Monday, September 07, 2020

Lost minigolf courses - Galactic Golf in Halifax, West Yorkshire

Galactic Golf in Halifax, West Yorkshire has closed. (Update: May 2021 - the venue has now reopened).


Galactic Golf in Halifax, West Yorkshire

We were sad to find out that Galactic Golf in Halifax closed its doors for the final time on Saturday. The business was a victim of the coronavirus pandemic.


We played at the two course, 36-hole indoor space-themed centre last November. The courses were were the 934th and 935th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.


Galactic Golf in Halifax, West Yorkshire

Galactic Golf was part of the Electric Bowl in the town. That business is continuing.

Lost shops - Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire

September 2020 - Toys R Us still exists. Kind of.


Toys R Us at the Deepdale shopping centre in Preston

Toys R Us ceased trading in the UK in April 2018. I worked there back in the year 2000.

Toys R Us at the Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
It's always interesting to see signs from lost brands

This store is in Preston, Lancashire.

Toys R Us at the Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
Toys R Us at the Deepdale shopping centre in Preston

Apart from one ghost sign on the side of the building where the raised letters have been removed it looks like it could've still been open.

Ghost signs

A busy car park

A colourful store front

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
Welcome to Toys R Us

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
This store is now closed

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
The entrance

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
A nice sign on the right of the building

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
At the exit

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
The exit doors

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
A piece of ephemera 

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
Remnants

Toys R Us in Preston, Lancashire
A branded electricity substation

There have been plans for the old Toys R Us at the Deepdale shopping centre to be converted into a gym or a Sports Direct. But at the moment it's still there as something of a time capsule.

Other lost Toys R Us stores

We've also been to the abandoned Toys R Us in Warrington, Cheshire, had a look at what remained of the old Toys R Us store at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester before it was demolished and visited the Toys R Us in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent shortly before it was converted into a Go Outdoors this month.

Lost shops

On our travels we've also seen a RadioShack in St Annes on the Sea; Woolworths Big W in Brunstane, Edinburgh; Tandy in Hitchin; Blockbuster in Fallowfield, Manhester; Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent; BHS in Stockport; Blockbuster Video Express in Colne; Orange Mobile in Oswestry; Kwik Save in Barrow-in-Furness; Cooltrader in Blackpool and the remains of Blockbuster Video stores in Oldham, Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Hastings, Felixstowe, Telford, Prescot and Chester.

Happy Shopper

On our way to look at the old Toys R Us we also found a bonus lost shop - a Happy Shopper!

Alton Water Minigolf in Ipswich, Suffolk

A look at the Alton Water Minigolf course in Ipswich, Suffolk.


Alton Water Mini Golf course. Photo by James Palmer, UrbanCrazy, August 2020

Many thanks to James Palmer from UrbanCrazy for sending over some snaps of the new minigolf course at Alton Water in Suffolk.

Alton Water Mini Golf course. Photo by James Palmer, UrbanCrazy, August 2020

We're looking forward to having a game there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future. We'd normally have been to see family and friends in Ipswich a number of times already this year but haven't been able to get back once yet. Fingers crossed we'll get there at some point this year!

Visit the Alton Water website for more information, opening times and prices.


Check out the UrbanCrazy website for more information about the courses they build and minigolf supplies they offer.


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Sunday, September 06, 2020

Hole 19 Miniature Golf in Las Vegas

There's a new British-themed pop-up crazy golf course in Las Vegas.


There's a new British-themed pop-up crazy golf course in Las Vegas

A new pop-up minigolf course has been created for a six-week run in Las Vegas, USA.

The course is a 9-hole 1900's themed British-style minigolf golf layout.

The competitive socialising venue will also house a bar and other games and arcade machines.

Hole 19 opens on the 24th September and will close on the 1st November. Visit the Hole 19 website for more information.

Playing minigolf in Las Vegas

We've played a number of minigolf courses in Las Vegas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and were planning a holiday there this year. Back in 2011 I won the Putt Park's annual miniature golf tournament there.

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New Crazy Adventure Golf course planned for Walmer in Kent

There are plans for a new crazy golf course to be built in Walmer, Kent.


There are plans for a new minigolf course to be built in Walmer, Kent

The team at Manston Golf Centre in Kent are planning to create a new miniature golf course in the seaside town of Walmer.

The new adventure golf layout would include local history theming.

The 18-hole course would replace an existing, but vacant, Putting Green on the promenade.

