Grosvenor Park Miniature Railway in Chester

A visit to the Grosvenor Park Miniature Railway in Chester.

Upon arrival in Chester we checked out the city map in the car park by the racecourse - and lo' and behold we spotted there was a miniature railway in Grosvenor Park! We had to take a look.

A lovely brown sign for the Grosvenor Park Miniature Railway

Luckily the weather and timing was right so we got to have a go on it.

The mini-miniature railway gets the thumbs-up from me

Grosvenor Park station - the start and terminus and only station on the line

The train shed

The engine in use on our visit

The engine makes a relatively short loop of the park, with no tunnels. Although it does go across a long bridge next to a duck pond - and the sound as it goes along the bridge is marvellous.

The train next to the pond

About to cross the bridge

An adult fare is £1.50 (or three rides for £2.50). Take a look at the Grosvenor Park Miniature Railway Facebook page for more information.

Related blog posts:
- Miniature Railways
- Chester

A visit to the Lakeside Miniature Railway in Southport

Lakeside Miniature Railway in Southport.

We'd forgotten there was a miniature railway in Southport, so it was a nice surprise to see it when we parked up near to Marine Parade Station next to the pier.

Marine Parade Station

Unfortunately we were just on the wrong side of the season to have a ride on it.

The larger of the two stations on the Lakeside Miniature Railway

The trains on the Lakeside Miniature Railway run from the Marine Parade Station alongside the pier, passed the BMX and skate park, near to the Pitch & Putt course and the beside the lakes as it makes its way to the Pleasureland station. We had a nice walk along the route.

Passing under the pier

I do like to see writing on a roof

Pleasureland terminus

A park bench at Pleasureland station

Another view of the bench at the station

We also spotted there's a Model Railway Village in Southport. Unfortunately the last day of the season there was the week before too.

The Model Railway Village in Southport

We did have a great time promenading in the seaside town and got to play and revisit the Crazy Golf courses there, as well as have a drink in the Smallest Pub in Britain!

Links:
- Lakeside Miniature Railway
- Southport Model Railway Village

Related blog posts:
- Southport
- Miniature Railway

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New website for the Midlands Minigolf Club

Check out the new Midlands Minigolf Club website.

The Midlands Minigolf Club has a new website, where you can find out more about the club, it's players, history, events, results and more.

The Midlands Minigolf Club relax during a break in the action at the national team championships held in Basingstoke in 2013

The Midlands Minigolf Club (MMGC) was formed in 2005 and are two-time national team champions, winning the title for the first-time at Stratford-upon-Avon in 2008 and regaining the title in Hastings in March.

Playing a shot in the 2015 edition of the British Club Championships in Hastings

I've been a member of the MMGC since my rookie year on the National Tour and was a member of both British Club Championship winning teams. I also captained the team in 2009. Last year the club produced its own Ball of Fame to celebrate the victory.

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The Masters Putting Green Crazy Golf course in Southport

A revisit to The Masters Putting Green in Southport.

Back in September 2009 we visited Southport and The Masters Putting Green there became the 150th miniature golf course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A popular and classic bit of seaside fun in Southport

On our return last week we found the course was proving very popular - especially on the front-9 - so unfortunately skipped playing it as we were pushed for time.

Striking a similar pose to 2009

The layout is a classic Arnold Palmer Putting Course design and it's very nice to see a good quality course being well used. It is a marvellous layout and well worth a go.

Rule #1 in Crazy Golf

Related blog posts:
- Southport
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- The Masters Putting Green in Southport - Minigolf Course Visit No. 150

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Mini Golf course at Hesketh Park in Southport

A revisit to the Crazy Golf course at Hesketh Park in Southport.

On Saturday 8th October we revisited Southport for the first time since 2009 and had to see if we could get a game on the Crazy Golf course at Hesketh Park. Luckily for us the course was open.

The Crazy Golf course at Hesketh Park in Southport

In our minigolf match-up I defeated Emily 21-27, scoring two aces along the way.

