Friday, July 11, 2014

New products from Udi's Gluten Free

Blog post about some of the new products available from Udi's Gluten Free.

At the recent Allergy and Free From Show in London I spotted some of the new gluten free products from Udi's Gluten Free.

Following feedback from customers since the UK launch in 2013 Udi's have launched 27 new gluten free products.

I was given samples of the new Soft n' Chewy Chocolate Banana Cereal Bars, Chocolate Flavour Sandwich Cookies and the Milk Chocolate Wafers by the Udi's team at the Allergy and Free From Show. So far I've had one of the chocolate banana bars, which was nice
I was given samples of the new Soft n' Chewy Chocolate Banana Cereal Bars, Chocolate Flavour Sandwich Cookies and the Milk Chocolate Wafers by the Udi's team at the Allergy and Free From Show. So far I've had one of the chocolate banana bars, which was nice

Yesterday I received a nice surprise hamper from Udi's!

It's always nice to receive a surprise food hamper! Especially when you know all of the contents will be gluten free and suitable for coeliacs!
It's always nice to receive a surprise food hamper! Especially when you know all of the contents will be gluten free and suitable for coeliacs!

Last December I blogged about the first products launched in the Udi's Gluten Free range, and its going to be great trying the new products which all sound interesting and tasty.

In my pre-Coeliac Disease days, back when I was able to eat a 'normal' diet, I wasn't a big fan of bagels. However, that changed when I tried the Udi's Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels. The chocolate chip ones sound even better. Everything tastes better if its got chocolate in it!

The Soft & Tasty Chocolate Chip Bagels,Soft & Delicious Blueberry Muffins, Soft & Chewy Cherry Flavoured Breakfast Bars, Chocolate Flavour Sandwich Cookies and the Lemon Flavoured Wafers
The gluten free hamper contents were Soft & Tasty Chocolate Chip Bagels,Soft & Delicious Blueberry Muffins, Soft & Chewy Cherry Flavoured Breakfast Bars, Chocolate Flavour Sandwich Cookies and the Lemon Flavoured Wafers

I'll be scoffing my way through the new products in the coming weeks, I think i'll start with a toasted bagel, followed by a blueberry muffin...

Udi's Gluten Free launched here in the UK at the end of last year and have been operating in the USA since 1994. Check out the Udi's website for further details of their range and stockists near you.

The Udi's philosophy is creating great gluten free foods that bring happiness. Read more of the Udi's story, from starting out in Colorado, USA in 1994 to the UK launch on the Udi's website.

Udi's Gluten Free was the headline sponsor of the recent Allergy & Free From Show at Olympia.

A wall of Udi's gluten free products at the Allergy and Free From Show in London
A wall of Udi's gluten free products at the Allergy and Free From Show in London, including some of the 27 new products added to the range

If you missed that event then you can attend the Allergy and Free From Show North that is taking place on the 25th & 26th of October at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool.

Links:
Udi's Gluten Free UK
- Udi's Gluten Free USA

Related blog posts:
Udi’s Gluten Free – more than just mince pies
- Awareness Week: Coeliac Facts from Udi's Gluten Free
- The Allergy and Free From Show 2014 at Olympia
Gluten Free
Coeliac

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Miniature Golf and the Olympic Games

Did you know - Miniature Golf was once played during the Olympic Games!

While it was not officially part of the Games programme, the participants in the Golf tournament at the 1904 Olympic Games held in St Louis, USA also competed in a Putting Championship on a specially built miniature golf course.

The 9-hole Putting Course was specifically built at the Glen Echo Country Club for a Putting Championship and was constructed with electric lights surrounding the layout.

The Putting competition was won by Burt McKinnie of Normandie GC. McKinnie defeated Clement Smoot of the Exmoor Club in Chicago for the trophy after McKinnie scored a total of 21. Both players had been tied going into the last hole!

Check out the Olympic Golf Replica Program from 1904 and the 'Little Known Olympic Facts' section on the Glen Echo Country Club website for further info on the event.

