Great Yarmouth Minigolf Course Revisits - 5th June 2011

On Sunday 5th June 2011 Emily and I headed to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and we're lucky enough to make it there in time to play two of my favourite minigolf courses in the world - the 9 and 18-hole Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf/Putting Courses on the Seafront.

The story wasn't the same on one of our very first Crazy Minigolf Holidays, way back in February 2007, when all of the courses we visited in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth were closed! This 'Irregular Mini Golf Tour' to the East Anglian coast really was the start of what would evolve to become the huge Crazy World of Minigolf Tour that we have been on for years now!

Thankfully on our return to Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth in June 2007 the courses were open.

Photo: Emily tees-off on the first hole of the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Putting Course

First of all we played the 18-hole course, and a fine example of an Arnold Palmer Putting Course it is too.

We first played the course on the 9th of June 2007 when it became the 22nd course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up...Emily defeated me 37-39.

Review at Miniaturegolfer.com here (2007)

Next we played the excellent 9-hole course.

The course was the 23rd played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in June 2007.

In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up...I defeated Emily 16-21.

Review at Miniaturegolfer.com here (2007)

Amazingly I managed to win a FREE GAME on the Top Hole! A feat I am not renowned for.

After the round on the 9-hole course Emily also managed to win a FREE GAME on the Top Hole - something that has never before happened to us on our many tours!

After playing the Arnold Palmer courses we went for a walk around Great Yarmouth and the next stop was at the Merrivale Model Village, which is now home to a Crazy Golf course. Unfortunately it was closed.

The Pleasure Beach Gardens course was closed for the day too.

The Hollywood Adventure Golf at the Windmill Theatre was also locked up. They have now changed the posters outside (they used to say 'Grazy Golf'!?).



The 18-hole Pirates Cove Adventure Golf course was closed by the time we reached it.

It was originally the 21st course we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Emily and I are already looking forward to our next trip to Great Yarmouth.

Related blog post:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Arm Champs II, Turks and Jobbing - a revisit to Great Yarmouth's Best Arcade Machine

On Sunday 5th June 2011 we headed to Great Yarmouth for some minigolf and amusement arcade action, and I couldn't resist a revisit to the arcade that is home to the Arm Champs II Arm Wrestling Game. Bizarrely, a video of me losing (Jobbing) on it in February 2007 is my most viewed YouTube video!? At the time of writing this blog post it has 13,017 views!!!

Links:
- 2007 - Jobbing to Arm Champs II Arcade Machine
- 2009 - Arm Champs II – the rematch
- 2009 - Jobbing to Arm Champs - the original Arm Wrestling Arcade Game - the video in this match has had 1,236 views to date

The original video

Quasar in Great Yarmouth - Biggest in 'Great Britainshire'!?

On our visit to Great Yarmouth on Sunday 5th June 2011 we visited the 'Biggest Quasar in Great Britainshire' (according to the advert playing outside The Mint amusement arcade).

The 30 minute games are £5 each and are played out over a two-level Laser Tag arena. The games start on the hour, and as we had just bumped into fellow Minigolf tourist Peter Jones and I had spent time chatting to him about the Arnold Palmer course in the town, we missed the start of the next game by seven minutes.

As big fans of Laser Tag in all its forms we'll play there on our next visit.

An Unplayed Minigolf Course - Clippesby

Unfortunately we were too late to play the Minigolf course at Clippesby Touring Park in Norfolk on Sunday 5th June 2011.

We'd heard about it from our friends and minigolf rivals Brad Shepherd, Chris Jones and Alan Norman, who were staying at the campsite during the BMGA English Open weekend.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

#249 - The Sutton Staithe Hotel, near Stalham, Norfolk - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Following the BMGA English Open minigolf tournament on Sunday 5th June 2011, Emily and I headed to find and play the 18-hole Moosey's Miniature Golf course at The Sutton Staithe Hotel, Sutton Staithe, near Stalham, Norfolk.

We'd heard about the course from fellow Minigolf tourists Paul and Owen Johnson, and Hemsby's Lost World Adventure Golf course owner James Gray

The course became the 249th we have played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up I defeated Emily 55-57.

The final hole we played on the course was particularly crazy! See the video below to find out why...

This hole was very interesting too, as there were loads of 'false' holes too!?

