Wednesday, September 08, 2021

New Adventure Golf course at Clayton Caravan Park in Fife

A new Adventure Golf course is being created at Clayton Caravan Park in Fife, Scotland.


A new Adventure Golf course is being created at Clayton Caravan Park in Fife, Scotland

A new 18-hole Adventure Golf course is being built at Clayton Caravan Park in Fife, Scotland.

The course will is being themed on the Old Course at St Andrews and will open in 2022.

Visit the Clayton Caravan Park website for more information.

Tuesday, September 07, 2021

The Codfather in Sudbury

The latest Godfather-inspired business name and sign we've seen was in Sudbury, Suffolk.


The Codfather in Sudbury

Friday, September 03, 2021

Yarmouth Stores in Lowestoft

We saw this nice old shop doorway tile mosaic advertising Yarmouth Stores while in Lowestoft last month.


Mosaic tile shop doorway sign at Yarmouth Stores in Lowestoft

The company was incorporated in 1898 and is still trading today. Check out the Yarmo website for more information.

Yarmouth Stores in Lowestoft

Thursday, September 02, 2021

Toys R Us in Ipswich, Suffolk

A look at the old Toys R Us store in Ipswich, Suffolk.


Toys R Us closed it's UK stores in April 2018. However, there are still visible remnants of the old brand around the UK.

A sign at the old Toys R Us store in Ipswich
A sign at the old Toys R Us store at the Interchange Retail Park in Ipswich

Toys R Us travels

We've visited a number of former Toys R Us sites over the last couple of years, the latest being in Norwich and Ipswich.

Toys R Us in Ipswich, Suffolk
As close as you can get to the Ipswich store

Working at Toys R Us

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Toys R Us in Norwich, Norfolk

A look at the closed Toys R Us store in Norwich, Norfolk.


Toys R Us in Norwich
Toys R Us in Norwich

Toys R Us closed it's UK stores in April 2018. However, there are still visible remnants of the old brand around the UK.

Toys R Us in Norwich
Closed

Toys R Us travels

We've visited a number of former Toys R Us sites over the last couple of years, the latest being in Norwich and Ipswich

Toys R Us in Norwich
At another former store location

Working at Toys R Us

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was at the Luton store. I was one of Geoffrey's helpers on the video game and electronics section.

Toys R Us in Norwich
Toys R Us in Norwich

Toys R Us at the Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich (August 2021)






Toys R Us in Norwich
The sign on the side of the former store in Norwich

The old Happy Shopper shop in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk

Finding an old Happy Shopper shop in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk.


During the pandemic we've been feeling very nostalgic. One of the brands we thought about was Happy Shopper - the name alone conjures up images of the 1980's and the classic logo is a wonderful sight.

We didn't think there would be many - or any - of the original orange and yellow branded shops still around, but we were happy to find out we were wrong when we saw one in Preston (while en route to check out an abandoned Toys R Us store) last September.

Since then we've been lucky enough to spot and snap a few others on our limited travels outside of lockdown.

This one in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk is a definite favourite. We were lucky enough to visit it during our East Anglian minigolf road-trip last month.

The Ashwellthorpe Stores Happy Shopper shop in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk
A happy shopper at the, sadly now closed, Ashwellthorpe Stores in Norfolk



Play glow in the dark golf at the MiniLinks this Halloween

The MiniLinks golf centre in Lytham St Annes is lighting up its three courses for night golf this Halloween.


The MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes is lighting up its three courses for night golf this Halloween

The MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes is home to three miniature golf courses and will be lighting them up for night golf play this Halloween.

From 5pm to midnight on Halloween night, Sunday 31st October, you'll be able to have a round on the 18-hole Par-3 Championship course, the 9-hole Crazy Golf layout and the 18-hole Pennines Putting grass mini-golf course.

Check out the MiniLinks website for more information.


We've played the three courses at the MiniLinks a number of times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and they are a nice mix of layouts. The 18-hole Par-3 is a very nice 'big' golf course and the Pennines Putting is a great grass course.

Crazy Golf at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes
Crazy Golf at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes

Par-3 Golf at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes
Par-3 Golf at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes

Pennines Putting at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes
Pennines Putting at the MiniLinks in Lytham St Annes

It's brilliant to hear about Halloween-themed minigolf events and I look forward to seeing what the MiniLinks courses look and play like by night.

Wednesday, September 01, 2021

Glo Golf in Peterborough

A look at the Glo Golf Peterborough indoor UV minigolf course in Peterborough city centre.


Glo Golf in Peterborough

 

It was the 969th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

 

Check out the Glo Golf Peterborough website for more information.

Monday, August 30, 2021

Crazy Golf at Canterbury Leisure

There's a crazy golf, tenpin bowling and laser tag centre in Canterbury, Kent.


There's a crazy golf, tenpin bowling and laser tag centre in Canterbury, Kent

The crazy golf, tenpin bowling and laser tag centre on Wincheap Industrial Estate in Canterbury, Kent has re-opened as Canterbury Leisure. The venue was formerly known as Play Islands.

It's a course we hadn't played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour before the pandemic, but one that is now on our to visit list.

Visit the Canterbury Leisure website for more information on Crazy Golf Canterbury.

