Games in Guildford, a visit to the Castle and seeing a Giant Beetle

Playing Bar Billiards, Table Tennis and a new version of Ping Pong in Guildford!

Following my quick stop off at Woking Park (via Shepperton) I recently visited Guildford, Surrey for an afternoon of sporting activity and games with fellow blogger and BMGA Tour rival Oliver ‘The Machine’ Florence.

Our planned day of fun & games in February had been thwarted by the snow, but with rain and “blusterous” conditions forecast for Wednesday the weather was not going to be as pleasant as on my last visit to the town back in September 2008. On that occasion I managed to play the Stoke Park Minigolf course, was turned away from the Lido as it was not yet open for the season and saw a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man.

Before meeting up with Ollie I had a wander around the town and went to Guildford Museum, which is worth a visit. I spotted a few places that offered Gluten Free food too, the best named place was ‘Glutton & Glee’ - see photo.

Walking around Allen House Grounds I saw that they had a Jabberwocky Maze (it wasn’t difficult). Ollie later told me that the grounds are home to a Golf Putting Green course in the summer season and the websites for Allen House Grounds and Allen House Pavilion have more details on the course.

Allen House Gardens - home to a Jabberwocky Maze and a Minigolf Putting Green

The Jabberwocky Maze

With Wednesday 18th April 2012 marking 100 days until the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games the date of 18/04/12 also marked an unspecified countdown until the ‘Guildford Games’ – a multi-sport event ‘planned’ to take place in the summer and consisting of the disciplines of Minigolf, Darts, Bar Billiards and ‘some sort of game involving the Castle’.

As part of the preparation for the Guildford Games, Ollie and I headed to the Royal Oak pub for a few games of Bar Billiards. The table is in a good position in the pub and was in very good condition indeed. Each of the tables I’ve played to date have had their own subtle differences and I really enjoyed playing the table at the Royal Oak – perhaps it was because the Mushroom didn’t wobble precariously at all on rebound shots at the 200-hole!

The Royal Oak Pub in Guildford has Free Bar Billiards on a Sunday

We decided to play a best-of-3 games match and in game one I defeated Ollie 1,300 to 480 after holing-out with a white ball to the 100-hole in the shootout.

Partway through the game the barman mentioned to us that we were playing the game incorrectly, as the Royal Oak Rules use a variation whereby the red ball is replaced on the spot and a white ball is used as the cue ball each time the red ball is potted. After a quick look online we found these ‘variant’ rules (amongst others) on the excellent Masters Traditional Games website.

Playing a shot on the Royal Oak's Bar Billiards table

Our second game saw us invoke the “R’oak Rules” and the game was a very close fought battle. The match once again went to a sudden-death shootout. Ollie managed to score 100 by potting the white ball with an 'in off' the Mushroom on the right of the table, but was still on the losing end of a 1,400 to 1,100 scoreline.

Ollie plays a shot on the Royal Oak's Bar Billiards table - note the use of 'Royal Oak Rules'

After play at the Royal Oak we headed to Guildford Castle for a look around. The Castle Grounds are home to a Bowls Club – perhaps Lawn Bowls will be an event in the Guildford Games too.

Guildford Castle

We then moved on to Stoke Park for a look at the Minigolf course and new Table Tennis table that has been installed. We found that ahead of the new summer season the 12-hole Stoke Park Minigolf course has had a lick of paint on the obstacles and also had a new ‘obstacle’ added in the shape of a Tractor!?

The new Tractor on the Stoke Park Swedish Felt Minigolf course

Despite my 'retirement' from competitive Table Tennis/Ping Pong/Wiff Waff/Pong I brought my Ping Pong bats and balls along to give the Stoke Park Table Tennis table a go.  After a knock-up our best-of-3 games Aqua Table Tennis match began and Ollie took a quick lead before winning the first game 9-6. After switching sides Ollie put his ‘local knowledge’ to good use and served to the puddle on my side of the table to pick up a 9-7 win and victory in the match. This was despite my best attempts to unnerve ‘The Machine' on the journey to Stoke Park!

The new Table Tennis table in Guildford's Stoke Park

Playing some Ping Pong at Stoke Park

The final game we played (and one that will be very unlikely to make an appearance in the Guildford Games) was 'Ping Pong Crazy Golf'. After several unsuccessful hole-in-one attempts on the Net hole and the Flat Loop (with scores ranging from 4 to 12!?) Ollie scored the only Ace of our ‘round’ on hole number four.