On this year's Olympic Day (23 June) I tweeted about the Putting course and championships and Glen Echo tweeted back.

The 1904 Games were quite a wild affair - with a number of other sporting events taking place out of the scope of the 'official' sports. They also took place over several months and organised alongside the World's Fair, rather than as a standalone event.

More information about the 1904 Olympic Golf Matches can be found on the Glenn Echo Country Club website.

On a related note, the Olympiapark München is home to a Miniature Golf course that was set-up in the athletes village for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Now open to the public you can find more information on the Olympiapark München and the Minigolf & Pit-Pat Olympiapark München websites.

International Minigolf Sport is governed by the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF). The WMF currently has 46 member associations. The WMF is a member of SportAccord, an organisation comprised of a wide-range of Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations.

Richard Gottfried playing a shot on the World's First Miniature Golf course in April 2012 - The Himalayas Putting Course at St Andrews, Scotland. The course was founded in 1867 when The Ladies' Putting Club began playing.
Richard Gottfried playing a shot on the World's First Miniature Golf course in April 2012 - The Himalayas Putting Course at St Andrews, Scotland. The course was founded in 1867 when The Ladies' Putting Club began playing.

Links:
- Glen Echo Country Club website
- Glen Echo Country Club on Twitter
- Glen Echo Country Club on Facebook
- 1904 Olympic Golf Matches
Olympic Golf Replica Program from 1904
St Louis 1904 at Olympic.org

Related blog posts:
- The Himalayas Putting Course at St Andrews, Scotland
- Two Miniature Golf Firsts
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
The Other Olympics

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

New Gluten Free Beer and Cakes at M&S

New gluten free products - including beer and cakes - in the Made Without Range by Marks & Spencer.

Emily and I are big fans of Marks & Spencer as in the last few years they have added more and more products to the 'Made Without Wheat' range.

In addition to the special Made Without Wheat gluten free branded line, M&S has been making a lot of other items gluten free - such as the new BBQ and Grill range - which include our particular favourites of pulled pork and the cheese & chilli 'posh dogs'.

While having a browse in the Luton branch today I spotted there are now two new gluten free beers available!

Gluten Free beer at Marks and Spencer
The new Marks & Spencer beers - the Belgian Golden Ale on the left and the Belgian Premium Pilsner on the right.

I'm a big fan of beer, ale and lager and after my diagnosis with Coeliac Disease in 2008 following years of illness I received the additional hammer blow of being told that I wouldn't be able to have a pint of beer again.

Since then I have found that there are a number of gluten free tipples available and details of those beers I've found and drunk are available on my compilation blog post about Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers.

The Belgian Golden Ale and Belgian Premium Pilsner are brewed by Brouwerij De Brabandere in West Flanders, Belgium and have been specially brewed for Marks & Spencer.

The new M&S Ale and Pilsner both contain Barley and in the information on the bottle it says "Barley gluten is removed during the brewing process to leave a great tasting gluten free beer."

I bought a bottle of each beer. I haven't tried them yet, but I'm sure they'll get drunk over the weekend.

M&S have also recently started selling four new cakes. I spotted three of these in the Luton branch, while the Party Cake was spotted in the Ipswich store.

The Made Without Wheat Extremely Chocolatey Celebration Cake by M&S
The Made Without Wheat Extremely Chocolatey Celebration Cake by M&S. I bought one of these for our recent wedding anniversary.

The Made Without Wheat Extremely Chocolatey Celebration Cake was nice, I liked it more than Emily, but we both agreed the base of the cake was a little too dry. Not a bad amount of chocolate cake for the £10 price tag. I'd buy it again, and at least this time I'd have it all to myself.

The M&S Made Without Wheat Carrot & Walnut Cake and Coffee and Walnut Cake. I haven't tried these. Yet.
The M&S Made Without Wheat Carrot & Walnut Cake and Coffee and Walnut Cake. I haven't tried these. Yet.

The Marks and Spencer Made Without Wheat 'Party Cake'. I hope I get one of these on my next birthday.
The M&S Made Without Wheat 'Party Cake'. I hope I get one of these on my next birthday.

