It was the 260th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.
In a first for us the course charged an extra 30p if you wanted a scorecard and pen to score your game!
Emily won our minigolf match-up with a score of 39 to 43.
We're looking forward to a return trip to Weston-super-Mare in the future.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
The two other Happy Shopper shops I've seen this year have both been closed. One of those was also in Sheffield.
I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was a kid in the 80's and 90's.
The Happy Shopper branding from the 1970's was changed in the year 2000 and I think it lost a lot of its charm and individuality. Many of the former Happy Shopper stores were rebranded as Premier shops.
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| Interestingly the social distancing signs on the door showed the original Happy Shopper branding with the smiling blond face appearing before the word 'Happy' rather than in place of the 'o' as seen in the second incarnation of the logo |
The Happy Shopper brand has been part of the Booker Group since 1996. Booker itself is now owned by Tesco.
Related blog posts:
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
It was nice to see the old Happy Shopper branding still up on the signs at what was once Pops Mini Market on Sharrow Lane in the Highfield area of Sheffield.
As the Happy Shopper branding was updated in the year 2000 I didn't think it would still be possible to see it 20 years later. I was glad to be wrong.
Last month I found a Happy Shopper in Preston purely by chance while en route to look for an abandoned Toys R Us.
I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was a kid.
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| The Happy Shopper on Page Hall Road in Sheffield |
The Happy Shopper branding was changed in the year 2000 and I think it lost a lot of its charm and individuality. Many of the former Happy Shopper stores were rebranded as Premier shops.
Happy Shopper does still exist, as both convenience stores and own brand food & drink products. It has been part of the Booker Group since 1996. Booker itself is now owned by Tesco.
Related blog posts:
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
One of the best finds during my 'retail archaeology' expeditions this year is the social distancing signage using the original Happy Shopper branding from the 1970's, 80's and 90's at The Happy Shopper convenience store in Sheffield.
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| A slightly unexpected sight on a sign of the times in 2020 |
I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and buying their own-branded products a lot when I was a kid growing up in Oxfordshire back in the 80's and 90's.
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| The Happy Shopper on Page Hall Road in Sheffield |
The Happy Shopper branding from the 1970's was changed in the year 2000 and became a lot simpler design. I thing it certainly lost a lot of its character.
The original Happy Shopper branding has the smiling blond haired face appearing before the word 'Happy' rather than in place of the 'o' in the word 'Shopper' as seen in the second, and probably more widespread, incarnation of the logo.
The two other Happy Shopper shops I've seen this year have both been closed. The first was in Preston and the second was also in Sheffield.
Check out my Instagram account for more social distancing signs I've spotted on my urban walks during the coronavirus pandemic.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
My brother and Charter Member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has sent over some photos of the Castaway Island Mini Golf course in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
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| Social distancing measures at the entrance/exit to the course |
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| The anchor has been there since it was an Arnold Palmer Putting Course |
Castaway Island Mini Golf replaced the 9-hole and 18-hole Arnold Palmer Putting courses on the promenade. We visited in July 2016 and the course became the 693rd on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.
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| At the Arnold Palmer Putting Course on the site in June 2007 |
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| How Castaway Island Mini Golf looked in July 2016 |
Christopher and his family have visited 37 courses on their branch of the tour, 26 of those have been unique to them. Emily and I have visited 956 courses on the main tour.
Christopher has been to six courses in 2020. He revisited the indoor adventure golf course at The Windmill Theatre in Great Yarmouth too.
We've been to a total of 46 courses in 2020, with 15 of those being new courses visited. We've swung by eight new courses in the time of coronavirus.
We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a lot of new courses to play at too!
Together we've been to 982 courses since the 30th September 2006.
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
I'll be playing my final four rounds in week 7 of the first Putt18 World Pro League at 11am (BST) tomorrow, Sunday 4th October.
You can watch my rounds live on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Facebook Page.
I've been competing against fellow minigolf players from Australia, New Zealand and the USA in the seven event series.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
14 years ago today we began our first full day of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now visited a total of 956 miniature golf courses. When we began there were 'only' 600 in the UK!
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| Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. The 483rd course played on our adventures |
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
I've been documenting a number of aspects of the coronavirus pandemic here and on my social media. One of my areas of interest is the variety of warnings, instructions and directional signage there is around social distancing, so I loved seeing this photo Emily took of the social distancing measures in place on an escalator in M&S!
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| Kind of like chevrons on the motorway |
Surely the 2 metre apart distance stickers should be on the moving walkway as well, rather than the static sides of the escalator? I wonder how many people are adhering to the rule and waiting for the person ahead of them to reach the first marker?
Check out my Instagram account and the various highlights for snaps of the social distancing, coronavirus and Covid-19 signs I've seen on my (limited) travels this year.
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| Social Distancing World Champion! I don't think anyone is winning this year |
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| Social distancing floor signs at the Burlington pub in Chesterfield |
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
We played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire on this day in 2006. At the end of our round on Saturday 30th September I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole.
Our minigolfing adventures have been rolling ever since!
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| How different would our lives have been if I'd missed my shot on the final hole? |
We last played the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course in Southsea on the 30th September 2016 to celebrate ten years of our travels. I won another free game then too. I also won a free game when we revisited the course on the fifth anniversary of our tour on the 30th September 2011. Incredibly I won again on the 7th August 2015.
Joining us on that first course visit was my brother Christopher. He's also played a fair few courses on his own branch of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The latest being the Alton Water Mini Golf course in Ipswich, Suffolk. That brought the combined total course visits to 982!
We've now visited 956 courses, 39 of which have been overseas.
When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK.
Minigolf has grown in popularity and has moved from only being a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.
