From Stockport to Stockholm on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

A Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update from our trip to Sweden.

The 800th course we've visited - Swing by Golfbaren

Last weekend we headed to Stockholm for a mini-minigolfing trip to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the opening of the excellent Swing by Golfbaren miniature golf course run by our friend and minigolf rival Hans Olofsson.

Hans and me at his minigolf course in Aspudden

While in Sweden we managed to visit nine courses in 42 hours. The visit to Swing by Golfbaren was also the 800th course visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

At Golfbaren Aspudden

The nine minigolf courses we visited on the trip were:

• 798 (29th overseas) Solna, Sweden (Solna Bangolfklubb) - Eternit Miniature Golf

The Eternit Miniature Golf course at Solna Bangolfklubb

• 799 (30th overseas) Solna, Sweden (Solna Bangolfklubb) - NIFO Steel Minigolf

This was the first NIFO Steel minigolf course we've seen

• 800 (31st overseas and 472nd played) Vasastan, Stockholm, Sweden (Swing by Golfbaren) - indoor minigolf course and speakeasy

Emily on the 'secret' downstairs course at Swing by Golfbaren 

• 801 (32nd overseas and 473rd played) Solna, Sweden (Mall of Scandinavia) - Sports World Minigolf at O'Leary's

Playing Ice Hockey on the indoor minigolf course at the Mall of Scandinavia

• 802 (33rd overseas) Vasastan, Stockholm, Sweden (Bangolf Vasaparken) - Swedish Felt Minigolf

The Bangolf course at the Vasaparken in Stockholm

• 803 (34th overseas) Kristineberg (Golfbaren Kristineberg) - Minigolf

Golfbaren Kristineberg - it's right next to Kristineberg railway station!

• 804 (35th overseas) Hägersten, Sweden (Golfbaren Aspudden) - Minigolf

A great looking obstacle on a downhill hole at Golfbaren Aspudden

• 805 (36th overseas and 474th played) Täby, Sweden (Täby Centrum) - Paradise Adventure Golf, Inca course

Playing hole 2 of the Inca course at Paradise Adventure Golf course in Täby 

• 806 (37th overseas and 475th played) Täby, Sweden (Täby Centrum) - Paradise Adventure Golf, Explorers course

We're now up to 806 minigolf course visits since we began our travels in September 2006. There are a lot of new courses opening up too, so who knows what number we'll end the year on!

World of Bun Throwing: Bun Throwing in Abingdon this November

World of Bun Throwing: Bun Throwing in Abingdon this November: There will be a Bun Throwing event in Abingdon-on-Thames on Saturday 10th November to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War.

New Adventure Golf course heading to Clacton Pier

Clacton Pier in Essex is going to be getting a new indoor and outdoor Adventure Golf course as part of a £4m revamp!

Back in May 2011 we played a temporary minigolf course on Clacton Pier - it became the 217th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We love playing minigolf at the seaside and it's brilliant if the course is out to sea too!

The seaside town has a number of minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf courses so it's ideal for a day trip or staycation.

We're looking forward to a return trip to play the new course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Link:
- Clacton Pier

Related blog posts:
- Clacton
- Clacton Pier
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Essex

Minigolf course visit 800!

We've reached another big minigolf milestone - the 800th course visit on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

This weekend we were in Stockholm, Sweden to visit our friend, and minigolf legend, Hans Olofsson and help celebrate the 1st anniversary of his 1920's themed indoor minigolf course and speakeasy at Swing by Golfbaren.

Swinging into action on the brilliant indoor minigolf course

The course is one of the best we've ever played, it's a real must-visit venue.

We loved the 1920's theme at Swing by Golfbaren and really enjoyed the big celebration party on Saturday night

Check out the Swing by Golfbaren website for more info.

We had a brilliant time in Stockholm and visited a total of nine courses in 36-hours! What a wonderful trip on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've got LOTS of great photos, videos and blog posts to follow from the trip.

Crazy Golf at Stamford Park in Stalybridge

We finally made some time to visit Stalybridge to look for the Crazy Golf course there. We're glad we did.

The 9th hole of the abandoned Crazy Golf course in Stamford Park, Stalybridge - it was a unique layout!

The course became the 797th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the full blog post.

Krunchy Fried Chicken in Stalybridge

Finding another bootleg KFC!

We had a brilliant afternoon exploring Stalybridge in Tameside and it was marvellous to find another bootleg KFC in the town - this time it was a Krunchy Fried Chicken!

Related blog posts:
- KFC
- Bootleg
- Tameside
- Kingtucky Fried Chicken in Manchester
- Another week and another KFC

The Tripe Shop in Stalybridge

A Tripe Advisor trip visit to Stalybridge.

We'd heard that the last remaining tripe shop could be found in Stalybridge, Tameside, so we had to have a look. Unfortunately as we visited on a Sunday the shop was closed.

The Tripe Marketing Board tells me that The Tripe & Sandwich Shop on Melbourne Street in Stalybridge is the country's last remaining Tripe Shop!

I am yet to try tripe.