Ollie lines up a shot for a hole-in-one in the new game of Ping Pong Crazy Golf

Playing some Ping Pong Crazy Golf on Stoke Park's Minigolf course

We then went for a wander to Guildford Lido to see if we could see the Minigolf course in there. We could, but couldn’t play it as the Lido is only open from May. A swimming event is a possible inclusion in the competition calendar for the Guildford Games too!

The Guildford Lido was closed on this visit - so the Minigolf course remains unplayed by me

Instead of playing any Minigolf to finish out the afternoon's entertainment, Ollie pointed out the Giant Guildford Beetle that is amongst some trees beyond the Lido!!!

A gate that is lacking a fence. And a Gigantic Beetle beyond it!

Getting scared off of a Giant Beetle in Guildford

Commenting on the day’s sporting endeavours Ollie said "It was great to see Squire finally make a return to Guildford after the previously aborted attempts. We managed to fit quite a few sporting activities in to the day and it proved to be a good test for the up-and-coming Guildford Games. We are going to need to tweak a few of the rules ahead of the event though, particularly after Richard's run-in with the barman over the correct use of the red ball in bar billiards.

The Machine added "I was pleased that I managed to beat him at the new form of Ping Pong despite an extremely unsettling incident in the car on the way to the park. He took his defeat well though and I'm pleased he seemed genuinely delighted when I showed him a massive sculpture of a beetle."

Related Blog Posts on The Ham & Egger Files:

- Snow causes blog post in Guildford

- Not course number 75! Guildford Lido
- Actual Minigolf Course 75 - Guildford

- Bar Billiards-related blog posts

- Ping Pong & Table Tennis-related blog posts

- Maze-related blog posts

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Links:

- The Minigolfer Blog

-- "Snow luck for Gottfried as Guildford curse strikes again"

- The English Table Tennis Association (ETTA)

- ETTA Instant Ping Pong video

My first entries into the Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt 2

Tasks 1 & 4 (and a bonus) completed in Round One of the #PKSH2

With the deadline for round one of the 2012 edition of the Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt drawing close I've put in two completed task entries and a bonus task.

Round #1, Task #1

★ Get an autograph of a competition miniature golfer. The autograph must be addressed to you and indicate that it is for the #PKSH2 (20 points)

#PKSH2 - Task #1 - Autograph from Reigning Putter King & Australian Minigolfer Allan Cox

Round #1, Task #4 (15 points; 40 possible bonus points)

★ Picture of the Putter King wobblehead next to 8 different colored golf balls (15 points)

#PKSH2 - Task #4 - The Putter King wobblehead next to 8 different coloured golf balls

• 40 bonus points if you also take a picture of the Putter King wobblehead next to 8 different European competition style miniature golf balls (smooth surface balls)

#PKSH2 - Task #4 (Bonus) - The Putter King wobblehead next to 8 different coloured minigolf balls

The 2nd Annual Putter King Miniature Scavenger Hunt is a free to enter worldwide hunt taking place amongst minigolf enthusiasts on courses worldwide. Check out the Putter King website to find out how you can get involved in the hunt too!

Deadline Reminder - Round One of the #PKSH2 closes on Monday 30th April!

Related Blog Posts:

- And so it begins... the 2nd Annual Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt is underway!!!

Links:

- The Putter King

- The Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt Page

- Allan Cox - The Reigning Putter King

- #PKSH2 - Official Hashtag of the 2nd Annual Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt

Woking Park Crazy Golf and Putting Green

Ticking off two more course visits on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Prior to my visit to Guildford on Wednesday 18th April, and due to a wrong turn when exiting the M25, I ended up near Woking (Shepperton to be precise). As I'd never been to the town and knowing there was a Crazy Golf course there I headed to Woking Park to have a look.

A view of the Woking Park Crazy Golf course

I found the 9-hole Eternit type of Miniature Golf course, which looked to be in decent enough condition. Unfortunately the weather was fairly grim so I gave it a miss. According to the Leisure Centre website the course is open from May to September, but a sign next to the course said that the course is open to play year round (Putters & Balls need to be hired from the Leisure Centre Reception).

