Blockbuster Video Express in Westcliff-on-Sea

A look at the old Blockbuster Video Express in Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend.

Many thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Mark Routh for sending me these photos of the old Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff on Sea, Essex.

It's amazing the signs are still up seven years since the demise of the brand.

Since I found the remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester last October I've been intrigued to see the brand still has a lingering presence on the high street. It's always fun to see ghost signs, remnants of old & dead brands and interesting signage while out and about on our travels.

I found out the Blockbuster signage was still in place at the Westcliff-on-Sea store via this post on Instagram.

We should've been visiting family in Southend-on-Sea this summer but that trip has been postponed. Hopefully we'll get back down there soon so I can check out the old Blockbuster store too.

Check out Mark's superb postcard blog at Mark's Postcard Chat and his Facebook Page. The blog is a wonderful insight into the world of postcard collecting and social history.

Minigolfing in Dovercourt, Essex

A look back at the minigolf course we played in Dovercourt, Essex.

We played the 6-hole Swedish Felt Mini Golf course on Low Road in Dovercourt, Essex back in 2009.

It was the 92nd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
- Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses in Essex
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Essex

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Mini Golf Putting at Luccombe Hall Hotel in Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Finding out about a hotel Putting Course in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.

A big thank you to our friend Philip Walsh for sending over some snaps of a grass Putting Course he found during his recent stay on the Isle of Wight.

It looks like a nice little course for a putt around.

Visit the Luccombe Hall Hotel website for more information.

We're looking forward to a return visit to the Isle of Wight on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've had a couple of day trips there in the past and played quite a few courses, but need at least a long weekend to play them all.

Philip has also been to the brand new Shanklin Crazy Golf course, Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens in Shanklin and the Mini Golf course and Billiard Golf tables in Puerto Colón, Tenerife this year.

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New Crazy Golf course in Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Finding out about a new minigolf course in Shanklin Village on the Isle of Wight.

Many thanks to our friend Philip Walsh for letting me know about a new crazy golf course he found while on a recent trip to the Isle of Wight.

The course can be found at the ice cream/donut/slush cafe opposite the parking in the old village. The finishing touches were being put to the course when he was there so he didn't have the chance to play a round. He did however let me know that the ice cream they served was very good.

The course is a 9-hole layout and costs £3 a round.

We're looking forward to a return visit to the Isle of Wight on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future. A number of new miniature golf courses have opened since our last trip to the island.

Philip has also been to the Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens in Shanklin and the Mini Golf course and Billiard Golf tables in Puerto Colón, Tenerife this year.

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Adventure Mini Golf opening in Stoke-On-Trent

New Adventure Mini Golf centre opening in Stoke-On-Trent.

A brand new Adventure Mini Golf venue is opening next to Waterworld in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire.

For more information visit the Adventure Mini Golf website.

The two-course, 36-hole indoor adventure golf centre is the sister site of Adventure Island Minigolf at Star City in Birmingham. We've played there many many times over the years, including a number of tournaments and leagues.

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Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update - July 2020

A Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update.

Before the coronavirus pandemic we were closing in on visiting the final 40 courses of the original 600 we set out to play in 2006. We're also getting very close to hitting 1,000 course visits overall.

We'd had a very strong start to the year and visited 20 courses in the first 20 days of 2020.

We're now up to 949 course visits since September 2006.

Who knows where and when our 950th course visit will be...?

Minigolf in the time of Coronavirus

I've been blogging about Minigolf in the time of Coronavirus with examples of social distancing and Covid-19 hygiene measures in place.

There are a number of new minigolf courses being planned, designed, built and opened in the UK too. This month has seen a range of new indoor and outdoor courses open for the first time in Wolverhampton, Burnley, Gainsborough, London and Northampton.

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The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing

It's always nice when I start the day seeing purchases of my minigolf marketing ebook

My ebook to help minigolf players better market themselves, their clubs, tournaments and courses is available to purchase from Amazon and Kobo.

Thanks to everyone who has bought a copy, read it, used it and reviewed it.

If you're looking at running a minigolf project do get in touch to see how I can help.

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Vegas, baby, Vegas!

Cooltrader

A look at Cooltrader shops.

Cooltrader in Blackpool. Can you see the tower?

One of my favourite fairly obscure supermarket brands. What's yours?

