Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk

A revisit to one of our most visited minigolf courses.

We swung by the Fantasia Adventure Golf course on Sea Road in Felixstowe, Suffolk during our East Anglian Road-Trip last month.

A new sign for the course on the seafront

We've been going to the seaside town for years and the 9-hole course is one of our most visited layouts as we go there about three times a year. However, the pandemic has meant this was our first visit since 2019.

It was originally the 7th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Lovely Jubbly

We saw this Del Boy advert at Bed Centres 146 in Clacton-on-Sea during our East Anglian road-trip last month.

Lovely Jubbly

It's one of a number of homages to Only Fools and Horses we've seen over the years.

A Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk

A look at a Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

We didn't only visit minigolf courses during our East Anglian Road-Trip last month. We always try to pack in as much stuff as possible when we're out and about and one of our interests is in lost brands, retail archaeology and interesting signage.

By the time we reached Lowestoft in Suffolk we'd been to a lost Happy Shopper shop in Ashwellthorpe and been shocked to discover one in Ormesby St Margaret too. We knew there was a Happy Shopper in Lowestoft as we'd been there in 2011.

At a Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft

As with most things in the seaside town, the Happy Shopper is the 'easternmost' example of its type in the British Isles.

The Happy Shopper newsagent, general store and off licence in Lowestoft retains the classic yellow and orange colours of the brand, but differs from other Happy Shopper shops as it doesn't feature the smiling face anywhere on the logo.

Take a look at my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Lowestoft (2011)
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin
• Ashwellthorpe
• Ormesby St Margaret

Only Foals and Horses in Accrington

A look at the Only Foals and Horses charity shop in the Accrington Arndale.

What a shop name!

We've found quite a few Only Fools and Horses business names, gimmicks and signs on our travels.

Packri Monster game at Retro Replay

We spotted this nice old handheld game from Bandai on display in the window of the Retro Replay Arcade, Gaming Lounge & Bar at the Castle Quarter shopping centre in Norwich last month.

Check out that Woolies price sticker on the box too

It's one of a number of retro gaming items in the window at the arcade bar.

Visit the Retro Replay website for more information.

Looney Golf in Bradford - new Crazy Golf course alert

A new indoor crazy golf course is opening in Bradford.

A new indoor minigolf course is opening on North Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Looney Golf is being created in a former retail unit in the city centre.

Check out the Looney Golf Facebook Page for more info.

Looney Golf will be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Family Adventure Golf at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft, Suffolk

A look at the easternmost Adventure Golf course in the British Isles.

We visited Lowestoft in Suffolk on our East Anglian road-trip last month and revisited the 20th course we ever played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Back then it was called East Point Family Golf.

The Family Adventure Golf course at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft is the easternmost Adventure Golf course in the British Isles.

Happy National Video Game Day

Today is National Video Game Day.

The Flintstones Crazy Golf

A look back at The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth, Dorset.

The scorecard from Tee Time Miniature Golf in Ocean City, New Jersey that I recently blogged about reminded me of The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth.

That course was the 77th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in October 2008. It's long gone now.

Pirates Island Adventure Golf at Norfolk Premier Golf in Blofield, Norfolk

A look at the Pirates Island Adventure Golf course at Norfolk Premier Golf in Blofield, Norfolk.

We swung by the 12-hole Pirates Island Adventure Golf course at Norfolk Premier Golf in Blofield, Norfolk on our East Anglian road-trip last month.

The course was the 971st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the Pirates Island Adventure Golf website for more information, opening times and prices.

It's always fun seeing minigolf vehicles

Haunted Miniature Golf at Putt'n Around in Delray Beach, Florida

Putt'n Around in Delray Beach, Florida, USA will be having a Haunted Miniature Golf course throughout October.

It's always fun to hear about Halloween-themed minigolf courses and events.

Putt'n Around Delray Beach is home to two 18-hole miniature golf courses. Hopefully we'll get to play them on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour one day.

They've got a fun mascot at the course too.

Check out the Putt'n Around Delray Beach website for more information.

Minigolf scorecards from New Jersey, USA

A big thank you to Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin for sending over some minigolf scorecards from New Jersey.

Pat was in New Jersey for a recent minigolf tournament with the O-Street Mini Golf team.

The first scorecard is from Tee Time Miniature Golf on the Boardwalk at Ocean City.

The second is from The Sandtrap at 23rd & Long Beach Boulevard in Ship Bottom.