The second hole has a snake painted on it - I haven't seen that on an eternit style of minigolf course before

Another view of the snakey hole

Next to the Crazy Golf course is a Putting Green. This wasn't yet open for the summer season, but you could see where the holes have been marked out ready for play.

One of the holes marked out on the Putting Green

Related Blog Posts:

- Eternit Sports and Social Club - No Miniature Golf

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Woking

Visiting Oxford #2

A quick stop-off at another Oxford in Northumberland!

On our Roadtrip to Scotland and back we were driving along the A1 just south of Berwick-upon-Tweed when we spotted a sign for 'Oxford'. As I was born in Oxford I had to head there to see what this particular version was like...

The road sign showing Oxford is a mere 1/2 mile away

At the 'Welcome to Oxford' sign

...there wasn't much to it. In fact on a crossroads of the B6525 there is The Oxford Farm Shop, Tea Room and Restaurant. Over the road from the shop is a field of sheep and that is all! Quite different to the other Oxford!

This is pretty much all of this 'Oxford' captured in one photo

This Oxford also contains two Brown Tourist Signs - one for 'The OXFORD Farm Shop and tearooms' and the other lets people know that they now stock Card and Scrapbook Making Essentials in the Farm Shop!

It's not the first time on our travels around the UK that we've found an A.N. Other version of a town/island/state/country! We've also been to The Isle of Wight (near Dunstable), Ireland (in Bedfordshire), Egypt (in Buckinghamshire), New England (in Essex) and Luton (in Kent).

Related Blog Posts:

- Not Ireland, Egypt, England or the Isle of Wight

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf on the Isle of Wight and a visit to Isle of Wight Lane in Bedfordshire

- 30 seconds in Ireland!

Link:

- Follow The Brown Signs

A day out of Bun Throwing, Crazy Golf and Bar Billiards in Abingdon-on-Thames

Returning to Abingdon-on-Thames for a World Championship!

On Saturday 14th April we headed back to my hometown of Abingdon-on-Thames to compete in the first-ever World Bun Throwing Championships taking place at the Abingdon Vale Cricket Club.

The visit was the first-time I’ve been able to get back since the Royal Bun Throwing held last April and also the first-time I’ve been home since the town officially reverted back to its previous name of Abingdon-on-Thames!

Prior to the main-event in the World Bun Throwing Championships we had a quick wander around the town and had a drink in the Bun Throwing-themed cafe Throwing Buns and then headed to the Abbey Grounds.

Bun Throwing press cuttings at Throwing Buns cafe in Abingdon-on-Thames

The Abbey Grounds has some nice parks and gardens, some ‘ancient’ abbey ruins, the River Thames running through it, an outdoor swimming pool (due to re-open in the summer) and a Tennis and Golf Centre.

While we were there, and with 45 minutes until the 2pm start of the World Bun Throwing Championships, my brother Jon and I decided to have a Minigolf Challenge Match on the 10-hole Crazy Golf course.

The game was the first one we’ve had against each other since a holiday at Barry Island Holiday Camp in the 1990’s and the first on the Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf Course since 1986, when a match between the six and five-year-old versions of us had fought to a draw (most likely to save any arguments).

The Abingdon Classic crazy golf competitors - Jon & Richard Gottfried

Emily and I have previously played the course (it became #31 on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in August 2007) and since our last visit in 2011 the layout has had a lick of paint and hole 6 has had a new half-pipe laid over the bridge obstacle.

I play a shot on hole 4 of the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course as my brother Jon strikes a 'Golf Pose'

In the 26-year anniversary match-up between us, Jon showed his natural Miniature Golf ability and took an early lead by winning the first hole with a three, to my four! Hole 2 saw us both score twos, but hole 3 (a very tricky hole with a nasty dip at the back of the ‘green’) saw Jon hit a five to my two.

Jon plays out hole 4 of the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course as Emily and Kim look on

The match continued in a back and forth manner and Jon was unfortunate to hit a five on the bridge hole (number 6) to finish with a total of 31(+11). I was victorious with a score of 28(+8). Neither of us scored any Aces – although with a ‘clause’ inserted into the rules by Jon part-way through the game it was a good thing neither of us scored a hole-in-one! The matchplay match ended in a tie. A return Abingdon-on-Thames Crazy Golf Classic tournament is already scheduled to take place in June prior to the Royal Bun Throwing for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

I play a shot on hole 5

Jon tackles the trickiest hole on the course - hole 6 and the bridge

As he had played well Jon was 'allowed' an Ice Cream as we wandered back over the bridge and down to Culham Road for the day’s big Bun Throwing contest.