Links:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- The Sutton Staithe Hotel

Hemsby Stonehenge BIG mini golf - course revisit - 4th June 2011

On Saturday 4th June 2011 we made a revisit to the 15-hole Stonehenge BIG mini golf course in Hemsby, Norfolk.

Unfortunately as we arrived at the course towards the end of the evening it was closed. However, we did manage to play there last year, when it became the 174th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The course has some interesting obstacles, one that I particularly like is the 'pole on a gallows' that can help or hinder your shot. I haven't seen this device on any other UK courses we've visited or played to date.

Hopefully we'll get to play there again soon.

When we visited Hemsby in May 2009 we arrived too late to play it too!

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - course re-visit and played course #174 - Hemsby's Stonehenge BIG Minigolf

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels

Details of Gluten Free Fish & Chip Shops and Restaurants we've visited on our travels to date.

On our travels around the UK we're always on the look out for new places to eat out, and for (often elusive) Gluten Free Fish & Chip Shops!

Tucking into my first plate of Gluten Free Fish & Chips at Rossi's in Swansea in 2009

To date we've found Gluten Free Fish & Chips to be served in the following locations:
- Rossi's Fish & Chips - Swansea, Wales
- Rhos Harbour Bistro - Colwyn Bay, Wales
- The Paragon Fish & Chip Shop - Birchington, Kent
- Old Harbour Fish Bar - Weymouth, Dorset
- Baldock, Herts (Fish 'N' Chick'n') - GF served on the last Tuesday of the month
- Cox's of Letchworth - Letchworth Garden City, Herts - GF available daily
- Fairwater Fish & Chip Bar - Fairwater (Coed Eva), Cwmbran, Wales - GF available daily
- Deep Blue - Woburn Sands, Bucks
- The Big Fish - Milverton, Leamington Spa
- The Big Fish - Hockley Heath, Solihull - Update: September 2012 - Now called Nelson's and only serves GF on Wednesday's
- Merivale Tea Rooms - Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
- Kingfisher Chip Shop and Restaurant - Keswick
- Godfrey's Fish & Chips - Harpenden, Herts
- Ivan's Fish & Chips - Cradley Heath, West Midlands - serves Gluten Free Fish & Chips between 5pm and 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays
- Tomlin's Fish & Chips - Southbourne, Dorset
- Atlantic Fish Bar - Kingsbury (between Birmingham and Tamworth)
- The Truscott Arms - Maida Vale, London
- Quayside Fish & Chips - Whitby, North Yorkshire

On our trip to Southwold a couple of years ago we also noticed that once a month they serve Gluten Free Fish & Chips in the Restuarant on the Pier.

Churchills Chippy in Southend-on-Sea offer Gluten Free Fish & Chips, but on our visit we found out that while the batter mix is made to be GF, the food is still cooked in the same oil and fryer as Gluten containing foods.

On a trip to South Shields Emily spotted that Colmans Fish & Chips Shop does Gluten Free options every last Saturday of the month.

A recent tweet from Deep Blue Restaurants (a chain of Fish & Chip shops - of which Woburn Sands is one) told me that they have eight restaurants now serving Gluten Free. Great news.

I've heard via Facebook that Chamberlain's Quality Fish & Chips in Birmingham can do Gluten Free Fish & Chips every day apart from between 5.30pm and 8.30pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. I noticed that they sell Estrella Damm Duara beer there too!

I contribute reviews of any places that I find offering Gluten Free options/catering for Coeliacs to the Travel Gluten Free and Gluugle websites. I also tweet any that I find.

Please check out the comments below for other tips and recommendations of gluten free fish & chip shops.

Links:
- Blog Post - Great Gluten Free Tea Rooms
- Blog Post - Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers
- Coeliac UK - The charity working for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH)

Photos of the The Putter King Team at the BMGA English Open at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk

Richard & Emily Gottfried were representing The Putter King indoor miniature golf course franchise (based in Japan) at the 2011 BMGA English Open, held at the 18-hole Miniature Golf course at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk. Here are some photos from the BMGA English Open minigolf tournament.