Check out the M&S website for details of the Made Without Wheat range and the other Gluten Free items they offer. I spotted some different cakes available there too!

Links:
- Marks & Spencer website
- Marks & Spencer Made Without Wheat page
Brouwerij De Brabandere
- Coeliac UK website

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free blog posts on The Ham & Egger Files
- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers
- A blogger's gluten free sandwich
- Gluten Free Finds in London (and beyond) - October 2010

Tuesday, July 08, 2014

Playing FootGolf in Luton

Having a round of the new game of FootGolf at Luton's Stockwood Park.

On Monday 7th July I headed up to Stockwood Park in Luton to play my first round of the new sport of FootGolf. I'd been challenged to a match by my old Dodgeball rivals - the Welwyn Dowed Warriors.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton, Bedfordshire
Playing FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton

I first heard about FootGolf last September and since then Luton has seen two courses open - at Stockwood Park Golf Centre and at Tea Green Golf.

A couple of weeks ago I saw how popular the game was as I had a round of Pitch & Putt on the Stockwood Mini Golf course.

The sport of FootGolf is played on a golf course, with player's aiming to get the football into the hole in as few shots as possible. The 'green' and hole itself is placed beside or beyond the regular golf's green to enable players of the two games to have a round at the same time.

Having paid for our round of 9-hole (£5.50 each, plus a £5 refundable deposit for each ball borrowed) we heaed out to the course. With the rules of the game read out from the very well designed FootGolf scorecard we were ready to get underway, with 'The Professional' kicking/teeing-off first.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton, Bedfordshire
Paul 'Barer' Harvey readying himself for a tricky 'putt' on the 3rd hole - this one really got the better of most players (apart from 'The Professional' and Paul)

We had a great, fun round with plenty of banter and some wild shots. These were interspersed with some good use of the greens to play some nice angled shots. The shot of the match went to Paul who kicked a cracker to score a three on the par-5 121 yard sixth hole.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton, Bedfordshire
Steve 'The Belly' Kelly pitches a shot across the edge of the golf green

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton, Bedfordshire
Steve 'The Belly' Kelly chips out of the rough

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton, Bedfordshire
Steve 'The Belly' Kelly in trouble again

The final results saw 'The Professional' win with par (34), notching up a two on hole five and a three on the ninth. In second on 36(+2) was Paul. I was third on 37(+3), with Steve edging out Rowdy Russell 39(+5) to 40(+6).

It was a good, open round and hopefully we'll all improve in our second game.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton, Bedfordshire
Richard Gottfried 'putting' on the Stockwood Park FootGolf layout

We all agreed it was a fun game to play and we'll certainly be having another round soon. The Hertfordshire-based players are hoping to see a FootGolf course open up on their side of the border.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton, Bedfordshire
A new FootGolf sign will need to be added to the post at Stockwood Park

You can also play FootGolf on Tea Green Golf's new course at Wandon End, near Luton.

Check out the links below for the UK FootGolf Association and Stockwood Park Golf Centre for more details about playing the game.

FootGolf seems to be a fast growing sport, with new courses popping up all over the country.

Links:
- Stockwood Park Golf Centre
- UK FootGolf Association

Related blog posts:
- Observations of FootGolf
- FootGolf is heading to Luton!
- Stockwood Park-related Blog Posts
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #30 Luton (Stockwood Park) - Mini Golf/Pitch & Putt

Monday, July 07, 2014

A blogger's gluten free sandwich

Using Green's Gluten Free Dark Ale Mustard.

While at the 2014 Allergy and Free From Show I visited the Green's gluten free beers stand and as well as sampling a couple of the their beers I hadn't had in a while I was also given a special jar of Green's Dark Ale Mustard!

