Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Long Lost High Street Shops - Tandy

A look back at Tandy.


Tandy in Hitchin

I was lucky enough to spot Tandy branding on some signage at a shop while in Hitchin last year. The Tandy signs had been uncovered as the shop on Churchgate was being refurbished following the closure of Electronic Universe. The reveal showed that Electronic Universe had at one point been a Tandy dealer.

Tandy in Hitchin

In 2016 I spotted this Tandy sign at the back of the shop.

Tandy in Hitchin
It's always a shame to see CRT tellys going to waste

Working at Tandy

My first job was at a Tandy franchise shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire where I remember selling a number of electronic products bearing the 'RadioShack', 'Genexxa' and 'Realistic' brand names.

It's always fun spotting old brands & signage and a treat when it's something rare like Tandy.

Tandy said goodbye to the UK high street in 2001 as the last of the shops was converted after acquisition by Carphone Warehouse.

RadioShack

Until fairly recently there was a RadioShack in Lytham Saint Annes. Unfortunately that store closed its doors in 2019.

RadioShack in Lytham Saint Annes
I bought a VHS tape in there when I first found the shop in 2017

Other relics of the high street

We've also seen the remnants of Woolworths, Toys R Us and Kwik Save on our travels.

Our most local, still visible 'dead brand' can be seen at the old Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester.

Little Thief

I'm missing being out and about in Manchester. Every time I have a wander around the city centre I spot a new piece of street art.

Looking through my snaps from previous walks round town I spotted this Little Thief sticker by GRW82 Greatt Whyte.

Little Thief sticker in Manchester by GRW82 Greatt Whyte

Monday, July 20, 2020

Social distancing at Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf in Stevenage

A look at the social distancing and hygiene measures at Mr Mulligans Lost World Adventure Golf in Stevenage.


Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Many thanks to the team at Mr Mulligans Lost World Adventure Golf in Stevenage, Hertfordshire for sending over details of the social distancing and hygiene measures they've put in place.



There are two 18-hole indoor adventure golf layouts at the centre at Stevenage Leisure Park - the Jungle Explorers and Ocean Adventurers courses.

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Find out more

Visit the Mr Mulligans website for more information, opening times, prices and booking details.

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020
The cups have been partially filled so balls are easier to retrieve

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020
Another filled cup

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020
A minigolf rhyme!

Finding Mr Mulligan

You can find Mr Mulligans courses in Basildon, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Castleford, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes (indoor and outdoor), Newcastle, Nottingham, Sidcup, Stevenage Tonbridge and Woking.

Playing at Mr Mulligans

We've visited all the Mr Mulligans courses apart from the ones in Basildon, Bournemouth, the indoor course in Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Tonbridge. We had planned to go on holiday to Bournemouth in April and would've played the courses there then.

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf in Stevenage
On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf in Stevenage

The last Mr Mulligans venue I played at was the three-course space-themed centre in Birmingham last October.

Mr Mulligans Space Golf in Birmingham
At Mr Mulligans Space Golf course on the day before Halloween last year - back then the only thing to worry about was a little bit of radioactive material on the course

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Putting at Home with the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club

We found out about the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club in Knowle West, Bristol last month and have joined the club's Putt Party online events.


Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club

The Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club have created a home-based minigolf club and work is underway to build brand new minigolf course at the Filwood Community Centre.

Members of the club have been designing and making their own crazy golf holes using a wide-range of materials. The 16 households are putting the finishing touches to the layouts ahead of a competition to declare the best design this coming Saturday. Emily and I are really looking forward to being guest judges at the event. We've seen some superb designs so far.

Check out the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club's Facebook Group and the Filwood Community Centre website for more information.

Boom: Battle Bar at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

The new indoor games venue is opening at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich this month.


Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Norwich's new indoor entertainment venue is opening its doors on the 23rd July. Boom: Battle Bar is home to a minigolf course, boules piste, axe throwing arena, electric darts and shuffleboard.

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Many thanks to the team at HM Adventure Golf for sending over photos of the minigolf course there.

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020
  
Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information, opening times, prices and booking details.

We're looking forward to playing at Boom: Battle Bar in the future.

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Caddy Shack now open at Sol Central in Northampton

The new Caddy Shack Mini Golf course at Sol Central in Northampton is now open.


Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Caddy Shack is a New York-themed venue and home to a minigolf course, tenpin bowling and darts and is part of the Gravity Activity Entertainment centre at Sol Central.

Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Many thanks to the team at HM Adventure Golf for sending over photos of the minigolf course there.

Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020
  
Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

We're looking forward to visiting Caddy Shack and playing the crazy golf course there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Check out the Caddy Shack website for more information.


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Old Iceland

Spotting some old Iceland signage on a modern Iceland store.


I had to take a second look when I saw these signs on the Iceland supermarket in Holywell, North Wales.