For a full report from the inaugural World Bun Throwing Championships please see the story “Competing in the first-ever World Bun Throwing Championships in Abingdon-on-Thames” on my World of Bun Throwing Blog.

Throwing a bun at the World Bun Throwing Championships in Abingdon-on-Thames

After the fun of the Bun Throwing we nipped to the bookies for Jon and Kim to put a bet on the Grand National and headed to the re-opened pub on Old Station Yard, The Harp. When I lived in the town it was known as The Plough. The pub is worth a visit, it’s nice and friendly with a big screen and there is also a dartboard in there.

We then headed over to the village of Drayton and The Red Lion pub where we’d heard there was a Bar Billiards table. There indeed was, so Jon and I had a two-game challenge where I introduced him to the game. After a quick run through of the rules I then watched him score a 400 with his first shot, having rebounded the Red (double) ball into the 200-hole!

Jon lines up a shot on the Bar Billiards table at The Red Lion pub in Drayton

In our first match-up I picked up the win 760 to Jon’s 680 after I shot a white ball into the 100-hole in the sudden-death shootout.

In the second match Jon built-up steadily and had a score of 850 to my 150 when we reached a sudden-death shootout. After both of us had taken a few shots at the 100-hole Jon managed to sink a white ball to win the match 950 to 150.

A return match of Bar Billiards is also on the cards later in the summer...

Links:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- World of Bun Throwing
- Abingdon Blog - "The Saving of Crazy Golf"

Related Blog Posts:

- Links to all Bar Billiards Blog Posts on The Ham & Egger Files

- Crazy Golf in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

- The Crazy Golf course in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

- Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf Course Replay on a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Revisit

Visiting a further 49 Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in England and Scotland

Exploring the north west of England, some of Scotland and the north east coast.

The latest leg on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has seen us visit a further 49 miniature golf courses in England and Scotland bringing the total course location visits to date since September 2006 to 495!

Of the 49 courses we stopped at on our roadtrip we managed to play thirteen of them. Some of the courses were not yet open for the season, while others were either in a derelict state or had been demolished. A few of the courses we didn’t play were open, but unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to play them all.

The 1,178 mile roadtrip took us to Miniature Golf, Crazy Golf, Putting and Adventure Golf courses in Forton, Garstang, Bispham, Morecambe, Bowness-on-Windermere, Brockhole, Ambleside, Keswick, Maryport, Silloth-on-Solway, Carlisle, Helensburgh, Bannockburn, Perth, Broughty Ferry, St Andrews, Kirkaldy, Dunfermline, North Berwick, Gullane, Dunbar, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Spittal, Seahouses and Sunderland.

North West England, Scotland & North East England Tour Challenge - List of courses played (click to enlarge)

On the trip Emily and I contested an Irregular Mini Golf Tour tournament played over 13 rounds and 201 different minigolf holes – the North West England, Scotland & North East England Tour Challenge. The competition was won by me with a total of 518 to Emily’s 554.

Our visit to St Andrews in Scotland also saw us visit and play the World’s First Miniature Golf course at The Himalayas Putting Course – a terrific minigolf location where there is a pair of testing courses – an 18 and a 9-hole Grass Putting layout.

With the 49 Minigolf/Crazy Golf/Adventure Golf/Putting courses taken in on our journey we have now made 495 course location visits since 2006 and played 297 courses!

Richard at the Zumo Cafe Crazy Golf course in Forton

Emily playing the very crazy Crazy Golf course at Brockhole in the Lake District

Richard playing the Crazy Golf in Ambleside

Richard lining up a Putt in Keswick

Richard and Humpty on the Crazy Golf course in Carlisle

Richard on the outdoor section of the Adventure Golf Putting at Noahs Ark Golf Centre in Perth

Richard plays a shot on the Broughty Ferry Crazy Golf course

Richard plays a shot on the 9-hole Himalayas Putting Course in St Andrews

Emily on Hole 17 at Adventure Golf Island in Dunfermline

Richard on the East Links Putting course in North Berwick

Richard on the Crazy Golf course in a very wet and cold Seahouses

According to the excellent Miniature Golf resource – MiniatureGolfer.com – there are 57 miniature golf courses in Scotland (and 618 in the UK) and in the few days we had available we managed to visit 20 courses there. We also spotted a few new unlisted courses in England and Scotland that can be added for future visits and visitors.

