Not playing Crazy Golf at Clerkenwell Design Week 2014

Having heard that one of the showrooms at Clerkenwell Design Week 2014 was going to set-up a Crazy Golf course themed with its office furniture and chair designs as obstacles I was intrigued and interested in giving the course a play. Especially as it was a temporary course available to be played between 9am and 7pm at the GGI showroom during the three days of #CDW2014.

A group of us had registered to attend and were really excited to be heading to play the course.

The first of our party arrived at the GGI showroom at 5.25pm on the 20th of May (the first day of CDW) to find the course closed - as Emily and I have found a number of courses closed when we arrive to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour I assumed it was a rib from them.

But it wasn't! We arrived at 5.35pm to find the showroom (one of over 60 taking part in Clerkenwell Design Week) to be closed.

Outside the closed GGI showroom at Clerkenwell Design Week. A disappointed Richard Gottfried (centre) with from l-r Chris Jones, Brad Shepherd and Paul O'Connor. Not pictured is a distraught Emily Gottfried

The closest we got to playing the course was peering through the high windows from street level and spotting a bucket of putters.

The bucket of putters and some chairs. Yesterday

Annoyingly when we checked our emails later in the evening we'd received an email from Clerkenwell Design Week which had details of the GGI Crazy Golf course and a reminder of the opening times!?

I hope other visitors are luckier than our group was and get to play the course.

Check out my blog post on the Adventure Golf, Crazy Golf, Minigolf and Golf Putting Green courses we've played in and around London since July 2008.

We have been lucky in London before and played some interesting temporary courses and installations over the years, including at Devonshire Square, the roof of Selfridges, Alexandra Palace, Golf Apocalypse, the Tintype Gallery, Wooly Golf, Carnaby Street, the London Golf Show, Regent's Place and at the 2012 Brewmaster's Open at the Camden Town Brewery.

London will soon be getting a brand new minigolf course, as Moby Adventure Golf opens in Chadwell Heath, Romford later this month!

Moby Golf Adventure Golf in London

Brand new Adventure Golf course opening in Chadwell Heath, Romford, London in May 2014.

Richard Gottfried playing the Moby Golf course on his Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit in June 2014

The 18-hole Moby Adventure Golf course will be located at Golf Kingdom in Romford and will have some very BIG minigolf features and obstacles, not least the giant whale!

The theming behind the course centres on the legend of 'Moby Dick' - a whale that washed up in Dagenham in 1790!

Check out the Golf Kingdom website and the Moby Golf Facebook page for more details, including photos of the course under contruction.

We're looking to visiting and playing the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Golf Kingdom sounds like an interesting place, as you can play 'golf' in seven different ways (including regular golf, footgolf and more) - check out the Golf Kingdom website for details.

Also nearby in Chadwell Heath, on where else but Whalebone Lane North, you can visit a pub called the Moby Dick!

On a whale-related note, back in June 2008 we visited Scarborough, North Yorkshire and the 55th course played on our tour was home to a big whale - though by the sound of it and look of the photos, the Moby Golf course's one will be a lot bigger.

The whale encountered at Scarborough's Adventure Golf in 2008

Links:
- Moby Golf Facebook page
- Golf Kingdom website
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf in Essex

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

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Funny things about being a Coeliac #7

Disappearing flight attendants!

On a flight to Sweden in 2011 I was surprised to see everyone get served an on-board meal. Well, everyone that is apart from a few poor vegetarians who missed out on the meagre offering of veggie sangers, and me.

The serving of the lunch was very puzzling as the BA website didn't allow you to make a dietary selection for the flight!? I mentioned this to the Steward, who said he’d ask his colleagues and have a look.

I never saw him again!

Odd, as it was a very small plane.

I have had some good experiences with airline food, its not always great, nor always gluten AND wheat free, but gluten free 'special meals' do get served before the normal people's meals.

Links:

- Funny things about being a Coeliac #1

- Funny things about being a Coeliac #2

- Funny things about being a Coeliac #3

- Funny things about being a Coeliac #4

- Funny things about being a Coeliac #5

- Funny things about being a Coeliac #6

- Coeliac-related blog posts

- Gluten Free-related blog posts

- A week in the life of a Great Britain International Minigolfer

Award Bathing Beach

Award it what?

Directions to an "AWARD BATHING BEACH" in Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey

On our recent trip to Sheerness (seaside #183 visited) on the Isle of Sheppey (island #9 we've been to) we spotted this incredibly odd bit of signage for an "Award Bathing Beach" on the seafront.

What's one of them then!?

Margate Funpark Crazy Golf

Hearing about a Crazy Golf course at a mobile Funpark in Margate.

During the BMGA British Minigolf Championships in Margate our fellow competitors and minigolf explorers Matt and Helen Dodd let me know they'd spotted that the there was a Crazy Golf course in town as part of the Funpark set-up in Dreamland's car park.

Unfortunately we didn't have time to go into the park to explore and make good use of the entry fee (which give you access to 'unlimited riding' inside). We'll have to keep an eye out for the Funpark in the future as we're intrigued as to what the Crazy Golf course is like.

Links:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Funpark at Billy Davis Funfairs

Little Oasis Crazy Golf in Cliftonville, Margate - an update

We revisited the Little Oasis Crazy Golf in Cliftonville, Margate on Friday 9th of May 2014 as we'd heard it'd recently closed down, after being temporarily used as a skate park.

It's in a really sorry state and its terrible to see it now, as it was a 36-hole classic Arnold Palmer Putting Complex.