Richard & Emily Gottfried in their Putter King kits

Emily 'Coach' Gottfried

'Squire' Richard Gottfried

Emily 'Coach' Gottfried playing the 10th hole at the Wroxham Barns minigolf course

'Squire' Richard Gottfried playing the 16th hole at the Wroxham Barns minigolf course

Link - Minigolf Report from the BMGA English Open at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk

Link - The Putter King website

Link - Part III of the Putter King Interview Series - An Interview with UK Minigolfer Richard Gottfried

Link - The British Minigolf Association (BMGA)

Minigolf Report - Richard Gottfried 7th in the BMGA English Open at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk

6th June 2011
Press Information
For Immediate Release

Minigolf Report – BMGA English Open

Luton Minigolfers Richard & Emily Gottfried were in action at the 13th Annual BMGA English Open Minigolf Championships which took place at the 18-hole Adventure Golf course at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk on Sunday 5th June.

A 28-player field contested the title and Richard scored a three-round, 54-hole total of 103(-5) which included scores of 31(-5), 33(-3) and 39(+3), to earn 7th place.

Photo: Richard plays the 18th hole in front of the crowd at Wroxham Barns

Emily finished in a respectable 19th place, with rounds of 41(+5), 37(+1) and 39(+3).

Photo: Emily plays the 18th hole at Wroxham Barns

The tournament was won by Oxford’s Michael Smith with a score of 90(-18).

Richard said “The English Open was a great event and I’m pleased with seventh place. I hit an all-time new personal best in my first round and I had 13 Aces overall. It was also great to do well on the round-killer twelfth hole which has been a problem for me in the past. A weekend with two top ten finishes is a great result.”

Richard & Emily were representing The Putter King indoor miniature golf course franchise (based in Japan) at the 2011 BMGA English Open.

Following the BMGA English Open Richard has moved up one place to 13th of 86 players in the BMGA Order of Merit Rankings for 2010-2011. Emily is in 44th spot. In the BMGA Season Only Rankings for 2011 Richard has moved up two places to 11th of 59 players. Emily is in 23rd place.

Prior to the BMGA English Open, Richard & Emily were also in action at the Lost World Adventure Golf Pro-Am Classic minigolf competition in Hemsby, Norfolk on Saturday 4th June - Results.

Next up for Richard and Emily is a trip to Stockholm, Sweden to play for the Great Britain Minigolf Team at the WMF Nations Cup.

Ends

To sponsor Richard and/or Emily Gottfried in future Minigolf tournaments please get in touch.

Minigolf Report - Gottfried & Collins Runners-Up in the Lost World Adventure Golf Pro-Am Classic 2011 in Hemsby

6th June 2011
Press Information
For Immediate Release

Minigolf Report - Lost World Adventure Golf Pro-Am Classic

Luton Minigolfers Richard & Emily Gottfried competed in the second-annual Lost World Pro-Am Classic doubles tournament, hosted by the Lost World Adventure Golf course in Hemsby on Saturday 4th June.

The competition format saw BMGA Tour ‘Pro’ Players paired with local ‘Amateur’ players via a random draw. In the 12-team field Richard and his partner, Hemsby’s William Collins, were runners-up having scored 88 as a pair in the 18-hole, two-round competition. The winners of the event had to be decided by a sudden-death play-off as Richard & William had tied with Nick Chitty and his partner Richard Hathaway at the end of regulation play. Unfortunately, William hit a three on the first hole of the play-off to allow the opposition to pick up the win with a two.

Photo: From l-r William Collins, James Gray, Richard Gottfried

Emily and her doubles partner Owen Johnson finished out of the prizes.

Richard said “As with last year James and the team at Hemsby put on a great event. The Lost World is one of my favourite courses to play. Last year Emily and her partner picked up third place here so I’m pleased to have gone one better. Although we lost the play-off, William and I played well as a team and he put in two great rounds. Thanks also to our playing partners Seth and George for a great game too.”

Ends

Irregular Mini Golf Tour - 'Lost World Trophy' event in Hemsby, Norfolk

Prior to the 2011 Lost World Adventure Golf Pro-Am Classic tournament in Hemsby on Saturday 4th June, Emily and I faced off in an 18-hole Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match.

In the two round contest I defeated Emily 44 to 56.

Photos from our revisit.

Richard receives his prize from course owner James Gray.

Emily in the boneyard!

The 9-hole Lost World Adventure Golf course on Beach Road, Hemsby was the 88th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2009.

On our visit to the course last year I defeated Emily in the Irregular Mini Golf Tour Lost World Cup 9-hole contest. Emily however fared better in the 2010 Lost World Classic event itself, finishing in third place, with doubles partner Brad Shepherd.