Related blog posts:
- Tripe
- Stalybridge

Link:
- Tripe Advisor

Crazy Golf at Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour in Dewsbury

A visit to play Crazy Golf at Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

A view of the Crazy Golf course at Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour

On Saturday 27th January we headed to Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour in Whitley, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire to play the 18-hole Crazy Golf course there.

Emily playing the 6th hole

We'd heard about the course via our friend and Professional Darts Commentator Rod Studd and as it's just up the road from us and en route to Leeds we had to swing by for a game.

Playing the 9th hole

Another miniature golf course ticked off our list!

The Crazy Golf course at Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour was the 796th we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 471st played. It was also the first new course we've played this year.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3 

Hole 4 

Hole 5 

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8 

Hole 9

Hole 10

Hole 11 

Hole 12

Hole 13 

Hole 14

Hole 15

Hole 15's 'green'

Hole 16

Hole 17 

Hole 18

In our match-up I shot a 61 to Emily's 63 to squeak a narrow victory on the tricky layout!

There's a great view from the course and meadow

Emily in action on the colourful course

Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour is open 7-days-a-week. In addition to the Crazy Golf there's a small farm, miniature railway and play area. Check out Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour website for more information.

Link:
- Charlotte's Ice Cream Parlour

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf
- West Yorkshire
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Mini Golf in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

Much like buses, you wait ages to write another blog post about minigolf in Lanzarote and then two come along at once!

I love seeing oversized golf ball obstacles / decorations on miniature golf courses

My friend Richard Rochester has sent me some snaps of the Mini Golf course outside the Rubicon shopping centre, near the marina in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote.

It looks like a nice layout

It looks like we may have to arrange a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip there one day...

Related blog posts:
- Lanzarote

McTucky's Fried Chicken in Manchester

There's another bootleg chicken shop in Manchester - McTucky's Fried Chicken!

McTucky's Fried Chicken can be found on Canal Street

Related blog posts:
- Bootleg
- Krunchy Fried Chicken in Stalybridge
- Kingtucky Fried Chicken in Manchester
- Another week and another KFC

Munchies

My recent blog post about the Credit Cruncher shop in Bristol that parodied Pac-Man in the shop's signage reminded me of Munchies takeaway we spotted in Nottingham back in 2014.

Munchies in Nottingham - this 'Pac-Man' obviously prefers H's to dots!

Mini Golf in Picture Postcard Monthly

Check out the February 2018 edition of Picture Postcard Monthly to read a feature I wrote about minigolf and crazy golf in Aberystwyth.

Links:

- Picture Postcard Monthly

- Blog post from our visit to the two miniature golf courses in Aberystwyth

Rooftop Mini Golf in Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote

Guest blog post about a rooftop Mini Golf course in Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote

Many thanks to my mate and minigolf rival Steve Lovell and his friend Brian Butterworth for sending over these snaps of a rooftop minigolf course in Lanzarote.

A view of the Jurassic Kingdom Adventure Golf course

The dinosaur themed adventure golf course is called Jurassic Kingdom and can be found on the top floor of the Biosfere Shopping Centre in Puerto Del Carmen.

A view from the rooftop at the Biosfere shopping centre. There's a little train ride on the right!

This course isn't the first we've heard about in Lanzarote, as my sister-in-law Jo spotted a coulourful Mini Golf course by the beach in Puerto Del Carmen in 2014.

We love seeing minigolf courses from around the world. It's great to know there's another one we can play, if and when, our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour takes us to the Canary Islands.

Link:
- Jurassic Kingdom Adventure Golf

Related blog posts:
- Lanzarote
- Guest blog posts

Bar Billiards at The Smithfield Market Tavern in Manchester

Spotting a Bar Billiards table at The Smithfield Market Tavern.

While having a day out in Manchester we were wandering along Swan Street in the Northern Quarter and noticed a sign in a pub that said 'Bar Billiards'! We had to go in for a further look.

The pub has a nice Bar Billiards area

Unfortunately the barman told us the Bar Billiards table was out of order as somebody had poured beer down the 200-points-hole so the mechanism was broken.

Never a good sign

As the game is only getting rarer it's more difficult to find people to repair them, although he did say he hoped it would be fixed soon. We're looking forward to revisiting The Smithfield Market Tavern for a game or two in the future.

Always nice to see The Rules of Bar Billiards on display - it can be a mysterious game to play without them

As well as Bar Billiards The Smithfield Market Tavern also has Table Skittles, Shove Ha'penny and Darts. The darts area also has a brilliant scoring machine!

Shove Ha'penny

Table Skittles

The "Bisset" Automatic Dart Scorer by Kwiz Darts

Check out The Smithfield Market Tavern on Twitter for more info.

You can find The Smithfield Market Tavern at 37 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JZ

Related blog posts:
- Bar Billiards
- Manchester
- Pub

M.C. Noodle King!

While having a day out in Leeds we spotted this bootleg fast food shop on Kirkgate.

M.C. Noodle King on Kirkgate in Leeds city centre

Related blog posts:
- Bootleg
- Leeds