Gator Golf at Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton

There's a new minigolf course at Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.

Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire has opened a new 15-hole outdoor Gator Golf minigolf course.

Crocodiles of the World is the UK's only crocodile zoo!

Check out the Crocodiles of the World and Gator Golf websites for more information.

Many thanks to the team at Veridian Outdoor for letting me know about the new course.

I never knew Crocodiles of the World existed! It'll be fun checking out the zoo and Gator Golf course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

A cool retro shopfront at The iT Store in Canterbury

How cool is this window display at The iT Store in Canterbury?

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man at Halloween

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man at the Postwick Village Hall Halloween Party 2024.

A sighting of a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man in Postwick, Norfolk!

This wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man was in action at the Postwick Village Hall Halloween Party last year.

Many thanks to my brother Christopher for sending over the video.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing ebook

I published my minigolf marketing ebook eight years ago today.

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

Don't worry if you don't have a Kindle as you can download the Kindle App on iOS, Android, Mac & PC.

Minigolf Marketing

As a minigolfer with over a decade of experience as a tournament competitor and 20+ of experience in marketing and communications I designed the guide so that anyone interested or involved in minigolf could help promote the game. It's a niche title, but an audience and subject I know a lot about.

Writing the book was brilliant and enabled me to bring two areas of my life together. I've worked in marketing since 2003 and have played minigolf since I was a child. Stepping up to compete on the national minigolf tour circuit and in international tournaments opened my eyes to the potential of the game.

I’ve also had the honour of serving on the committees of the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

Minigolf is a sport for all. People of all ages, sexes, backgrounds and abilities can pick up a putter and play the game.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Emily and I have visited 1,082 courses in the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've got 39 from that original list left to visit.

However, they've been joined by hundreds more new courses opening up across the UK, making our travels never-ending!

The minigolf boom continues

The game is really booming and new courses are being announced all the time.

100+ new courses are being created each year - some are on old sites/locations, some are completely new venues, while others are in planning/development, or under construction.

There are also quite a few other adventure golf, crazy golf and minigolf courses that are short-term 'pop-ups', some of which have been used as proof of concept businesses and developed into permanent courses. 

The minigolf world has a huge amount of interesting and fun stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors and the wider sporting community.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing gives federations, associations, courses, clubs and our fellow players ideas, inspiration and support in their marketing efforts.

Much of the guidance could also be applied to a number of other sports clubs and organisations to help raise their profile and boost memberships.

Buy The Minigolfer’s Guide to Marketing ebook on Amazon.

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man at Didcot Tyre Services

A sighting of a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man in Didcot, Oxfordshire.

My mum sent me some snaps of this wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man advertising Didcot Tyre Services (DTS) that she recently spotted while out for a drive with my dad.

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man at Didcot Tyre Services

May is Coeliac UK Awareness Month 2025

This month is Coeliac UK Awareness Month.

Coeliac UK's Awareness Month takes place throughout the month of May, with the charity for people affected by Coeliac Disease sharing stories to help recognise the symptoms and take the first steps on the road to recovery.

Coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune condition that affects 1 in 100 people in the UK (I'm one of those '1's') and according to Coeliac UK only 36% are medically diagnosed, meaning there are an estimated 500,000 people living in the UK who are experiencing symptoms - and these symptoms are having a big impact on their lives.

Find out more about Coeliac UK Awareness Month 2025 on the Coeliac UK website.

About Coeliac Disease

Coeliac Disease ('Celiac' in the USA and Canada) is a lifelong autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In Coeliac Disease the immune system mistakes substances found inside gluten as a threat to the body and attacks them. This can trigger a number of painful, horrible, and uncomfortable symptoms.

Living a gluten free life

Having suffered from a range of symptoms for around ten years I finally received a positive diagnosis of Coeliac Disease following some 'interesting' and in-depth tests and procedures in 2008! It came as a relief to finally have a name for the mysterious cause of my illnesses and ailments, but at the time I was only given a brief summary and told that I'd have to "cut down on bread and beer". It was only later when I met with a gastroenterologist and a dietitian that I found out that the only treatment for people with Coeliac Disease is a strict, lifelong gluten free diet.