Cooltrader in Edgeley, Stockport. The first branch of the chain I saw

Cooltrader was formerly a brand owned by Iceland. 54 of the 58 Cooltrader stores were bought by Heron Foods in 2012. Heron Foods is now owned by B&M. Some Heron Foods shops are located in old Woolworths sites.

The closed Cooltrader in Blackpool

Cooltrader in Shrewsbury. One of only two I've seen open on my travels

Happy National Hot Dog Day

Today is National Hot Dog Day.

The whole of July is National Hot Dog Month.

Find out more about National Hot Dog Day and National Hot Dog Month on the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council website.

Putt18 World Pro League - Week 2

I'll be teeing-off in week 2 of the Putt18 World Pro League at 4.15pm this Friday, 24th July.

You can watch my round live on Facebook.

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More information on the Putt18 golf game mat can be found on the Putt18 website.

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Bart Simpson at Stonham Barns Crazy Golf

A bootleg Bart on a miniature golf course.

The Crazy Golf course at Stonham Barns was the 33rd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in August 2007. We've now been to 949 courses since 2006

The old Crazy Golf course at Stonham Barns Golf Park has now been replaced by the Smugglers Bay Adventure Golf course. That was the 815th we visited.

Long Lost High Street Shops - Tandy

A look back at Tandy.

I was lucky enough to spot Tandy branding on some signage at a shop while in Hitchin last year. The Tandy signs had been uncovered as the shop on Churchgate was being refurbished following the closure of Electronic Universe. The reveal showed that Electronic Universe had at one point been a Tandy dealer.

In 2016 I spotted this Tandy sign at the back of the shop.

It's always a shame to see CRT tellys going to waste

Working at Tandy

My first job was at a Tandy franchise shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire where I remember selling a number of electronic products bearing the 'RadioShack', 'Genexxa' and 'Realistic' brand names.

It's always fun spotting old brands & signage and a treat when it's something rare like Tandy.

Tandy said goodbye to the UK high street in 2001 as the last of the shops was converted after acquisition by Carphone Warehouse.

RadioShack

Until fairly recently there was a RadioShack in Lytham Saint Annes. Unfortunately that store closed its doors in 2019.

I bought a VHS tape in there when I first found the shop in 2017

Other relics of the high street

We've also seen the remnants of Woolworths, Toys R Us and Kwik Save on our travels.

Our most local, still visible 'dead brand' can be seen at the old Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester.

Little Thief

I'm missing being out and about in Manchester. Every time I have a wander around the city centre I spot a new piece of street art.

Looking through my snaps from previous walks round town I spotted this Little Thief sticker by GRW82 Greatt Whyte.

Social distancing at Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf in Stevenage

A look at the social distancing and hygiene measures at Mr Mulligans Lost World Adventure Golf in Stevenage.

Many thanks to the team at Mr Mulligans Lost World Adventure Golf in Stevenage, Hertfordshire for sending over details of the social distancing and hygiene measures they've put in place.

There are two 18-hole indoor adventure golf layouts at the centre at Stevenage Leisure Park - the Jungle Explorers and Ocean Adventurers courses.

Find out more

Visit the Mr Mulligans website for more information, opening times, prices and booking details.

The cups have been partially filled so balls are easier to retrieve

Another filled cup

A minigolf rhyme!

Finding Mr Mulligan

You can find Mr Mulligans courses in Basildon, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Castleford, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes (indoor and outdoor), Newcastle, Nottingham, Sidcup, Stevenage Tonbridge and Woking.

Playing at Mr Mulligans

We've visited all the Mr Mulligans courses apart from the ones in Basildon, Bournemouth, the indoor course in Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Tonbridge. We had planned to go on holiday to Bournemouth in April and would've played the courses there then.

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf in Stevenage

The last Mr Mulligans venue I played at was the three-course space-themed centre in Birmingham last October.

At Mr Mulligans Space Golf course on the day before Halloween last year - back then the only thing to worry about was a little bit of radioactive material on the course

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Putting at Home with the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club

We found out about the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club in Knowle West, Bristol last month and have joined the club's Putt Party online events.

The Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club have created a home-based minigolf club and work is underway to build brand new minigolf course at the Filwood Community Centre.

Members of the club have been designing and making their own crazy golf holes using a wide-range of materials. The 16 households are putting the finishing touches to the layouts ahead of a competition to declare the best design this coming Saturday. Emily and I are really looking forward to being guest judges at the event. We've seen some superb designs so far.

Check out the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club's Facebook Group and the Filwood Community Centre website for more information.