About to ace the first

The course became the 418th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

As a brilliant bonus I won a FREE GAME on the LUCKY LAST HOLE to add another FREE GAME TICKET to my collection.

Winning

The course was £1.50 for a round, and while the course looks a little rough around the edges it plays really rather well.

You can actually play some quite skillful angle shots and a hole-in-one is possible on almost all of the holes. Although at some point in the course's history some of the holes were a bit longer!

Hole 1

There definitely used to be more hole there by the look of it

We also found out there's another Crazy Golf course very close to Hesketh Park, but only realised this after we left! Luckily we're heading back to the seaside town again next month so will definitely look up the Mini Golf course at the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown then.

Related blog posts:
- Southport
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Hesketh Park Crazy Golf course visit

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Southport Seafront Golf Classic Pitch & Putt course

A visit to the Southport Seafront Golf Classic Pitch & Putt course.

While in Southport on Saturday 8th October we visited the 715th course on our Crazy World  of Minigolf Tour - the Southport Seafront Golf Classic Pitch & Putt course.

The course looks very well maintained

The course can be found beside the pier and lakes and looked like a very nice miniature golf layout.

A seagull guarding his patch

Unfortunately we didn't have time for a round on this occasion.

My eagle eye spotted this GOLF sign above an old public lavvy block

The kiosk

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World  of Minigolf Tour
- Southport
- Pitch and Putt

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The Lakeside Inn at Southport, Britain's Smallest Pub

A visit to Britain's Smallest Pub, The Lakeside Inn at Southport.

While on our recent day out in Southport we were walking along the prom and noticed a pub in the distance. Once we saw the sign outside declaring it to be 'Britain's Smallest Pub' we had to stop there for a drink.

Another miniature thing visited on our travels

The Lakeside Inn measures 22ft by 16ft and lays claim to being Britain's Smallest Pub.

Britain's Smallest Freestanding Pub

It's a brilliant little pub with a surprising amount of seating - mostly outside - with great views of the giant lake.

A lovely lakeside view

We'll definitely go back on our next visit to Southport.

Great views and plenty of space for a nice sit down. The Lakeside Inn at Southport is well worth a visit

Back on our roadtrip along the Lincolnshire coast in 2011 we discovered the Smallest Pub on the Planet at the Cleethorpes Light Railway. That pub - The Signal Box Inn - now also has a miniature golf course in its games area!

Related blog posts:
- Pub
- Pubs
- Southport

Southport Golf Links - England's first Municipal Links Golf course

A visit to England's first Municipal Links Golf course - Southport Golf Links.

As a miniature golf historian I was quite interested to walk passed Southport Municipal Golf course on our recent trip to the seaside town. Opened in 1912, the course is England's oldest municipal links course.

The Art Deco clubhouse looked marvellous

A nice touch on the outside of Southport Golf Links

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've visited and played a number of historic courses including:

• The world's first Miniature Golf course - The Himalayas at St Andrews which opened in 1867.
• England's first Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness was opened in 1926. There's still a course on the site today.
• England's first Pitch & Putt course purpose built for use by members of the public opened on Southsea seafront in 1914.

Related blog posts:
- The Himalayas Putting Course at St Andrews, Scotland
- The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness
- Southsea Golf Links
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

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GIANT pumpkin at the CW Shenton Farm Shop in Handforth

As a fan of the ludicrous - especially if it's advertising something - I was overjoyed to see the BIG inflatable pumpkin outside the CW Shenton Farm Shop on Wilmslow Road on my drive into Handforth today. Marvellous to see.

The MASSIVE pumpkin was certainly eye catching

Check out this blog post that shows me photographed next to, on, or inside a number of ridiculous things.

A couple of Octobers ago we visited Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire where I also got a high-five off of a giant inflatable pumpkin witch.

Related blog posts:
- We Sell Xmas Trees
- Pumpkins
- Wacky Waving Arm-Flailing Inflatable Tube-man

Link:
- CW Shenton Farm Shop