Pound £ Fever in Leigh |
A blog about our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. With a sprinkling of nostalgia and urban exploration for good measure.
Monday, December 21, 2020
Pound £ Fever
National Miniature Golf Day 2021
Date for your diary - National Miniature Golf Day 2021.
National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2021 that will be on Saturday, 8th May.
Blogiversary of the Ham and Egger Files
I've been blogging for 14 years today.
Sunday, December 20, 2020
A Mask Vending Machine
We saw our first Mask Vending Machine at the Spinning Gate shopping centre in Leigh, Greater Manchester on Saturday.
A #maskbox PPE vending machine |
What a time we're living through!
I've been documenting the Covid-19 and social distancing signs I've seen during the pandemic here on my blog as well as on my Instagram account.
Related blog posts:
- Vending
- Leigh
- Shopping
An old crazy golf postcard from Blackpool
This old minigolf postcard by Photo Precision Limited shows the South Shore Baths and Promenade in Blackpool.
I'd say the prominent feature on the card is the crazy golf course in the foreground |
It was posted on the 17th September 1980. A month before I was born.
Last year I had my family's cinefilm converted and was amazed to see my parents playing crazy golf in Blackpool in August 1980. That round was on the course at Princess Parade on the North Shore.
The South Shore Crazy Golf course was located right outside the Pleasure Beach. It was removed in 2008 and replaced by an Adventure Golf layout. I won the Pleasure Beach Open tournament on that course in 2009.
COVID-19 Buster in Leigh
We spotted this interesting shop while in Leigh, Greater Manchester on Saturday.
It's the best shop name I've seen during the pandemic.
COVID-19 Buster sells PPE to businesses and individuals.
No sitting
A look at a shopping centre bench in the time of social distancing.
A bench in the Spinning Gate shopping centre in Leigh |
We've seen a few other benches with social distancing signs and rules about sitting down during the pandemic, including a pair of socially distanced benches in Spinningfields, Manchester and these two in Colne, Lancashire.
I've been documenting the Covid-19 and social distancing signs I've seen during the pandemic here on the blog as well as on my Instagram account.
JJB Sports in Leigh
A look at an old JJB Sports shop in Leigh.
The shopfront of the old JJB Sports shop on Bradshawgate in Leigh, Greater Manchester is still visible.
The company went into administration in 2012 with stores closing in October and was dissolved in November that year.
The retail space occupies the ground floor of the Leigh Friendly Co-operative Society building that was designed in 1897 and opened in 1899. |
The JJB brand is now owned by Sports Direct.
This shopfront on the town's main shopping street retains the pre-2010 branding on the signage.
Old shops and lost brands
2020 is Out of Order
Friday, December 18, 2020
Boom: Battle Bar opening in Liverpool
A new Boom: Battle Bar with minigolf and more is planned to open in Liverpool next year.
Boom: Battle Bar Liverpool will be the third venue from the brand.
As well as a minigolf course - known as 'Crazier Golf' - the Liverpool venue will be home to axe throwing, shuffleboard and a number of other sports and games.
Boom: Battle Bar Liverpool will be located inside a former Poundland shop in St Johns shopping centre.
The first Boom: Battle Bar opened at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich in July this year.
Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.
Boom: Battle Bars are a relatively new entrant to the world of competitive socialising and retailtainment. A number of shopping malls, town centres and retail parks are adding minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and other experiential entertainment and activity leisure offerings to their sites to attract and retain customers.
Thursday, December 17, 2020
A snowy day on two lost minigolf courses
A look back at a snow day on the minigolf courses in Wardown Park, Luton.
Snow play allowed. This was back in January 2010 |
When we lived down in Luton, Bedfordshire our local park had two miniature golf courses. One was a 9-hole grass Mini Golf layout, the other was a 9-hole fibreglass Crazy Golf course.
That's hole 1 of the Crazy Golf course under the snow |
The grass course at Wardown Park opened in 1934 and was an interesting one to play. It was too big to be considered to be a Putting Green, but not large enough to be classed as a Pitch & Putt, even though you were issued with an iron and a putter when you played.
You also received a paper ticket every time you played a round on the courses. A really nice touch and something we've rarely seen elsewhere on our travels |
Sadly both courses are now long gone. Luckily we played a lot of games there in the latter half of the noughties.
