On holiday - two years ago today

Looking back at our holiday to Lytham St Annes two years ago.

We were on holiday on the Fylde Coast this time two years ago.

How times change.

With Humpty at the MiniLinks Crazy Golf course in Lytham St Annes

The MiniLinks Crazy Golf course was the 48th visited and played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in April 2008.

The MiniLinks in Lytham Saint Annes is home to three miniature golf courses - the Crazy Golf, a Pennines Putting course and a Par-3 layout.

-----------

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

Lost Shops - RadioShack in Saint Annes on the Sea

Two years ago today we were still able to shop at a RadioShack in the UK.

The store was in Saint Annes on the Sea on the Fylde Coast and after I discovered it I shopped there every time I visited the seaside town.

Sadly it closed in 2019.

This RadioShack was the last of its kind in the UK. Note the Tandy sign in the top left of the window

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.

Other lost shop brands

As well as the RadioShack in Saint Annes on the Sea we've seen a Woolworths Big W in Brunstane, Edinburgh; Toys R Us in Ancoats, Manchester; Tandy in Hitchin; Blockbuster in Fallowfield, Manhester; Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent; BHS in Stockport; Blockbuster Video Express in Colne and Kwik Save in Barrow-in-Furness.

If you know of any other remnants or relics of lost retail brands please do let me know.

Putt18 World Pro League - Week 3 & 4 Results

Results from weeks 3 and 4 of the Putt18 World Pro League.

Play has been completed in the third and fourth weeks of the Putt18 World Pro League.

During the pandemic players from Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand and the USA are competing in individual and team events over seven events on the Putt18 golf game putting mat.

Week 3 - top 3

1. Matt Ansley (NZL) - 251
2. John Ansley (NZL) - 261
3. Dave Gomm (GBR) - 265

Week 4 - top 4

1. Matt Ansley (NZL) - 245
2. John Ansley (NZL) - 256
3. Dave Gomm (GBR) - 262

I finished week 3 at the bottom of the pile of players who completed their rounds with rounds of 69, 87, 79 and 86 for a total of 321 and 12 points.

I fared better in week 4 with scores of 79, 70, 74 and 76 for a total of 299 and 25 points to finish 17th of 20 players.

Putt18 World Pro League Table after 4 events:

1. Matt Ansley, NZL
2. Dave Gomm, GBR
3. John Ansley, NZL
4. Cameron Couper, NZL
5. Nathan Lamplough, AUS
6. Faye Ansley, NZL
7. Steve Lovell, GBR
8. Josh Mars, AUS
9. Pat Sheridan, USA
10. Allan Cox, AUS
11. Luke Lord, AUS
12. Cameron Fincher, GBR
13. Tom Loftus, USA
14. Aaron Kaminski, USA
15. Matt Roadhouse, USA
16. Richard Gottfried, GBR
17. Shelley Cooper, GBR
18. Gary P Shiff, USA
19. Randy Rice, USA
20. Karl R Barth, USA

Week 5 of the 7 event Putt18 World Pro League series tees-off on Wednesday 2nd September.

----

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

Night minigolf at Play4Score in Riga, Latvia

Night minigolf at the Play4Score miniature golf course in Riga, Latvia.

Check out this video of the recent night minigolf event at the Play4Score miniature golf course in Riga, Latvia.

It's certainly a unique location and I love the look of the light up golf balls used. I've played a number of indoor glow-in-the-dark minigolf courses, but haven't played night minigolf yet.

Visit the Play4Score minigolf website for more information.

Related blog post:
- Minigolf course in Riga, Latvia

------------------

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

Four-eyed Philip J. Fry

It's always fun to spot interesting street art, stickers and graffiti while out and about.

I saw this tattooist's sticker in Camden

Related blog posts:
- Futurama
- Stickers

Krunchy Fried Chicken in Fallowfield, Manchester

Finding a 'KFC' in Fallowfield.

Krunched in sign!

We've seen a number of 'KFCs' on our travels, including this Krunchy Fried Chicken in Fallowfield, Manchester.

There are Krunchy Fried Chicken shops in Liverpool and Stalybridge too.

Four months until Christmas Day...

...where has the year gone!

A Christmas Crazy Golf hole at Teezers Coventry - we played there at Easter 2019

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

We walked past Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester on our first wander in the city centre in a while on Saturday afternoon.

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks is home to two indoor 18-hole courses.

They have reopened following the lockdown closure.

You can also find Treetop Adventure Golf courses in Cardiff and Leicester.

Visit the Treetop Adventure Golf website for more information.

The Treetop Adventure Golf courses in Manchester were the 799th and 800th courses visited in the UK on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 955 courses overall.

------------------

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

---------------------------

With over twenty years of marketing and sales experience each we offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more.

Do get in touch for a chat to see how we can help and work together.

Mini Golf at Roxy Ball Room on Deansgate in Manchester

We walked past Roxy Ball Room on Deansgate in Manchester on our first trip to the city centre in quite a while on Saturday afternoon.

We've played the Mini Golf course at Roxy Ball Room on Deansgate a few times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and enjoyed seeing in the New Year there a couple of years ago.

It's an indoor 18-hole minigolf layout.

Roxy Ball Room on Deansgate has now reopened following the lockdown.