Star Walk at Trinity Walk in Wakefield

We had an excellent day out at the Star Walk event at the Trinity Walk shopping centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Star Walk at Trinity Walk in Wakefield

We revisited Wakefield on Saturday to attend the Star Walk event at the Trinity Walk shopping centre. The weekend saw a superb line-up of pop culture, retro and classic vehicles, as well as a whole host of photo opportunities with characters and props from film and TV.

The A-Team van at Star Walk at Trinity Walk in Wakefield

Growing up in the 80's I'm a big fan of The A-Team and Knight Rider and it's always fun getting a snap with The A-Team's classic GMC Vandura van and K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider. Star Walk not only had two K.I.T.T.s from the Yorkshire Knights, but it also saw two of K.I.T.T.'s evil twin K.A.R.R. on display!

With K.I.T.T.'s evil twin K.A.R.R.

KARR!

A selection of Knight Rider merchandise and collectables

K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider - with K.A.R.R. lurking in the background!

More Knight Rider merch and collectables

K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider

While we were at Star Walk on day 1 we also saw The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo, Optimus Prime and several other Transformers, the Pizza Planet van from Toy Story, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Delivery van and more!

The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo

The Pizza Planet truck from Toy Story

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime - we actually got passed by this truck on our drive home in the evening! It's quite a thing to see it in action on the motorway!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Pizza Delivery van

Del Boy's Reliant Regal Supervan III from Only Fools and Horses 

With The Stig

There were loads of characters from various groups in costume for photo opportunities. And I had to have my photo taken with several of the Star Wars characters from the UK Garrison!

Caption this photo...!

Luckily I wasn't someone these Stormtrooper's were looking for

One of the Emperor's Royal Guards from Star Wars

With R2-D2

The Star Walk event at Trinity Walk was raising money for Forget Me Not Children's Hospice.

Check out the Trinity Walk website for more information.

Hopefully there's another edition of the event in the future!

New Adventure Golf at Choices Health & Fitness in Windermere

Critter Creek Adventure Golf has opened at Choices Health & Fitness in Windermere in the Lake District.

Choices Health & Fitness in Windermere in the Lake District is now home to a new Adventure Golf course.

Critter Creek Adventure Golf at Choices Health & Fitness at Troutbeck Bridge is an 18-hole outdoor, woodland-themed courses.

Check out the Critter Creek Adventure Golf and Choices Health & Fitness websites for more information.

It'll be a new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on a return trip to the Lake District.

RBT Video in Wakefield - a video shop speakeasy

A visit to RBT Video in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

We visited RBT Video in Wakefield while in the city for the Star Walk event at Trinity Walk.

We've wanted to revisit Wakefield and go to RBT Video for quite a while, so it was brilliant to check out the speakeasy and visit the pop culture event at the shopping centre too.

We've been nostaglic for the halcyon days of the video shop for a few years now, and while you can't actually rent out videos at RBT, it is fun checking out the video shop 'front' to the speakeasy.

I don't remember seeing R.B.T. on the shelves at my local Ritz Video back in the day!

Definitely not a Blockbuster Video shop

You don't need to ask Spuds MacKenzie to let you into the bar, but you do need to know the movie codename of the week to gain access!

Inside the bar at RBT Video

Behind this wall of VHS tapes is a bar!

My movie pick - it's no Pulp Fiction though

A poster for RBT Video's events we spotted while at Subs & Suds - a sister venue of RBT Video and part of the Host & Home group. Emily got a delicious Chicken Parm and Fries for lunch there (while I played Street Fighter II on one of the arcade machines)

Take a look on the RBT Video website for more information, opening times, and clues on how to gain access to the bar behind the VHS tape stacked shelves!

NOT a V.H.S. Rental shop

Yoyo Laos Sauce - gluten free sauce!

It was a brilliant surprise to bump into our friend Frazer Rhodes while at the Star Walk event at Trinity Walk in Wakefield. He was there with his classic Datsun 1500 pickup truck as part of the retro & classic vehicle and pop culture event at the shopping centre.

The Yoyo Laos Sauce Datsun 1500 Pickup Truck at the Star Walk event at Trinity Walk in Wakefield

He was also promoting Yoyo Laos Sauce - a range of sauces that are gluten free!