A number of new courses have come and gone during the last decade and we have been to a number of pop-up courses too. There are still new courses being planned, developed, built and opened.
When we first set out to visit all the courses in the country there were only two indoor courses, one in Felixstowe and one in Great Yarmouth. Both are still open and have been joined by around 100 other indoor minigolf venues!
We visited our 900th course overall when we played the North Bay Mini Golf course in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in June 2019.
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| North Bay Crazy Golf in Scarborough |
We visited our 900th course in the UK when we played the indoor Pirates Cove Adventure Golf course at the New York Thunderbowl in Kettering, Northamptonshire last December.
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| Pirates Cove Adventure Golf in Kettering |
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 very close to hitting 1,000 course visits overall.
We had a very strong start to the year and visited 20 courses in the first 20 days of 2020.
We've been to a total of 46 courses this year. Fifteen of those are new courses added to our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour total and eight of them have been visited in the time of coronavirus.
It'll be interesting to see whether we'll be able to get down to Southsea to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our minigolfing tour next year.
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
Hull will soon be home to a new UV Crazy Golf course as the team from the East Park Pirate Golf course are opening a venue at the Princes Quay shopping centre in the city.
Visit the East Park Pirate Golf Facebook page for more information.
There has been a real boom in minigolf courses opening in Hull, with the East Park Pirate Golf course joining Putt Club and the Pirate Adventure Golf course at One Stop Golf. The city will also be home to a new Lost City Adventure Golf venue soon.
Minigolf has grown in popularity in the last eight years and has moved from being seen as a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.
A number of high streets, retail parks and shopping malls are now home to minigolf courses, with more new venues planned to open.
Businesses also use portable and temporary pop-up minigolf layouts to boost footfall, create awareness, product launches and promotions.
Hull has been on our to visit list for a few years now. It'll be a busy trip with all of the new courses to play when we eventually get there!
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
It got underway 14 years ago tomorrow.
On the 30th September 2006 I won a free game card on the lucky last hole at the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course in Southsea, Hampshire and our adventures rolled on from there!
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| Playing the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course in 2016 |
We've now been to 956 courses on our travels.
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
The team at Putt Club are gearing up to open the brand's second venue with a new location in Watford.
The first Putt Club opened in Hull in January this year.
The new Putt Club in Watford is scheduled to open on the 21st October.
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
We had a look at the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course at the Wonderland Telford theme park in Telford Town Park earlier this month!
We really enjoyed our visit to Wonderland Telford and are looking forward to returning in the future.
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| Dinosaur at Wonderland Telford! |
We've visited a total of 956 courses since our adventures began at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea on the 30th September 2006.
We've been to 46 courses in 2020, with 15 of those being new courses visited. We've swung by eight new courses in the time of coronavirus.
We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a lot of new courses to play at too!
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
My ebook to help minigolf players better market themselves, their clubs, associations, tournaments and courses is available to purchase from Amazon and Kobo.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
Check out episode 1 of InterGame's Video Insights with a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of operating a mini-golf venue amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
A few doors down from the old Woolworths on Stamford Street Central in Ashton-under-Lyne is a Cash Converters. The doorways to that shop also hold a link to the past.
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| Past meets present - the decades old Littlewoods logo and the signs of the pandemic times of 2020 |
Before becoming Cash Converters the building was home to Hitchens, a catalogue clearance store.
Another interesting thing about the building is that the street light is attached to the building itself, rather than on a pole.
Many thanks to Richard Eccles on Instagram for help in identifying the logo.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
This branch of Woolies opened in 1927. It closed in the 1960s.
The building is now a charity shop for the Wooden Canal Boat Society.
I found out about this old logo on the excellent Woolies Buildings blog.
It's great to look up, down and all around while out exploring as you can see so many interesting things.
You can see still other remnants of Woolworths on the UK high street if you know where to look.
We visited the old Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent earlier this month. It's one of the few former Woolworths shops that has not been occupied since the brand's demise in January 2009.
We also spotted an old Woolworths store in Brunstane, Edinburgh on a minigolfing trip back in August 2011. That was the Big W Woolworths store at The Jewel retail park.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
I've been competing in the inaugural Putt18 World Pro League during the pandemic and six of the seven events in the first season have now been completed.
Players from the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand have been pitting their Putt18 putting skills against each other in the fortnightly challenges. The final week gets underway next Wednesday, 30th September with the champion crowned on Sunday 4th October.
After six weeks a total of 480 rounds of Putt18 have been recorded.
At the top of the leader-board is Matt Ansley of New Zealand with 742 points scored in the six events.
GB's Dave Gomm in second spot with 602 points. Dave has also set a new world record for an individual round with a score of 57 recorded last week.
John Ansley of New Zealand is in third place with 548 points.
I'm currently in 18th place of the 20 players left competing in the marathon of putting with 91 points.
It'll be an interesting final week of games to see if there is any movement at the top and bottom of the leader-board!
Many thanks to my fellow players for keeping track of all the action.
Each player has a 20-minute time limit to play four 18-hole rounds for a 72-hole total score in each of the seven events. There are a variety of points on offer for low scores and total rounds.
Check out the Putt18 World Pro League Facebook Group for more info.
We first played the Putt18 game format in the Putt18 Home Putting Challenge 4 Nations Cup international event against Australia, New Zealand and the USA back in May.
The Putt18 game mat consists of six tee-off boxes and three target score zones. Players must hit their balls from each of the tee boxes in turn aiming at the Par-4, Par-5 and Par-3 targets while avoiding fairways, bunkers and water hazards that carry penalty points. After the 18 shots have been played you tot up your score to see what you've shot for your round.
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