The area where the two courses were was turned into a mini meadow in 2015.
Picture Postcard Annual 2021
The new Picture Postcard Annual is out now.
The 2021 Picture Postcard Annual is now available from Reflections of a Bygone Age.
The annual includes 65 features on picture postcards on a wide range of topics. I'm happy to say minigolf is well covered.
Picture Postcard Magic
It's been brilliant to contribute to the Picture Postcard Magic blog from Reflections of a Bygone Age this year. Check out my guest posts in the links below:
- Minigolf postcards from Bournemouth
- My home town of Abingdon-on-Thames
- What have you been watching during lockdown?
Links:
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Spot Pickle Rick
The end of Blockbuster Video
The last Blockbuster Video store in the UK closed on this day in 2013.
Blockbuster Video Express in Colne, Lancashire this summer |
Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester
2020 and 2013 meet - Covid-19 social distancing signage on the ground next to the remaining signage at the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield |
Blockbuster Video in the UK
The Last Blockbuster Video
The QuikDrop box is still in place at the old store location in Prescot, Merseyside |
Other video stores are available
Save the Video Store
Related blog posts:
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Crazy Golf on Shanklin Seafront
A look back at the Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course.
Visit the Shanklin Seafront website for more information.
Monday, December 14, 2020
A gluten free Christmas
Thank you to @marketing_gott who shares his experiences of eating out and eating in at #GFChristmas: https://t.co/MRLO2TvFK1 pic.twitter.com/ofFvnE0o44
— Coeliac_UK (@Coeliac_UK) December 14, 2020
Thank you to Richard Gottfried - Marketing Consultant who shares his experiences of eating out and eating in at...
Posted by Coeliac UK on Monday, 14 December 2020
Last Christmas at The Oxford Place in Leeds |
A couple of nice festive gift cards from days gone by
Did you know that Blockbuster pioneered the use of gift cards? The first plastic gift cards went on sale at Blockbuster Video in the USA back in 1994.
One of these cards is from the USA (2005), the other from Canada (2006).
Related blog posts:
Thursday, December 10, 2020
New Adventure Golf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester
Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester will be home to a new Adventure Golf course.
Tuesday, December 08, 2020
Various Fried Chicken
A look at some fried chicken shops in Rochdale.
What's the most obscure US State or North American place you've seen used in a chicken shop name?
A retail time machine
Today is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.
Old UK shop brands from my (time) travels |
If you could once again shop at a long lost store which one would it be?
Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021
Looking ahead to next year. Now.
What does next year have in store? |
Dull events
About the Dull Men's Club
Visit the Dull Men's Club website for more information.
The Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021 will be available from Amazon.
Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day
National Christmas Tree Day
Happy National Christmas Tree Day.
In Hyde |
Just got to make room in our ceiling for this tree |
The first Christmas tree I saw this year was in Withington, Manchester. In July! |
I competed in a Christmas Tree Throwing Competition at a summer fete back in 2012. One of many obscure sports I've tried over the years |
Pretending to be a Time Traveller
Today is Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day.
The closest I've been to time travel was when I saw this DeLorean Time Machine back in March this year.
Monday, December 07, 2020
Oregon Fried Chicken
We had planned to visit Oregon on holiday this year.
The closest we're getting to Oregon anytime soon is Oregon Fried Chicken in Rochdale |
Merry Christmas from Stockport
Merry Christmas to everyone from us here in sunny Stockport.
Sunday, December 06, 2020
Another "KFC"
Deane Video Centre - a lost video shop
A look at Deane Video Centre aka Valji's Convenience Store on Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton, Greater Manchester.
The Premier Express convenience shop isn't a video shop anymore.
Premier Stores is another convenience store brand owned by Tesco.
Last month we found a Video Box Office sign in a Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston.
There is still a video shop - with lots of VHS tapes - operating in Bolton. You can find B.V.C - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever. It's well worth a visit to step back in time.
Related blog posts:
Saturday, December 05, 2020
Hot tapes
Minigolf course visit 900 - a year ago today
We visited our 900th miniature golf course in the British Isles a year ago today.
We had a brilliant time at the New York Thunderbowl. The 9-hole adventure golf layout was a good challenge and we'd visit again |