It's always brilliant scorecards and other ephemera from miniature golf courses around the world and Pat has provided lots from his travels for fun and tournaments in the USA. They are a marvellous addition to the archives of the Crazy Golf Museum.

Check out The Putting Penguin minigolf review website for details of lots of US courses and a number of others from around the world.

Trick or Treat Mini Golf and Glow Golf at Fun Fore All Family Fun Park

The team at Fun Fore All Family Fun Park in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, USA are getting ready to tee-off Trick or Treat Mini Golf and Glow Golf at the 18-hole miniature golf course there.

Trick or Treat Mini Golf runs from the 1st October and finishes on Halloween night itself.

Each evening at dusk the course will become a Glow Golf layout.

Check out the Fun Fore All Family Fun Park website for more information, opening times and prices.

Fun Fore All Family Fun Park is on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour 'To Visit' list and we're looking forward to a game there. Hopefully our trip to Pennsylvania co-incides with one of the themed, seasonal events at the fun park.

The World Crazy Golf Championships at Hastings Adventure Golf

Good luck to all of the players in the 2021 World Crazy Golf Championships.

The weekend of action tees-off with a team event at Hastings Adventure Golf tomorrow, followed by the two-day main event on Saturday and Sunday.

Visit the Hastings Adventure Golf website for more information.

We both made our debuts in the 2007 edition of the event back when it was known as the Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships. It was Emily's first ever miniature golf tournament.

Playing hole 2 at the 2014 edition

The competition is played on the 18-hole Crazy Golf course at Hastings Seafront. The layout is of the Arnold Palmer Putting Course variety. The course was the 39th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in October 2007.

The World Crazy Golf Championships began in 2003. Two-time, back-to-back World Crazy Golf Champion Marc 'The Force' Chapman is defending the title in the 18th edition of the event.

Del Boy in Sudbury, Suffolk

We saw an Only Fools and Horses Reliant Regal Supervan racing through Sudbury, Suffolk last month.

It's one of a number of Del Boy vans we've seen while out and about.

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.

New Adventure Golf course at Clayton Caravan Park in Fife

A new Adventure Golf course is being created at Clayton Caravan Park in Fife, Scotland.

A new 18-hole Adventure Golf course is being built at Clayton Caravan Park in Fife, Scotland.

The course will is being themed on the Old Course at St Andrews and will open in 2022.

Visit the Clayton Caravan Park website for more information.

The Codfather in Sudbury

The latest Godfather-inspired business name and sign we've seen was in Sudbury, Suffolk.

Yarmouth Stores in Lowestoft

We saw this nice old shop doorway tile mosaic advertising Yarmouth Stores while in Lowestoft last month.

The company was incorporated in 1898 and is still trading today. Check out the Yarmo website for more information.

Toys R Us in Ipswich, Suffolk

A look at the old Toys R Us store in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Toys R Us closed it's UK stores in April 2018. However, there are still visible remnants of the old brand around the UK.

A sign at the old Toys R Us store at the Interchange Retail Park in Ipswich

Toys R Us travels

We've visited a number of former Toys R Us sites over the last couple of years, the latest being in Norwich and Ipswich.

As close as you can get to the Ipswich store

Working at Toys R Us

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Check out my blog posts below about former Toys R Us stores:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Enfield Retail Park in Enfield
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Toys R Us in Norwich, Norfolk

A look at the closed Toys R Us store in Norwich, Norfolk.

Toys R Us in Norwich

Toys R Us closed it's UK stores in April 2018. However, there are still visible remnants of the old brand around the UK.

Closed

Toys R Us travels

We've visited a number of former Toys R Us sites over the last couple of years, the latest being in Norwich and Ipswich. 

At another former store location

Working at Toys R Us

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was at the Luton store. I was one of Geoffrey's helpers on the video game and electronics section.

Toys R Us in Norwich

Toys R Us at the Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich (August 2021)

The sign on the side of the former store in Norwich

Check out my blog posts below about former Toys R Us stores:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Enfield Retail Park in Enfield
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

The old Happy Shopper shop in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk

Finding an old Happy Shopper shop in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk.

During the pandemic we've been feeling very nostalgic. One of the brands we thought about was Happy Shopper - the name alone conjures up images of the 1980's and the classic logo is a wonderful sight.

We didn't think there would be many - or any - of the original orange and yellow branded shops still around, but we were happy to find out we were wrong when we saw one in Preston (while en route to check out an abandoned Toys R Us store) last September.

Since then we've been lucky enough to spot and snap a few others on our limited travels outside of lockdown.