Green's gluten free Dark Ale Mustard
Green's gluten free Dark Ale Mustard

I asked for some suggestions on Twitter and Green's came back with ideas for Marks & Spencer gluten free sausages (a good idea as I like the M&S gluten free range), a scotch egg (another great idea, perhaps one from Hotch Potch Eggs who I met at the show), or any salad & ham (less of the salad, more of the ham!).

Fellow gluten free blogger Gemma at Coeliac and Me suggested said she'd be making some honey & mustard salad dressing. Sounds nice.

Emily cooks up some cracking gluten free food, a specialty of which is a great dish of honey and mustard crusted pork, which we'll use the Dark Ale Mustard for the next time.

In the interim and feeling hungry after a busy day I used the Green's mustard in a beef sandwich. Very tasty it was too.

A late lunch of a beef and ale mustard sandwich (made with Genius Gluten Free bread) and the obligatory Pom-Bear snacks on the side (these are the newish Zoo Friends variety and are 'really cheesy')
A late lunch of a beef and ale mustard sandwich (made with Genius Gluten Free bread) and the obligatory Pom-Bear snacks on the side (these are the newish Zoo Friends variety and are 'really cheesy')

The mustard is made by Cumberland Mustard using Green's Dark Ale.

Check out the Green's Gluten Free Beers website for details of the full range, stockists and how to order online.

Related blog posts:
- The Allergy and Free From Show 2014 at Olympia
- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers

Link:
- Green's Gluten Free Beers

Latest BMGA minigolf matchplay rankings

Updated BMGA Matchplay Order of Merit ranking list published.

Neither Emily or I competed in the 2014 BMGA British Matchplay Championships played at the Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course at Bluewater Park last weekend.

Following the event, won for a third-time by Kent's Sean 'Freebird' Homer, the British Minigolf Association has published an updated BMGA Matchplay Order of Merit ranking list.

Emily is ranked at 22nd of 53 players (52 places) on 900 points, while I am ranked at 43rd with 190 points. Emily has retained her position, while I moved down from 36th place.

Emily Gottfried playing at Bluewater's Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in December 2011
Emily Gottfried playing at Bluewater's Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in December 2011
Richard Gottfried playing at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in December 2011
Richard Gottfried playing at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in December 2011

For further information about the British Minigolf Association and BMGA Tournaments please visit the BMGA website.

Visit the Pirate Cove website for more details of the two 18-hole Adventure Golf courses at Bluewater.

In the BMGA Strokeplay Order of Merit I am currently ranked at 10th place of 85 places (138 players), with Emily at number 21.

Related blog posts:
- British Minigolf Association Ranking updates following the BMGA British Championships
- British Minigolf Association Tournament Calendar for 2014

Saturday, July 05, 2014

The Allergy and Free From Show 2014 at Olympia

Visiting the Allergy and Free From Show at Olympia.

My haul of information and freebies from the Allergy and Free From Show
My haul of information and freebies from the Allergy and Free From Show

Today I visited day two of the three day Allergy and Free From Show at Olympia in London. The event had dozens of suppliers, thousands of free from products and tens of thousands of people with allergies, intolerances, sensitivities and autoimmune diseases, disorders and conditions (such as Coeliac Disease).

Among the thousands of 'free from' products at the event were many I hadn't seen or tasted before, such as those from Delicious Alchemy, Venice Bakery, Focaccia per Tutti and 1-2-3 Gluten Free.

The Allergy and Free From Show 2014 at Olympia
The Allergy and Free From Show 2014 at Olympia

I spent a good four hours checking out the stands, finding out product information and sampling food and drink. It was great to see some of my favourite gluten and wheat free brands at the show, including Celia Lager, Honeyrose Bakery, Eskal Foods, Kabuto Noodles, and the event's headline sponsor Udi's Gluten Free.

Udi's Gluten Free are the headline sponsor of the event and I picked up three of their products I haven't tried yet
Udi's Gluten Free are the headline sponsor of the event and I picked up three of their products I haven't tried yet

I also really enjoyed speaking to a number of people who are really passionate about providing great quality (and interesting) food and drink for people with Coeliac Disease and getting info on their brands.

Visit the Allergy and Free From Show website for details on how to attend the third and final day.

