Blockbuster Video Express in Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Finding a ghost sign at the former Blockbuster Video Express store in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

Emily found this ghost sign at the old Blockbuster Video Express on Regent Street in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight last month!

The former video shop is now a charity shop

The outline of the old QuikDrop box is still there

I spotted the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

Check out my posts about other former Blockbuster stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

A revisit to Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire.

Emily swung by Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea on the way back from her trip to the Isle of Wight last month.

Some of the Covid-19 signage at the course

Times have certainly changed in the last 15 years!

A closer look at some of the Covid-19 signage and measures in place at the course

We played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf on Saturday 30th September 2006. I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole and our minigolfing adventures have been rolling ever since!

Check out the Treasure Island Adventure Golf website for more information on the two 9-hole courses, opening times and prices.

A Happy Shopper at The Hart of the Triangle

Finding a Happy Shopper shop in Fallowfield, Manchester.

We've been looking for examples of classic Happy Shopper shops and signage since spotting a closed version in Preston last year. Last night we found there's one very nearby to us! It's in the Fallowfield Triangle.

A few years ago the convenience store now known as The Hart of the Triangle was a full blown Happy Shopper. While most of the signage and branding has gone, the window decals are still in place. A lovely thing to see.

The Hart of the Triangle - formerly Happy Shopper Supermarket

The window decals are still there, although this one is temporarily covered by some posters

Checking online there were a few years when the Happy Shopper decals were covered up completely so it's nice to see it was still intact underneath

Emily's first job was at a Happy Shopper in Ipswich and I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was growing up in Oxfordshire back in the 1980's and 1990's. We didn't think there would be many left nowadays considering Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000.

Take a look at my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Lowestoft
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin

Jurassic Golf at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Reedham, Norfolk

A visit to the Jurassic Golf at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Norfolk.

My brother Christopher, a charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, has made the 993rd course visit of the tour with a trip to the Jurassic Golf course at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Reedham, Norwich, Norfolk!

Check out the Pettitts Animal Adventure Park website for more information.

National Hot Dog Month and National Hot Dog Day

July is National Hot Dog Month.

This year National Hot Dog Day (in the USA) is on Wednesday 21st July.

In the UK National Hot Dog Day is on Friday 10th September.

Some of the Hot Dog mascots we've seen on our travels

As someone with Coeliac Disease it can be tough to find gluten free hot dogs. Luckily we recently found Morliny Berlinki Classic and Cheese hot dogs are gluten free. And very tasty.

Find out more about hot dogs in general, National Hot Dog Month and National Hot Dog Day on the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council website.

Competitions at Aces Minigolf Gloucester

Two tournaments to tee-off at Aces Minigolf Gloucester.

The new Aces Minigolf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester is gearing up for the full opening by hosting two minigolf competitions on Sunday 4th July.

First up is an Amateur Championship with a great prize up for grabs to the winner.

This will be followed by the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Invitational Championship with some of the best minigolfers in the country invited to compete on the course.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester will be opening fully to the public on Friday 9th July.

Check out the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Facebook Page for more information.

We're really looking forward to having a game on the new 12-hole layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Happy Shopper in Hitchin

I've been on the lookout for other classic Happy Shopper shops since spotting the Happy Shopper in Preston last year.

I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was growing up in the 1980's and 90's but I didn't think there would be many left considering Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000.

Luckily I've found a few.

One of them is the Happy Shopper, aka the Nightingale Supermarket & Off License, on Nightingale Road in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. When we lived in Luton we drove past this particular Happy Shopper a fair bit.

I was down in Luton again recently and had to check out the Hitchin Happy Shopper to see if it was still there. I'm happy to report that it is.

A happy shopper at a Happy Shopper

Check out my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Lowestoft
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston

South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort

Marwell Resort in Winchester, Hampshire is home to a new adventure golf course.

A new adventure golf course is now open at Marwell Resort in Hampshire.

The 18-hole South Downs Way Adventure Golf course is themed on the local area.

Visit the Marwell Resort website for more information, opening times and prices.

The South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort was created by the team at Greenspan.

South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Tandy in Hitchin

You can still see some Tandy signage at the old Electronic Universe shop in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

I recently passed through Hitchin en route to Luton and had to make a quick stop to see if the old Tandy signage was still up at the former Electronic Universe shop on Churchgate in the town centre. Luckily some of it still was. However, the sign at the rear of the store has now gone.

My first job was at a Tandy franchise shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire back in 1996 where I remember selling a number of electronic products bearing the 'RadioShack', 'Genexxa' and 'Realistic' brand names.

It's always fun spotting old brands and signage and a real treat when it's something rare like Tandy. I've also seen some RadioShack signs on my travels.

While in Hitchin I also took a look at a classic Happy Shopper and in Luton took a look at my old local Blockbuster Video store.

Minigolf on the Isle of Wight

A look at minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight.

Emily recently returned from a trip to the Isle of Wight and while there played and visited a number of minigolf courses.