Related blog posts:
- Course Played #37 Margate (Little Oasis Crazy Golf) Cliftonville - Minigolf (Arnold Palmer) 1 of the 2 18-hole courses - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Still not played - Cliftonville Crazy Golf!
- Minigolf course played #215 - Arnold Palmer 'South' Course at the Little Oasis Crazy Golf in Cliftonville, Margate
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Pitch & Putt Miniature Golf at Barton's Point Coastal Park on the Isle of Sheppey

A visit to Barton's Point Coastal Park in Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey to look for a Crazy Golf course.

We didn't find one.

However, there was a Pitch & Putt style of Miniature Golf at Barton's Point.

The 9-hole Pitch & Putt at Barton's Point Coastal Park on the Isle of Sheppey

We couldn't find any of the Minigolf courses on the Isle of Sheppey - at Sheerness, Half Way or Minster Beach.

There was however a Miniature Railway at Barton's Point Coastal Park!

The Miniature Railway Station at Barton's Point Coastal Park

Links:
- Barton's Point Coastal Park
- Sheppey Miniature Engineering and Model Society
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Awareness Week: Coeliac Facts from Udi's Gluten Free

New Coeliac Disease infographic from Udi's Gluten Free.

The team at Udi's Gluten Free have put out a new infographic with a range of facts about Coeliac Disease to coincide with Coeliac Awareness Week that is running from the 12th to the 18th of May.

The Udi's Gluten Free Awareness Week: Coeliac Facts infographic (click on the image to enlarge and also available to view here)

Udi's launched in the UK at the end of 2013 and have been in the USA since 1994. Check out the Udi's website for details of their range and stockists.

Further details about Coeliac Disease and Coeliac Awareness Week can be found on the Coeliac UK website and Twitter. May is also Celiac Awareness Month in the USA and Canada - check out the hashtag on Twitter.

Link:
- Udi's Gluten Free

Related blog posts:
- Udi’s Gluten Free – more than just mince pies
- Coeliac UK Awareness Week 2014 and the Gluten-free guarantee
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac

Crazy Golf at the Strand Leisure Park in Gillingham

Playing the 18-hole Wild Frontier Crazy Golf course at the Strand Leisure Park in Gillingham as part of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

At the Wild Frontier Crazy Golf course at the Strand Leisure Park in Gillingham, Kent

On our way to Whitstable on the 8th of May we decided to make a stop in Gillingham, Kent to visit the Strand Leisure Park and play the Crazy Golf course we’d heard was there.

On this occasion the course was open to play. Emily decided she didn’t want to play so I paid the man the £2.70 for a round on the 18-hole ‘Wild Frontier Crazy Golf course’, plus the £2.50 deposit required for the putter and ball and headed off for a quick round as the weather wasn’t all that great.

Oddly the course didn't have a pathway, or stepping stones, between holes, just grass – which was a bit annoying as it was wet underfoot.

Each of the holes on the good looking scorecard had a different ‘Wild West’ name and the course was split into three parts – Holes 1 to 6 were in ‘Dodge City’, holes 7 to 12 were in ‘Indian Country’ and holes 13 to 18 were in ‘Gold Valley'.

Hole 1 - Cowboy Hat

There was a big cowboy hat on hole 1, some horseshoes on hole 6, a snake on hole 7, wig-wams on hole 9, a US flag on hole 10 (named ‘Death Valley’) and a peace pipe on hole 11.

Playing hole 1 - Cowboy Hat

Hole 2 - Cliff Edge

Hole 2 - Cliff Edge

Hole 3 - Wagon Wheel

Hole 3 - Wagon Wheel

Hole 4 - Deadmans Creek

Hole 5 - Horse Shoe

Hole 6 - Six Shooter

Hole 7 - Snake

Hole 7 - Snake

Hole 7 - Snake

Hole 8 - Canyon

Hole 8 - Canyon

Hole 9 - Wig-Wam

Hole 10 - Death Valley

Hole 11 - Peace Pipe

Hole 11 - Peace Pipe

Hole 12 - Ravine

Hole 12 - Ravine

Hole 13 - Gold Pan

Hole 13 - Gold Pan

Hole 13 - Gold Pan

Hole 14 - Hill Billy Ridge

As we approached hole 15 (‘Rock Tunnel’) and the end of our round we noticed the man emerge from the hut and walk along the path away from the course towards the car park. He didn’t say anything to us, but we assumed he’d be back in a couple of minutes to take the putter and ball back and refund me my £2.50 deposit.

However, he never reappeared!

So, for only the second time* on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we’d returned to the hut to find it abandoned and so had to leave the putter and ball leant up against the door. On our walk back to the car park we saw no sign of the man – or anyone else for that matter.

Hole 15 - Rock Tunnel

Hole 16 - Devil's Drop

Hole 17 - Mine Collapse

We left the Strand Leisure Park slightly dejected and £2.50 lighter.

Having arrived back home and looked at the prices for the Crazy Golf course on the Medway Council website it says that the Crazy Golf is £2.20 for adults and £1.50 for the club deposit and 50p for a ball!

The highlight of playing the course was the solitary hole-in-one I scored on the 18^th hole (‘Mine Entrance’) – which in my mind was the hardest hole out there.

Hole 18 - Mine Entrance

As well as the 18-hole Crazy Golf there was also a Pitch & Putt miniature golf course at the park. But with the man doing a disappearing act we were unable to find out how much it was to play.

The Par 3 miniature golf course at the Strand Leisure Park

A view of one of the holes on the nice looking course

The Strand Leisure Park also had a miniature railway. Unfortunately it wasn’t running on our visit.

The siding and depot of the miniature railway

The miniature railway station next to the Crazy Golf course

En route to Gillingham we passed through one of the other Luton's! It's in Chatham.

Luton, Kent

Link:

- Strand Leisure Park

Related blog post:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date

* The other time was at Coalville in Leicestershire where the man at the Minigolf course was also the bailiff for the fishing lake on the same site.