Iceland in Holywell, Wales
Iceland with pre-year 2000 branding. In 2018

I hadn't seen Iceland signage and branding like this for a while!

There can't be many other branches of Iceland still carrying this old style can there...?

It's always interesting finding quirky signs and old shopfronts on my travels. In recent years I've seen the ghostly remnants of Tandy, Radioshack, Woolworths, Blockbuster Video, Toys R Us and Kwik Save on the high street.

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Saturday, July 18, 2020

Foxes Afloat - Bun Throwing in Abingdon

The team from the Foxes Afloat narrowboat vlog recently stopped off in my home town of Abingdon where they looked at the tradition of Bun Throwing.


Check out my World of Bun Throwing blog for more information about the tradtion.

One day left to back Pitch & Plakks on Kickstarter

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Pitch & Plakks minigolf game

There is now only one day left to back the new Pitch & Plakks minigolf game on Kickstarter.

Pitch & Plakks minigolf game

Friday, July 17, 2020

New Plonk! Golf course in London Fields

The team at Plonk! Golf have opened a new venue in London Fields, Hackney.


The new East London venue is home to an outdoor 9-hole Crazy Golf course, cocktail bar, arcade and pinball parlour, sandwich shop and ice cream shack.

Plonk! Golf in Shoreditch, London. March 2019
Plonk! Golf in Shoreditch in March 2019, one of a number of Plonk! Golf courses we've been to on our travels

Check out the Plonk! Golf website for opening times, prices, booking information and details of other Plonk! Golf locations.

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Crazy Golf at the Crown & Sceptre in Abergavenny

There's a Crazy Golf course at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Abergavenny, Wales.


Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown for letting me know there's a Crazy Golf course at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Abergavenny.

He spotted the course listed on a sign at the pub on a recent trip to the town.

Crazy Golf at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Abergavenny by Simon Brown. July 2020

Unfortunately the pub is still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic so he wasn't able to see the course.

Crazy Golf at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Abergavenny by Simon Brown. July 2020

It's another interesting one for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we're next down in Y Fenni.

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British Minigolf Association tournaments - 2020

Play is set to resume on the British Minigolf Association tour.


British Minigolf Association

The British Minigolf Association (BMGA) will resume the 2020 season with a double-header weekend of events at Dunton Hills in Essex in August.

The Cambridgeshire & Essex Minigolf Club Open is on Saturday 15th August, with the BMGA British Doubles Championship taking place the following day.

The last minigolf tournament held in the UK before lockdown was the 19th edition of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Open held on the 1st March. The season-opening Thanet Open had been held in Margate, Kent on 9th February.

Details of BMGA minigolf tournaments in the UK can be found on the British Minigolf Association website.

The UK's next competition in 2020

The first mid-pandemic socially distanced minigolf tournament in the UK is taking place on Sunday 26th July. Organised by the Welsh Minigolf Club the 2020 Dragon Classic will be held on the Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park in Rhoose, Barry.

Competitions around the world this year

In April the World Minigolf Sport Federation made the decision to cancel all 2020 international (world and continental) tournaments.

During the coronavirus pandemic a number of minigolf events and competitions have been held in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the USA, Czech Republic, Portugal, Turkey and Poland.

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Two days left to back Pitch & Plakks on Kickstarter

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There are just two days left to back the new Pitch & Plakks minigolf game on Kickstarter.

Pitch & Plakks minigolf game

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Enchanted Garden Adventure Golf course proposed for Raphael Park, Romford

A planning proposal has been submitted for a new Enchanted Garden Adventure Golf course at Raphael Park in Romford, Essex.


An Enchanted Garden Adventure Golf course has been proposed to be built in Raphael Park, Romford, Essex

The themed minigolf course would be an 18-hole layout located at the Raphael Park Cafe.

The course would be created by Saturn Rock Creative.

It'll be interesting to see what the course looks and plays like. It'll be another new place to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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Putt18 World Pro League - Week 1 Results

Results from week 1 of the Putt18 World Pro League.


Play has been completed in week 1 of the Putt18 World Pro League

Play has been completed in week 1 of the Putt18 World Pro League. New Zealand's Matt Ansley won the week with a four-round total score of 266 after rounds of 67, 68, 65 and 66.

Cameron Couper of New Zealand is in second place in the ranking list, with Australia's Allan Cox in third-place.

Dave Gomm is the top British player in sixth position.

Pat Sheridan is the leading player from the USA and is in 11th place.

A total of 21 players from four countries are competing in the inaugural Putt18 World Pro League.

After a shaky start I'm in the basement alongside James Gilderdale of New Zealand and Karl Barth of the USA.

The Putt18 World Pro League ranking list after week 1
The Putt18 World Pro League ranking list after week 1

Week 2 of the Putt18 World Pro League tees-off next Wednesday.

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More information on the Putt18 golf game mat can be found on the Putt18 website.