The 2014 Allergy and Free From Show is co-locating with three other shows at Olympia and if you attend you can also visit the V Delicious, Love Natural Love Organic and The Back Pain Show.

If you can't make the final day of the 2014 London show then you can attend the Allergy and Free From Show North that is taking place on the 25th and 26th of October at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool.

Its going to take me a while to digest all the information from the event and I'll be writing more blog posts about my visit and all the great gluten & wheat free food and drink I tried and discovered at the show in the coming weeks.

I'm always keen to find out about gluten and wheat free brands that are suitable for people with Coeliac Disease so please do get in touch if you know of any, or are a producer/supplier.

Links:
- The Allergy and Free From Show
- Udi's Gluten Free
- Coeliac UK
- Gluten Free related blog posts on the Ham & Egger Files

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Windsor Adventure Golf

Playing the 18-hole Adventure Golf course at Alexandra Gardens in Windsor, Berkshire.

Windsor Adventure Golf course
The striking tower on the Adventure Golf course in Windsor, with the real Windsor Castle in the background

On Saturday 21st of June 2014 I revisited Windsor for the first time since May 2009. On our last visit we’d played the Eternit-style Miniature Golf courses in the park operated by Extreme Motion.

The old Miniature Golf course in Windsor
At the Extreme Motion Mini-Golf course in May 2009

Since that Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip the team at Extreme Motion has removed the flat concrete courses and replaced it with a larger 18-hole Adventure Golf course – notable for the castle tower, a nod to Windsor Castle itself.

Windsor Adventure Golf course
Hole 11 is the tower hole - a good hole-in-one opportunity if you hit the ball into the hole at the top of the hill. I scored a 3

The new course in Windsor was the 562nd visited and 338th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Windsor Adventure Golf course
Minigolf selfie at the Alexandra Gardens Adventure Golf course in Windsor

I had an enjoyable round on the pleasing to the eye and high quality course. The surroundings are pleasant and the course is in a good spot in the park.

Windsor Adventure Golf course
Windsor's Adventure Golf course

I shot a round of 37(+1), scoring two holes-in-one. A lot of the holes appeared to be very aceable. All in all it was a nice morning in the historic town.



I’m looking forward to heading back Windsor and the course again, with Emily this time. The course was very playable and is worth a visit and a play.

Windsor Adventure Golf course
A view of the Windsor Adventure Golf course from the other side of the battlements

It costs £5.50 per adult for an 18-hole round, with children (under-14's) and senior citizens charged £4.50 a round.

Windsor Adventure Golf course
When I arrived in Windsor I was an hour too early to play the Alexandra Gardens Adventure Golf course so I headed into the town for a few hours followed by a nice riverside stroll in the lovely weather before I had my round of Minigolf

The course itself and the equipment (balls and putters) are well maintained and you get a good quality scorecard to mark your round.

Windsor Adventure Golf course
The 18th hole

Extreme Motion in Windsor’s Alexandra Gardens is open from 10am everyday and as well as the Mini-Golf course there are a number of children's fairground rides available, along with a bungee trampoline, zorb balls and cycle hire. Plus ice creams and other refreshments from the kiosk on-site.

More photos of the Windsor Adventure Golf course are below:

Windsor Adventure Golf course

Windsor Adventure Golf course

Windsor Adventure Golf course

Windsor Adventure Golf course

Windsor Adventure Golf course

Windsor Adventure Golf course

Windsor Adventure Golf course
The 17th hole has a fairly large 'volcano' type of obstacle on it!

Windsor Adventure Golf course
A view of the volcano on hole 17

Links:
- Extreme Motion
- Video: Hole in One at Windsor Adventure Golf

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf Course Visits 98 & 99 - Alexandra Gardens, Windsor
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date

Observations of FootGolf

Watching some FootGolf at Stockwood Park Golf Centre in Luton.