Visit the Roxy Ball Room website for more information.

Work is underway on Roxy Ball Room's second venue in the city. The new location is at Withy Grove. We had a walk by that site on Saturday too and managed to see something very interesting through the windows...

------------------

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

---------

With over twenty years of marketing and sales experience each we offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more.

Do get in touch for a chat to see how we can help and work together.

Windmills by Dracula's Miniskirt

Check out the new video for Windmills by Dracula's Miniskirt.

Hole 14 of the Prestatyn Crazy Golf course

The new video for the song Windmills by US-band Dracula's Miniskirt features a Crazy Golf windmill.

It's the windmill at the Crazy Golf course in Prestatyn, Wales. It's cool to see a minigolf video of mine in the music video!

Here's me scoring a hole-in-one on it.

Find out more about Dracula's Miniskirt on the band's website.

Junkyard Golf advertising in Manchester

Spotting some new Junkyard Golf advertising in Manchester.

We saw some new Junkyard Golf posters on our first walk round Manchester in a while.

The indoor crazy golf venue in Manchester has now reopened and we saw people queuing to get in when we walked past on Saturday afternoon.

Visit the Junkyard Golf website for more information.

Playing at Junkyard Golf

The last course I played before the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown was at Junkyard Golf's First Street venue in Manchester back on the 9th March 2020.

------------------

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

---------

With over twenty years of marketing and sales experience each we offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more.

Do get in touch for a chat to see how we can help and work together.

FINGER LICKING CHICKEN in Withington, Manchester

Finger Licking Chicken in Withington, Manchester.

We've seen quite a few 'KFCs' on our travels, but the only Finger Licking Chicken we've spotted is in Withington, Manchester.

Socially distanced benches in Spinningfields

A pair of socially distanced benches in Spinningfields, Manchester.

One person only at this time

This doesn't look like the most comfortable bit of seating even at the best of times

We saw two other benches in the time of Coronavirus in Colne.

New Mini Golf course in York

There are plans for a new minigolf course to be created in York.

The team at York Mini Golf are seeking people's views on the proposed minigolf course at Library Lawns next to York Library on Museum Street.

There are two consultation events taking place regarding the proposed mini golf course. They are on Tuesday 25th August and Thursday 3rd September.

For more information visit the York Mini Golf Facebook Page.

The new tourist attraction would be themed around York's history and encourage visitors to find out more about the city's heritage.

---------

With over twenty years of marketing and sales experience each we offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more. Do get in touch for a chat to see how we can help and work together.

------------------

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

One day only minigolf in Worcester

The Commandery gardens in Worcester will be home to a crazy golf course this coming Bank Holiday.

The 9-hole minigolf layout at The Commandery will be set-up for visitors to play on Bank Holiday Monday, 31st August.

For more information visit The Commandery on Facebook and the Museums Worcestershire website.

The Commandery was the Royalist Headquarters during the deciding batter of the English Civil War, the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

---------

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

------------------

With over twenty years of marketing and sales experience each we offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more.

Do get in touch for a chat to see how we can help and work together.

Marge Simpson graffiti in Manchester

Spotting some Marge Simpson graffiti high above Deansgate in Manchester.

You need a keen eye for street art to spot this piece

While on our first walk in Manchester city centre for quite some time on Saturday Emily spotted this piece of Simpsons graffiti high above Deansgate.

We recently spotted some Itchy & Scratchy graffiti on the Fallowfield Loop in Manchester and last August we saw this Simpsons graffiti in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Kingtucky Fried Chicken in Manchester

Do you have a favourite fried chicken takeaway brand?

We've seen quite a few 'KFCs' on our travels.

The long closed Kingtucky Fried Chicken in Manchester

Mini Golf cupcakes!

Thank you to the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club for sending us these brilliant minigolf-themed THANK U cupcakes made by Humble Bumble Bakes.

During lockdown and over the summer the team at the Filwood Centre in Knowle West, Bristol have created a home-based minigolf club for local residents. Having received supplies of arts and crafts materials the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club members were challenged to create their own crazy golf holes. It's been brilliant being a part of the club, judging the designs at the PUTT PARTY and discussing plans and ideas at the recent TEE PARTY.

Check out the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club and the Filwood Centre for more information about the minigolf club and the exciting plans for the new Crazy Golf course being created at the community centre in Knowle West, Bristol.

We're looking forward to playing there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

------------------

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

---------

With over twenty years of marketing and sales experience each we offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more. Do get in touch for a chat to see how we can help and work together.

The Movie Box in Manchester

A look at a Manchester video shop.

You don't see video shops all that often any more

The shop is also called The Corner Store

And the Mac & PC Centre

Invaders in Manchester

A look at a piece of Invader street art in Manchester.

It was nice to have a walk round Manchester again for the first time in a while on Saturday.

One of the best free-to-do activities in the city centre is to look for street art. There's plenty of it about.

Space Invaders

Manchester is the site of an Invasion by French street artist Invader. He created 47 pieces of mosaic tile art with a total points value of 970 back in 2004.

You have to look in a wide-range of places to see the Invaders

Over the years some of these retro video game inspired pieces have been damaged, removed or stolen. While some have been lost entirely because the building they were on has been demolished!

Luckily some of these lost Invaders have been replaced.

Look up!