Sandown

Dino Islands Adventure Golf at Sandham Gardens in Sandown

Lost World Adventure Golf on Sandown Pier

Shanklin

Caddy Shack Crazy Golf at Shanklin Seafront

Jurassic Bay Adventure Golf at Shanklin Seafront

Pirates Cove Adventure Golf at Shanklin Seafront

The Pirates Cove course is next to the Jurassic course on Shanklin Seafront. When we first visited the Isle of Wight in 2007 the course was a grass Putting layout

Jungle Adventure Golf at Shanklin Village

Crazy Golf at Rylstone Gardens

Alum Bay

Jurassic Adventure Golf at The Needles

Ventnor

Putting Green at Ventnor Park

Other minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight

We've been to the Isle of Wight a few times over the years and have also played the Mini Golf Garden at Puckpool Park and the Pirate Adventure Golf at Peter Pan's on Esplanade in Ryde.

Other minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight include:

• The Cow Putt crazy golf course at Tapnell Farm Park in Yarmouth
• Crazy Golf at the Horse & Groom pub in Ningwood
• Crazy Golf at Calbourne Water Mill in Calbourne, Newport
• Mini Golf Putting at Luccombe Hall Hotel in Shanklin

Lost minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight

There used to be another adventure golf course in Shanklin too - Jungle Jim's - but that closed a few years ago.

Some of the courses that are on the Isle of Wight now have been built on top of older courses or have totally replaced grass Putting courses that were there before.

It's certainly interesting seeing the changes and developments on the island.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've now been to a total of 965 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester opening next month

The new Aces Minigolf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester will be opening to the public on Friday 9th July.

The 12-hole course's opening hours will be:

• Monday - Saturday 9:30am - 6pm (Last tee off time 5:15pm)
• Sunday 10:30am - 4:30pm (Last tee off time 3:45pm)

Check out the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Facebook Page for more information.

We're looking forward to playing the new course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Spinners Mini Golf opening in Reading

The new Spinners Mini Golf course in Reading, Berkshire is opening next week.

Spinners in Reading's Broad Street Mall will be opening its doors on Tuesday 29th June.

As well as the miniature golf course Spinners is home to tenpin bowling and darts activities.

Visit the Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling website for more information, opening times and prices.

Spinners is another new venue for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Abingdon bun throwing in the news

It was nice to hear that bun throwing was featured in the Abingdon Herald and Oxford Mail this week with a look at the town's bizarre and ancient tradition.

It was fun that a photo of me throwing a bun at the Royal Bun Throwing Championships in 2012 was included in the piece too! You can see the article on the Abingdon Herald and Oxford Mail websites.

Throwing a currant bun at the World Bun Throwing Championships at Abingdon Vale Cricket Club

The last bun throwing held in Abingdon-on-Thames was in November 2018 to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War.

That bun throwing was the 35th event to take place since 1761.

Christmas Crazy Golf

It's only six months until Christmas Day!

Playing Christmas Crazy Golf at Teezers Retro Golf in Coventry at Easter 2019

A former Blockbuster Video store in Luton

A look at the former Blockbuster store in Luton.

I spotted the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

My old local Blockbuster was on Park Street in Luton, Bedfordshire. Living very close by for many years I walked past the store on a daily basis, and probably popped in every other day while at uni.

We were recently back in Luton and had to take a look. The shop is still somewhat recognisable from its time as a video shop (if you know what you're looking for), with Blockbuster blue paintwork and the space where the QuikDrop box once was still framed.

The former Blockbuster store is now the Welcome Supermarket 

A windowed space sits where the QuikDrop box used to be

Check out my blog posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

A new crazy golf course is opening in Belfast

There are plans for a new entertainment centre in Belfast city centre.

Part of the former Debenhams store in Belfast is planned to become an entertainment centre with a crazy golf course, laser tag, escape rooms, VR experiences and more.

The new indoor minigolf course at CastleCourt in Belfast will be another new course and venue for us to visit on a return trip to Northern Ireland on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The last few years has seen a number of former retail units becoming entertainment venues with a fair few minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf layouts setting up shop in the locations.

With the demise of Debenhams as a high street presence there is a lot of empty real estate open to the opportunity that retailtainment offers.

Adventure Golf at the Pleasure Beach Gardens in Great Yarmouth

A look at the Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach Gardens in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

My brother, and founding member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, Christopher was in Great Yarmouth recently and sent me some snaps from the Pleasure Beach Gardens.

We first played the 12-hole Adventure Golf layout at the Pleasure Beach Gardens in June 2007 and last played it in August 2011. Where has that time gone!

Back in June 2007 Emily and I played the 25th course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Jungle Golf at the Gardens in Great Yarmouth. At the start of the 2008 Summer Season the 11-hole course was changed from a Safari Golf to a Segway Grand Prix!

It'll be brilliant when we can return to Great Yarmouth to see what's new and what's changed in the seaside resort.

We've got a nice old postcard in our collecation showing the Crazy Golf course when it was known as Nelson Gardens back in 1980.

Visit the Pleasure Beach Gardens website for more information on the Crazy Jungle Golf course there.

Crazy Golf at Branston Golf and Country Club near Burton

A new crazy golf course is opening at Branston Golf and Country Club near Burton on Trent, Staffordshire.

The 18-hole crazy golf layout will have a woodland theme.

Visit the Branston Golf and Country Club website for more information.

It'll be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Golf at Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth

My brother, and charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, Christopher was recently in Great Yarmouth and sent me this snap of the sign at Merrivale Model Village as it includes Crazy Golf.

We played the course in August 2011. Time certainly flies!

The Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk is well worth a visit.

We're looking forward to our next trip to the seaside town.