FootGolf course at Stockwood Park in Luton
Players await their turn on the FootGolf course at Stockwood Park in Luton. Note the practice putting green in the foreground

During my semi-annual game of Pitch & Putt Mini Golf against my golfing nemesis Oxana Nikandrova at Stockwood Park Golf Centre in Luton I got to see the centre's new FootGolf set-up in action.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton
Hole 1 at Stockwood Park. The red flag is on the 'normal' green and is the target for Golfers/Pitch & Putters. The white flag to the right of the green is the FootGolf target. Some of the FootGolf holes were to the side of the Golf greens, and some were set behind the green itself

We'd gone to Stockwood Park to use the driving range and have a round on the Mini Golf and we noticed that the new FootGolf offering at the centre was being very well used. In fact, while we were there only three or so other groups played actual Golf on the Golf course, with at least 15 groups - ranging from pairs to groups of three, four and five players - playing the new sport on the combined 9-hole Mini Golf/FootGolf course.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton
The BIG FootGolf cup

I'm quite intrigued by Footgolf and I look forward to giving it a play on Luton's two courses (the first to open was at Tea Green Golf). Perhaps a mini 'friendly' tourney will take place with my Pitch & Putt rivals 'Rowdy' Russell Fenner and Simon 'Practice' Hall. I first heard about FootGolf in September 2013 while playing Minigolf at the 9-hole Crazy Golf course at Stonham Barns in Suffolk.

As the name suggests FootGolf is a mix of Football and Golf, with the game played on a Golf course, and players aiming to get the football into the hole in as few shots as possible. No special equipment is needed, well, other than a 'size 5' football.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton
A regular Golf ball next to a FootGolf cup

While at Stockwood Park we noticed a steady stream of players heading onto the Academy Golf course (aka the 9-hole Mini Golf / Pitch & Putt) to play FootGolf and there was a real mix of people having a round. By the look of it the quality of play was also as mixed as the players having a go! With some shooting very close to the specific FootGolf hole with their 'tee' shot, while other people were hoofing it up the fairway and some players - mostly(!) youngsters - dribbling the ball to the hole!

Having a read of the FootGolf rules on the scorecard I noticed that the maximum score on a FootGolf hole is 8, only one ball is allowed to be in motion at any one time, and that if a ball comes to rest on a green then the ball is to be moved to the nearest point off of the green, but no closer to the hole, as a free drop.

FootGolf at Stockwood Park in Luton
The 'tee' shot of one of the players in the group of four footgolfers behind us got their ball (a size 5 football) onto the 'actual' green, rather than near to the FootGolf hole, which is dug in beside the greens on the Golf course

It was interesting to see both Golf and FootGolf being played on the course at the same time. It seemed to work quite well, with no more bottlenecks than I've experienced on the Academy course before.

A 9-hole round of FootGolf at Stockwood Park Golf Centre costs £5.50 for adults, £5 for seniors, £4 for juniors (children under-16) and £14 for a family ticket (two adults & two children under-16).

At Tea Green Golf the cost for a weekday 9-hole round is £6, or £8.50 for 18-holes. A family midweek deal is £15.00 and juniors (under-16s) can play for £4.50. At weekends a round costs £8.50 for 9-holes and £11.00 for 18. Juniors can play for £5.50 and the family deal is £20. Details of the prices and booking info can be found on the Tea Green Golf website.

Check out the UK FootGolf Association website for more details about the sport, courses, competitions and other countries that play the game.

Both Stockwood Park Golf Centre and Tea Green Golf are hosting regular UK FootGolf Association tournaments. Get in touch with the respective courses for entry details.

The game of FootGolf seems to be growing rapidly and another Golf Centre we recently visited (to play a new Adventure Golf course) - Golf Kingdom in Romford - is building a new FootGolf course, due to open in July 2014.

In the round of Pitch & Putt against Oxana I scored 30(+3) with Oxana finishing on 50(+23). It was a good fun round, in lovely weather.