Related blog posts:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Unplayed Minigolf Courses on our Roadtrip to Scotland & Back

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

The Polo Tower in Morecambe

One of the remnants of the old Frontierland Theme Park in Morecambe, Lancashire is the Polo Tower.

It's one of the first things you spot when arriving in Morecambe!

The "Wild West" theme is still evident on the faux shopfronts near to the Polo Tower.

These buns are not for throwing!

A batch of gluten free Hot Cross Buns.

With 2012 seeing two very special Bun Throwing events taking place in my hometown of Abingdon-on-Thames, Emily made eleven Hot Cross Buns to start the celebrations early.

Very tasty they are too.



The eleven gluten free Hot Cross Buns



Unfortunately, as a Coeliac, if I am lucky enough to catch any buns at the Abingdon Bun Throwing I won't be able to eat them, but I will be still getting in the mix trying to catch some.

Related Blog Post:

- World of Bun Throwing - Blog Updates

My Other Blog:

- World of Bun Throwing

Bollards of Britain...: A Chimpanzee, Bike and a Policeman...

Bollards of Britain...: A Chimpanzee, Bike and a Policeman...: The Bollard... We are in Luton Town Centre thanks to @putting_gott who just happened to send me a couple of photographs of some new bo...


Check out the link above to view my Guest Bollard contribution to the Bollards of Britain website.

Inventing a New Game with Food Allergens

Discovering a dodgy looking condiment.

While dining in a pub restaurant in Seahouses, Northumberland I discovered a condiment packet of 'generic' Mint Sauce.

I was very surprised to see that, while lacking an ingredients list, it had a comprehensive list of allergens it may contain!?

The 'Mint Sauce' that is best avoided if you have an allergy/intolerance

The Salad Cream, Mayonnaise and Tomato Sauce (or Tomato Ketchup - what's the difference?) weren't much better on the ingredients/allergen front!

I was wondering if spotting this sachet could create a new game - Intolerance Top Trumps, Allergy Snap or Aversion Bingo perhaps...?

Spotting two other boats called 'Titanic'

Not to be ghoulish, but with a lot of media attention centreing on the 100th Anniversary of the ill-fated maiden voyage of RMS Titanic I thought I'd post a couple of snaps of two boats I've spotted on my travels that have been named Titanic!

Now, I'm not much of a seafarer, but if I was I don't think I'd be inclined to name my boat after it! I don't suppose it's a good idea to name a boat or ship The Mary Celeste either.

A Titanic spotted in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2011

A Titanic spotted in Leigh on Sea, Essex in December 2011

Link:

- Wikipedia Page for the RMS Titanic

New Personal Best at Stockwood Park's Mini Golf course

Latest scores at 9-hole Pitch & Putt Miniature Golf in Luton.

I recently headed up to the Mini Golf course, Driving Range and Putting Green at Stockwood Park Golf Centre in Luton for a bit of practice and a game on the 9-hole Pitch & Putt course against my friend Oxana Nikandrova.

A view of the 9-hole Mini Golf course

The round of golf was Oxana's first-ever game and she scored an excellent 46(+19) on the par-27 course. I managed a new personal best round of 27(par) on the course.

The Putting Green at Stockwood Park

The course is well worth a visit, especially in lovely sunny weather. The Stockwood Park Golf Centre aslo has a good Driving Range and a Putting Green facility.

A view of the 18th hole on the BIG Golf course at Stockwood Park

Related Blog Posts:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #30 Luton (Stockwood Park) - Mini Golf/Pitch & Putt

- Crazy Golf & Minigolf Courses in and around Luton, Bedfordshire

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- Pitch & Putt Par 3 Golf at Stockwood Park
- Stockwood Park Big Mini Golf Match-up - Gottfried vs. Hall
- "A very British “keep calm and carry on” brown sign…." at the Follow The Brown Signs Blog

Link:

- Stockwood Park Golf Centre

Gluten Free Food & Beer (and Bar Billiards) in Baldock

Coeliac-friendly Fish & Chips and Beer. And a game or three of Bar Billiards.