This one in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk is a definite favourite. We were lucky enough to visit it during our East Anglian minigolf road-trip last month.

A happy shopper at the, sadly now closed, Ashwellthorpe Stores in Norfolk

Take a look at my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Lowestoft (2011)
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Ormesby St Margaret
• Lowestoft (2021)

Play glow in the dark golf at the MiniLinks this Halloween

The MiniLinks golf centre in Lytham St Annes is lighting up its three courses for night golf this Halloween.

The MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes is home to three miniature golf courses and will be lighting them up for night golf play this Halloween.

From 5pm to midnight on Halloween night, Sunday 31st October, you'll be able to have a round on the 18-hole Par-3 Championship course, the 9-hole Crazy Golf layout and the 18-hole Pennines Putting grass mini-golf course.

Check out the MiniLinks website for more information.

We've played the three courses at the MiniLinks a number of times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and they are a nice mix of layouts. The 18-hole Par-3 is a very nice 'big' golf course and the Pennines Putting is a great grass course.

Crazy Golf at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes

Par-3 Golf at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes

Pennines Putting at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes

It's brilliant to hear about Halloween-themed minigolf events and I look forward to seeing what the MiniLinks courses look and play like by night.

Glo Golf in Peterborough

A look at the Glo Golf Peterborough indoor UV minigolf course in Peterborough city centre.

 

It was the 969th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

 

Check out the Glo Golf Peterborough website for more information.

Crazy Golf at Canterbury Leisure

There's a crazy golf, tenpin bowling and laser tag centre in Canterbury, Kent.

The crazy golf, tenpin bowling and laser tag centre on Wincheap Industrial Estate in Canterbury, Kent has re-opened as Canterbury Leisure. The venue was formerly known as Play Islands.

It's a course we hadn't played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour before the pandemic, but one that is now on our to visit list.

Visit the Canterbury Leisure website for more information on Crazy Golf Canterbury.

One of the last buses out of dodge

Stockport bus station closes at the end of today, Sunday 29th August 2021.

Work will then begin on a new bus station as well as other developments in this area.

We saw this old orange Manchester bus on its Stockport Bus Station Special Farewell Tour in the town centre yesterday.

An old orange Manchester SELNEC bus on a Farewell to Stockport Bus Station Tour

Videos of the area before the closure

A view of Stockport bus station - as well as the Hat Museum and Viaduct. Filmed the day before the bus station closed.

A view of Stockport bus station - as well as the Stockport Plaza, Wellington Road South (A6), the Hat Museum, Viaduct and Merseyway shopping centre. Filmed the day before the bus station closed.

Eaton Park Crazy Golf course in Norwich

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Eaton Park in Norwich, Norfolk.

My brother Christopher took a stroll round Eaton Park in Norwich and sent me this snap of the Crazy Golf course there.

We played the layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in May 2017 when the 18-hole course became the 432nd played and 734th visited overall. We had a superb time playing the course and the park is a marvellous setting for a game.

Check out the Eaton Park Crazy Golf course website for more information.

Halloween Putt Putt at Victoria Park in Herston, Queensland

There will be Halloween Putt Putt at Victoria Park Golf Complex in Brisbane, Australia in September and October.

The miniature golf course at Victoria Park Herston, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia has a Halloween Putt Putt event running from the 17th September to the 31st October.

For more information visit the Victoria Park Golf Complex website.

Halloween minigolf

We're big fans of Halloween and haunted minigolf courses so it was excellent to hear about this event. We've played a few Halloween and haunted-themed courses and holes on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Hopefully we'll see some in the UK again.

It'll be interesting to see what other decorated and themed miniature golf courses we find out about in the run up to Halloween this year...

Zingers Adventure Golf in Portsmouth

A new indoor adventure golf course is opening in Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Many thanks to our friend Dave Ronchetti for letting us know about Zingers Adventure Golf in Portsmouth. The new 9-hole UV glow-in-the-dark indoor minigolf course is opening at The Bridge Shopping Centre in Fratton, Portsmouth on the 28th August.

Check out the Zingers Adventure Golf website for more information.

Shopping centre minigolf

Zingers Adventure Golf is the latest miniature golf course to open in a shopping centre. Overall the game is booming and lots of former retail space is now being used as entertainment space, with minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf a popular choice.

Minigolfing in Portsmouth and Southsea

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began down in Southsea back in 2006 when we played the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course on the seafront. Dave still lives locally and has tipped us off about a few other courses he's seen and heard about over the years.

We're looking forward to our next trip down to Portsmouth and Southsea.