Lost Blockbuster - Chester

Another day, another lost Blockbuster Video store.

This one was in Chester, Cheshire, England.

It's now a Roy Castle Foundation charity shop.

The QUIKDROP box is still in place. A lot of the paintwork and fixtures inside are from its days as a Blockbuster too.

QUIKDROP

You could still see a number of familiar pieces of the Blockbuster shopfittings

  

The old Blockbuster counter

Other lost Blockbuster stores

On our travels we've found the remains of other lost Blockbuster stores in Manchester, Colne, Oldham, Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Hastings, Felixstowe, Telford, Prescot and Chester.

Mini-golf in the time of Covid-19

InterGame Video Insights, Episode 01: Mini-golf in the time of Covid-19.

My specialist knowledge and experience in the worlds of minigolf and marketing were recently demonstrated in InterGame's discussion of the opportunities and challenges of operating a mini-golf venue amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was nice to speak about what's happening in the industry, talk about marketing strategies and tactics and chat with Simon Tompkins, general manager of Hastings Adventure Golf and Andy Johnson, head of golfing operations for Puttstars about the outlook for the game.

InterGame is the only monthly magazine covering the international coin-op amusements and gaming industry. InterGame also organise the annual InterFun Expo, with the next edition scheduled for next April.

I'll be speaking about the world of minigolf and competitive socialising at InterFun Expo 2021.

For more information check out the InterGame and InterFun websites.

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With over twenty years of marketing experience I offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, marketing strategies and campaigns, social media marketing, blogging, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more. Do get in touch for a chat to see how I can help.

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Guess the minigolf course...

Where in the world is this Adventure Golf course?

Clue: It's a 12-hole layout.

Putt18 World Pro League - Week 5

I'll be teeing-off in week 5 of the Putt18 World Pro League at 11am this Sunday, 6th September.

You can watch my four rounds live on Facebook.

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

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The 'Simpsons'

This is some of the best worst Simpsons bootleggery I've seen.

Not the best prizes in the world

Playing Minigolf at Kent Athletic Club in Luton

A look back at a pop-up crazy golf course in Luton.

We played a pop-up one-day-only minigolf course set-up on the football pitch at Kent Athletic Club in Luton nine years ago today.

The layout was the 267th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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PUTT PUTT #2 art installation Crazy Golf course in Croydon

A look back at the PUTT PUTT #2 art installation Crazy Golf course in Croydon. Played on this day in 2014.

The art installation miniature golf course was the 345th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 578th visited overall since September 2006.

We've now been to 955 courses in 14 years.

For more information visit the Turf Projects website and PUTT PUTT #2 project page.

Check out my blog post 'Artainment and the world of minigolf' to see how minigolf has been used in other artistic creations.

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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.

Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room in Manchester

The new Roxy Ball Room at Withy Grove in Manchester will be home to a Crazy Pool layout.

Work is underway to create a new Roxy Ball Room venue at next to the Arndale Centre at Withy Grove in Manchester. One of the new games to play there will be Crazy Pool.

Crazy Pool is also available at the Roxy Ball Room on Hanover Street in Liverpool. As a fan of minigolf and billiard hybrid games I was intrigued to see what it would like as I've played a few on my Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

You can see a preview of the Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room in Liverpool on Roxy Ball Room's Facebook Page.

Taking a peak in the windows at the new Withy Grove location we saw a number of the Crazy Pool tables taking shape. They looked really good.

It'll be interesting to see what the cues and balls are like and what other obstacles will appear on the tables.

Visit the Roxy Ball Room website for details of their eleven venues and the games on offer.

Check out my blog post "Crazy Snooker Pool Billiards Golf and Pit-Pat" for a look at some of the stranger miniature golf and cue-sports crossover games we've played on our travels.

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New Treetop Adventure Golf opening in Birmingham

A new indoor Adventure Golf centre is planned for Birmingham's Bullring.

The Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham will be home to a new Treetop Adventure Golf centre.