The Fish 'n' Chick'n' fish & chip shop in Baldock, Hertfordshire caters for Coeliacs on the last Tuesday of the month when many of the items on the menu can be made Gluten Free. Emily and I revisited recently and once again found the food and service to be very good. It's well worth a visit.

We also visited the Orange Tree pub in the town for a few games of our new favourite pub game - Bar Billiards. I had previously played the table at the pub in February and on this visit we had a chat to the landlord Rob, who inbetween running the Pub Quiz, showed us the new extension to the pub (host to a pub games sporting event later this summer!) and also told us about the Gluten Free food and drinks they offer. The beer they have is the Hambleton's Gluten Free Ale and Gluten Free Lager.

In our games of Bar Billiards Emily defeated me two games to one. In Game one I picked up a win 980 to nil after Emily had wiped-out her score of 350 and I scored a white ball to the 200 hole on the sudden-death shoot-out.

In game two Emily shot her highest score to date to pick up a victory 1,160 points to 320, with Emily hitting a red ball to 20 and a white to a 50 hole to finish.

In the final game of the series Emily won a close game 580 to 430, scoring 100 in the sudden-death shoot-out.

A different view of the Bar Billiards table at The Orange Tree

Knocking down two mushrooms with one shot

Related Blog Posts:

- Bar Billiards in Baldock & Knebworth

- All Bar Billiards Blog Posts on The Ham & Egger Files

- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels

- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers

Links:

- The Orange Tree Baldock

- Fish 'n' Chick'n' Baldock

- Coeliac UK

Knight School at Urquhart Castle

One of my Minigolf rivals, John 'Thighs' Moore, informed me of a class that he thought may be of interest to me as a 'Squire' - the Knight School at Urquhart Castle in Scotland!

For £7.40 you can join a Squire as he is being trained for Knight Hood at the castle, situated on the banks of Loch Ness, and see if you have what it takes to be a Knight and learn the chivalric code! Sounds like a bargain.

The events are running at Urquhart Castle this Easter and are running on Friday 6th April and Saturday 7th April.

Perhaps I'll attend a session in the future ...

Video of a Finger Jousting Match between me (Squire Richard of Surleigh) and my arch-rival Sir Myles of Hampshire in a point play rules Finger Jousting match at the Luton Finger Jousting Arena on the 25th March 2007.

Links:

- Knight School at Urquhart Castle

- Urquhart Castle

Related Blog Posts:

- Minigolf Nicknames

- Finger Jousting for four years

- Squire Richard of Surleigh's Coat of Arms, with Motto (translation: Through effort to the stars)

We Spotted a Brown Tourist Sign for a Milestones Museum in Basingstoke...

One of the Brown Tourist Signs we spotted on our way to the launch of the new minigolf course at Basingstoke Golf Centre

...although the museum is of the living history variety, rather than a museum of milestones!

Another brown tourist sign spotted for the Follow the Brown Signs website though!

We didn't have time to visit on this occasion as we were heading down to Southsea.

Links:
- The Milestone Society
- Follow the Brown Signs
- The Milestones Museum, Basingstoke

Related Blog Posts:
- A Landmark On Our Travels - Photographing Our First Milestone
- The Brown Sign Way - A Website and Blog Dedicated to Tourist Attraction Signs

Not getting stang off of a fake wasp on a bollard

Someone had stuck a fake wasp onto the top of a bollard in hightown, Luton last week!?

Recently I spotted some interesting (if you're a fan of Bollards) links to the Bollards of London website in The Sun newspaper. You can also follow Bollards of London and Bollards of Britain on Twitter.

Links:
- Bollards of London
- Bollards of Britain

Last chance to watch me on The Chase on the ITV Player

Check out my latest TV Quiz Show Appearance online.

You can watch my appearance on The Chase from 5pm on Friday 2nd March 2012 at the ITV Player.

You can read a news story about my appearance on The Chase in the Herald & Post e-edition - "Richard is chasing a quiz-show dream"

Blog Post:

- Appearing on ITV's The Chase!

'Squire' Richard Gottfried receives O.B.E. Honour

Services to Crazy Golf pay off for Luton Minigolfer.

Luton Minigolfer 'Squire' Richard Gottfried has received the prestigious honour of being bestowed with an O.B.E.!

The award was announced today in a letter passed On By Emily.

'Squire' Richard Gottfried - Out Standing in his Field