There is currently a pop-up crazy golf course in Walmer that has been set up for this season.

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Putt18 World Pro League - Week 5 Results

Results from week 5 of the Putt18 World Pro League.


Putt18 golf game putting mat

Provisional scores for my four rounds in week 5 of the Putt18 World Pro League are:
- Round 1 = 76
- Round 2 = 83
- Round 3 = 83
- Round 5 = 85
Total = 327

My scores to date:
- Week 1 = 328
- Week 2 = 290
- Week 3 = 321
- Week 4 = 299
- Week 5 = 327

About the Putt18 World Pro League

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

There are two more weeks remaining of the inaugural seven event series.

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


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Saturday, September 05, 2020

Mini Golf at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft

A look at the Mini Golf course at Africa Alive! in Kessingland, Lowestoft, Suffolk.


Mini Golf at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, September 2020

Charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried sent me these photos of the Mini Golf course at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Mini Golf at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, September 2020

The crazy golf course at the Africa Alive! zoo became the 981st course visited overall on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Mini Golf at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, September 2020

Mini Golf at Africa Alive! in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, September 2020

Check out the Africa Alive! website for more information.


The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Christopher and his family have visited 35 courses on their branch of the tour, 25 of those have been unique to them. Emily and I have visited 956 courses on the main tour.

Christopher has been to three courses in 2020.

We've been to a total of 46 courses in 2020, with 15 of those being new courses visited. We've swung by eight new courses in the time of coronavirus.

We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a lot of new courses to play at too!

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Toys R Us in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

A look at the old Toys R Us store at Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.


Toys R Us in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

I've never seen cleaner and brighter signs on an abandoned shop.

Toys R Us in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
There are three large branded Toys R Us signs on the store, this is one of two on the side of the building. They differ from the more commonly see signs as the brand name is printed onto one board, rather that the lettering being made out of individual 3D pieces

Toys R Us ceased trading in the UK in April 2018. I worked there back in the year 2000.

Toys R Us in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
I was once one of Geoffrey's Helpers at Toys R Us

It was a lucky find as this month the unit will be opened as a Go Outdoors store and so the Toys R Us branding will be disappearing.

Toys R Us in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
This scene won't be the same next month and the Toys R Us branding will be lost forever

Remains of other Toys R Us stores

We've also been to the abandoned Toys R Us in Warrington, Cheshire and had a look at what remained of the old store at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester.

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

A look at the old Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent.


Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

Anyone want some Woolies Pick n' Mix?

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
A view of the shopfront on Market Street

The last Woolworths shop in the UK closed in January 2009 so it was brilliant to see this frontage looking fairly unchanged!

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
Lovely to spot this extra piece of old branding hidden in plain sight on the shopfront

It won't be like that for too much longer though as work is going on inside the unit and it'll soon be a totally lost store.

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
A look inside the store

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
A view down the side of the store in Longton Shopping Centre

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
The secondary entrance / exit

Woolies in Longton

We first spotted the store in Longton while driving through the town last November. We were very surprised to see the branding still in place.

Woolworths Big W

We had a look at an old Woolworths store in Brunstane, Edinburgh back in August 2011. That was the Big W Woolworths store at The Jewel retail park.

Lost shops - Burger King in Chester

Spotting a fast food ghost sign in Chester.


Burger King ghost sign in Chester

We spotted this ghost sign of a former Burger King while having a walk round Chester.

Burger King ghost sign in Chester

Burger King ghost sign in Chester

Friday, September 04, 2020

Lost Blockbuster - Chester

Another day, another lost Blockbuster Video store.

The former Blockbuster video store in Chester. September 2020

This one was in Chester, Cheshire, England.

The former Blockbuster video store in Chester. September 2020

It's now a Roy Castle Foundation charity shop.

The former Blockbuster video store in Chester. September 2020

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

The former Blockbuster video store in Chester. September 2020
QUIKDROP

The former Blockbuster video store in Chester. September 2020
You could still see a number of familiar pieces of the Blockbuster shopfittings
  
The former Blockbuster video store in Chester. September 2020
The old Blockbuster counter

Other lost Blockbuster stores

On our travels we've found the remains of other lost Blockbuster stores in Manchester, ColneOldhamCheadle HulmeMarpleHastingsFelixstowe, 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.


InterGame Video Insights 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.


Putt18 Golf Putting Game Mat

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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Thursday, September 03, 2020

The 'Simpsons'

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

The Simpsons amusement arcade prizes
Not the best prizes in the world