The venue will be home to two indoor 18-hole adventure golf courses.

Treetop Adventure Golf in Birmingham is planned to open next Spring.

Treetop Adventure Golf venues

You can also find Treetop Adventure Golf courses at St David's Shopping Centre in Cardiff, at The Printworks in Manchester and at the Highcross shopping centre in Leicester.

Visit the Treetop Adventure Golf website for more information.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visits

We're looking forward to playing the new Treetop Adventure Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The tropical Trail course at Treetop Adventure Golf in Manchester was the 800th course we visited in the British Isles. We're now up to 955 courses visited overall.

We've also been to the Cardiff and Leicester courses.

New minigolf courses 

I heard about the new Bullring minigolf course in Birmingham back in June before it was known to be a Treetop Adventure Golf. It was the the second new course planned to open that I found out about during the pandemic. The other was the replacement for the old course in Andover, Hampshire.

Check out details of new minigolf courses in the UK.

Minigolf during the pandemic and retailtainment

Find out more about minigolf in the time of coronavirus.

Read more about the rise of shopping mall minigolf and retailtainment.

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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.

Reliant Regals

It's crazy how many Reliant Regal Supervans we've seen on our minigolf travels.

With a Del Boy van in Ayr in 2014

What a bargain!

An Only Fools and Horses themed crazy golf at Teezers in Coventry

At Junkyard Golf in Manchester

At Junkyard Golf in London

  

The last hole at That Funky Golf Place in Birmingham has a Reliant Regal on it

You have to putt into the van for a hole in one

The end of the course

Del Boys van in Milton Keynes back in February 2012

Del Boy parked up at Great Yarmouth

I've also seen there are also Reliant Regal gimmicks on a few other courses we're yet to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

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Crazy Golf at the Social Muscle Club

The Social Muscle Club's Summer Camp is taking place tomorrow night.

We're very excited to be a part of the Social Muscle Club's Bristol event tomorrow evening. It'll have a summer holiday camp theme!

We'll be attending alongside the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club's manager Megan who will be sharing designs from the club's project to create a real-life course as well as hosting a quick fire Mini Golf challenge.

We can't wait to discuss the crazy world of miniature golf, our travels to 955 courses and judge the crazy golf creations made by the attendees.

If you fancy a night in with a summer holiday camp theme you can get your free ticket from Trinity Bristol.

About Social Muscle Clubs and Shambala

At Social Muscle Clubs you’re invited to grab a drink, a socially-distanced friendly buddy, join a Zoom call, and take part in a simple sharing game where everyone offers something they are willing to give, and makes a request for something they’d like to receive. These things can be concrete and practical but also abstract, or relationship-focused. Fresh bread, tax return support, a tattoo, a holiday apartment in Costa Rica, a sofa, cash, a shoulder to cry on. The giving and receiving games in small groups are punctuated by performance, music, and surprises. The atmosphere is celebratory!

The Social Muscle Club is part of the ‘Taste of Shambala’ digital weekender. The physical, real-world Shambala Festival has been postponed until August 2021. Find out more on the Shambala website.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Our travels to play at every minigolf course in the UK began in September 2006 when we set out to visit as many British seasides as possible. Once we'd won a free game on the first Adventure Golf course we played in Southsea we were hooked.

At the Southend Pier Crazy Golf course

Since then we've been to 955 courses. 916 of them have been in the British Isles, with 39 in eleven overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the USA.

Playing Crazy Golf at Pontins Camber Sanda Holiday Park

When our adventures began there were 600 courses in the UK. There are now well over a thousand and counting! We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a lot of new courses to play at too.

Playing Crazy Golf at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour stats:

• 955 courses visited since September 2006
• 916 courses visited in the British Isles
• 543 courses played overall
• 14 new courses visited in 2020
• 7 new courses visited in the time of coronavirus
• 36 courses visited in 2020, including revisits

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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.

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.

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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.

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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

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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