Links:
- Stockwood Park Golf Centre
- Tea Green Golf
- UK Footgolf Association

Related blog posts:
- FootGolf
- Stockwood Park-related Blog Posts
- Tea Green-related Blog Posts
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #30 Luton (Stockwood Park) - Mini Golf/Pitch & Putt
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Vote for the Midlands Minigolf Club in the Mars Milk Play Fund

The Midlands Minigolf Club has entered the Mars Milk sport fund in order to help the club with its aims.

Check out the sports funding entry and vote for the MMGC on the Mars Milk Play Fund website at - Midlands Minigolf Club.

You can vote every month throughout the summer. Please feel free to share the link with friends, family, colleagues, and anyone else!

The bronze medal winning Midlands Minigolf Club A-team members at the 2013 BMGA British Minigolf Championships in Basingstoke, from l-r Mark 'The Horse Whisperer' Swain, Jon 'The Black Knight' Drexler, 'Squire' Richard Gottfried, John 'Uncle Al' Moore
The bronze medal winning Midlands Minigolf Club A-team members at the 2013 BMGA British Minigolf Championships in Basingstoke, from l-r Mark 'The Horse Whisperer' Swain, Jon 'The Black Knight' Drexler, 'Squire' Richard Gottfried, John 'Uncle Al' Moore

Every month Mars Milk will be donating cash awards to sports individuals and clubs that are in need of extra funding.

The MMGC's main uses for any prize funding would be:
- To help existing members travel to tournaments and play more regularly. This will go towards travel costs, training time and competition entry fees.
- To pay for a tournament for new players to try and get more people to experience the joys of minigolf.
- To help pay for brand new team shirts.
- To purchase specialist minigolf balls for use by all players in the club.

The Midlands Minigolf Club consists of a small but dedicated group of individuals from around the UK and Northern Ireland (and one in the USA!) who love playing minigolf. Players travel all over the UK to compete in events on the British Minigolf Association Tour.

The MMGC was formed in 2005. Players have won a number of Minigolf titles and in 2008 the club was crowned BMGA British Club Champions when the Midlands I team triumphed at Stratford-upon-Avon. The club has competed in the national club championships on a number of occasions, results to date are below.

2013
- Midlands I 3rd of 9 teams.
- Midlands II 7th. 
Played at Basingstoke.

2012
- Midlands A 3rd of 12 teams.
- Midlands B 9th.
Played at Basingstoke.

2011
- Midlands 3rd of 7 teams.
Played at Dorridge

2010
- DNP

2009
- Midlands B 5th (tied) of 8 teams.
- Midlands A 7th.
Played at Sandbanks.

2008
- Midlands I 1st of 7 teams.
- Midlands II 5th.
- Midlands III 7th.
Played at Stratford-upon-Avon.

2007
- DNP

2006
- Midlands/North A 2nd of 7 teams.
- Midlands/North B 7th.
Played at Dorridge.

2005
- Midlands 2nd of 5 teams.
Played at Dorridge.

Links:
- Mars Milk
- Mars Milk on Twitter
- Mars Milk on Facebook
- Mars Milk Play Fund entry for the Midlands Minigolf Club

Funny things about being a Coeliac #8

Being scared of bread!

Well, bread and all manner of other seemingly 'normal' food.

Just ask Emily about the look of fear upon my face if a waiter or waitress brings over a basket of 'normal' bread in a restaurant - it's like a vampire being confronted with garlic!

Links:

Monday, June 16, 2014

UrbanCrazy Blog Post - The UrbanCrazy World Of Miniature Golf

Head on over to the UrbanCrazy website to read a guest blog post I put together for the team.

UrbanCrazy's Garden Mini Golf course in East Finchley, London is one of the courses I wrote about in my guest blog for the company
UrbanCrazy's Garden Mini Golf course in East Finchley, London is one of the courses I wrote about in my guest blog for the company 

UrbanCrazy is a UK based minigolf company that designs and build permanent miniature golf courses, provide portable layouts and more. Check out the links below for more details.

Links:
The UrbanCrazy World Of Miniature Golf article
- UrbanCrazy website
- UrbanCrazy blog
- UrbanCrazy on Twitter
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour