Makers website for info on the shop.

TGJones in the UK

A look at two new TGJones shops in Leeds.

We saw our first two of the newly branded TGJones shops while in Leeds recently.

The start of July 2025 marked the end of WHSmith on the British high street after 233 years. Following the sale of the business to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital earlier this year WHSmith shops have been undergoing a rebrand to the new name of TGJones.

A sign at TGJones in Leeds city centre

WHSmith on the high street, and travel stores.

There were around 500 high street WHSmith shops, and another 580 travel stores in the UK. The WHSmith shops at railway stations, service stations and airports etc. are not affected by the rebrand as they were not part of the sale.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith.

It'll be interesting to see how the sale and rebrand affects the relationship between Toys R Us and the two brands. The relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some high street and travel hub WHSmith stores, so I imagine there'll be Toys R Us concessions within both TGJones and WHSmith shops too...

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with an online presence and in 2023 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops. There are currently over 90 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

Find out more.

Visit the WHSmith, TGJones and Toys R Us websites for more information on the brands and their locations.

Related blog posts:

• From WHSmith to TGJones
• WHSmith
• TGJones
• Retail
• Leeds

Crazy Pool at King Pins at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds

A look at the Crazy Pool course at King Pins at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds.

We swung by the new King Pins location at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds while en route to Leeds city centre.

As well as Crazy Pool, King Pins Leeds is home to games including American Pool, Virtual Shooting, Tenpin Bowling, Ice-Free Curling, Duck Pin Bowling, Shuffleboard, Tech Darts, and Karaoke.

We've played Mini Golf at Kings Pins at the Manchester Arndale and the Trafford Palazzo, and Crazy Pool at King Pins' sister brand venues in Manchester (Arndale and Deansgate) and in Leeds city centre (Merrion Street) on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Find out more

Take a look at the King Pins website for more information on the new King Pins venue in Leeds, as well as the other venues in Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow, and Belfast (opening soon).