Me, Frazer, a bottle of Yoyo Laos Sauce and a Datsun 1500 in Wakefield

Frazer was kind to give us a bottle of the Original Yoyo Ginger Chilli Sauce and we tried some when we got home - it's delicious, and had just the right amount of heat and kick to it. It's going to be interesting trying it with a few different dishes.

We'll be getting the rest of the range too. It's brilliant when we find totally gluten free sauces as it really helps expand the types of things I can eat, as we try out new recipes and dishes.

Check out the Yoyo Laos Sauce website for more information on the range of sauces, where to purchase, and where to find the Yoyo Laos Sauce team on the road at different markets and events.

Where will you be celebrating National Miniature Golf Day?

It's just two weeks until National Miniature Golf Day on Saturday 10th May. Where will you be playing a round?

Last year I played a round at the excellent Prestatyn Crazy Golf course in North Wales. We're not yet sure about which course we'll get to on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour this National Miniature Golf Day.

Playing Crazy Golf at Stoke Park in Guildford, Surrey on National Miniature Golf Day in 2016

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2025 that will be Saturday 10th May.
• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2025 that will fall on a Sunday.

There are so many places to play minigolf now, with new courses opening up all the time. Including public courses, as well as those at pay to enter attractions, holiday parks, hotels and other 'non-standard' locations you can find over 1,300 miniature golf layouts around the UK and British Isles (including Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, and other islands)!

New Crazy Golf course at Raglan Golf Club in South Wales

Raglan Golf Club in South Wales has reopened following a refurbishment and is now home to a Crazy Golf course.

The outdoor Mini Golf course at Raglan Golf Club is a 12-hole castle-themed layout.

Check out the Raglan Golf Club website for more information.

The new Mini Golf course at Raglan Golf Club is a new one for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Pool Awareness Day - Monday 28th April

Roxy Leisure is holding Crazy Pool Awareness Day on Monday 28th April 2025.

Next Monday is the inaugural Crazy Pool Awareness Day!

The indoor game found at Roxy Ball Room locations is a cross between crazy golf and pool. Played with a pool cue and a golf ball you need to tackle a variety of obstacles on the felt covered tables.

Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room at the Manchester Arndale

To celebrate, customers can get 50% off Crazy Pool bookings made online from Monday 28th April to Sunday 4th May. There is also a social media giveaway to win a year's worth of Crazy Pool. Find out more on the Roxy Leisure website.

One of our two local Roxy Ball Rooms venues - at the Manchester Arndale - is home to a Crazy Pool course.

The Rules of Crazy Pool

Ten of Roxy Ball Room's 19 venues are home to Crazy Pool layouts, they are:

• Birmingham (Victoria Square)
• Bristol (Union Street)
• Leeds (Merrion Street)
• Leicester (Humberstone Gate)
• Liverpool (Hanover Street)
• London (St Mary Axe)
• Manchester (Arndale)
• Nottingham (The Cornerhouse)
• Sheffield (Charter Square)
• York (The Stonebow)

Check out the Roxy Leisure website for more information.

Eight months until Christmas Day!

There are now 'just' 244 days to go until Christmas 2025.

Last November we played the Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the Northwich Christmas Extravaganza

Mystical Falls Adventure Golf opening at Puxton Park in Weston-super-Mare

A new adventure golf course is opening at Puxton Park in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset next month.

The outdoor adventure golf course will be a 9-hole attraction at the adventure park when in opens in May.

Check out the Puxton Park website for more information about the Mystical Falls Adventure Golf course.

Puxton Park is another new place and course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've been to Weston-super-Mare before and played minigolf there several times.

Spring Swing: Pop-Up Mini Golf at Wabash County Museum in Indiana

Wabash County Museum in Indiana, USA had a pop-up mini golf event in March and April.

As big fans of minigolf, and curators of the Crazy Golf Museum, it's always interesting seeing minigolf/museum crossovers.

The Spring Swing at Wabash County Museum in Wabash, Indiana saw a spring-themed 9-hole mini golf course set up indoors at the museum from the 25th March to the 19th April.

From the 15th to the 18th April the museum held a Corporate Mini Golf Tournament.

Check out the Wabash County Museum for more information.