Sunday, August 29, 2021

One of the last buses out of dodge

Stockport bus station closes at the end of today, Sunday 29th August 2021.


Work will then begin on a new bus station as well as other developments in this area.

We saw this old orange Manchester bus on its Stockport Bus Station Special Farewell Tour in the town centre yesterday.

An old orange Manchester SELNEC bus on a Farewell to Stockport Bus Station Tour
An old orange Manchester SELNEC bus on a Farewell to Stockport Bus Station Tour

Videos of the area before the closure

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Eaton Park Crazy Golf course in Norwich

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Eaton Park in Norwich, Norfolk.


My brother Christopher took a stroll round Eaton Park in Norwich and sent me this snap of the Crazy Golf course there.

Eaton Park Crazy Golf course in Norwich. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, 25th August 2021

We played the layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in May 2017 when the 18-hole course became the 432nd played and 734th visited overall. We had a superb time playing the course and the park is a marvellous setting for a game.

Check out the Eaton Park Crazy Golf course website for more information.


Halloween Putt Putt at Victoria Park in Herston, Queensland

There will be Halloween Putt Putt at Victoria Park Golf Complex in Brisbane, Australia in September and October.


There will be Halloween Putt Putt at Victoria Park Golf Complex in Brisbane, Australia in September and October

The miniature golf course at Victoria Park Herston, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia has a Halloween Putt Putt event running from the 17th September to the 31st October.

For more information visit the Victoria Park Golf Complex website.


Halloween minigolf

We're big fans of Halloween and haunted minigolf courses so it was excellent to hear about this event. We've played a few Halloween and haunted-themed courses and holes on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Hopefully we'll see some in the UK again.

It'll be interesting to see what other decorated and themed miniature golf courses we find out about in the run up to Halloween this year...

Zingers Adventure Golf in Portsmouth

A new indoor adventure golf course is opening in Portsmouth, Hampshire.


Zingers Adventure Golf is opening at The Bridge Shopping Centre in Portsmouth in August 2021

Many thanks to our friend Dave Ronchetti for letting us know about Zingers Adventure Golf in Portsmouth. The new 9-hole UV glow-in-the-dark indoor minigolf course is opening at The Bridge Shopping Centre in Fratton, Portsmouth on the 28th August.

Check out the Zingers Adventure Golf website for more information.


Shopping centre minigolf

Zingers Adventure Golf is the latest miniature golf course to open in a shopping centre. Overall the game is booming and lots of former retail space is now being used as entertainment space, with minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf a popular choice.

Minigolfing in Portsmouth and Southsea

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began down in Southsea back in 2006 when we played the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course on the seafront. Dave still lives locally and has tipped us off about a few other courses he's seen and heard about over the years.

We're looking forward to our next trip down to Portsmouth and Southsea.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

An East Anglian Minigolf Road-Trip

Visiting and playing some minigolf in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.


We've just returned from a trip to East Anglia to visit family and friends in the area. It's the first time we've been there since 2019 and there were a few new minigolf courses to swing by on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We also managed to revisit some of our favourite layouts on the trip.

Minigolf courses visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to East Anglia

Before the holiday Emily and I had visited a combined total of 967 courses since September 2006. My little brother Christopher is a founding member of the tour and with the courses he has been to we were at 998 courses. With his wife Nina joining the adventures the tally stood at 999 courses before the trip!

In total we managed to visit thirteen courses, with six of them being new to our tour. Some of the courses we had played at before had undergone some changes, with new names and the addition of new holes to extend the layouts.

We also hit the 1,000th course visit milestone on the trip. Twice. The first was at Glo Golf in Peterborough, the second was at Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich.

Here's a look at the lucky thirteen courses and the stats from our trip.

Pitch & Putt at Orton Meadows Golf Course in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire


Pitch & Putt at Orton Meadows Golf Course in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

  • Course visit 968 by Richard & Emily Gottfried.
  • Number 929 in the British Isles.
  • The 998th visited on the three founding members Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.
  • The 999th visited on our combined travels.

Glo Golf in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire


Glo Golf in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire


Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich, Norfolk


Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich, Norfolk

  • Course visit 970 by Richard & Emily.
  • Number 931 in the British Isles.
  • The 552nd played.
  • The 1000th visited on the founders tour.
  • The 1001st visited on the combined tour.

Pirates Island Adventure Golf at Norfolk Premier Golf in Blofield, Norfolk


Pirates Island Adventure Golf at Norfolk Premier Golf in Blofield, Norfolk


Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk


Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk


Stonehenge Mini Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk


Stonehenge Mini Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk


Thatched Roof Putting / Kirkley Cliff Putting Green in Lowestoft, Suffolk


Thatched Roof Putting / Kirkley Cliff Putting Green in Lowestoft, Suffolk

  • A revisit to the 264th course played.
  • The easternmost Putting course in the British Isles.

Family Adventure Golf at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft, Suffolk


Family Adventure Golf at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft, Suffolk


Magical Golf at Mannings in Felixstowe, Suffolk


Magical Golf at Mannings in Felixstowe, Suffolk

  • A revisit to the 5th course played.

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk


Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk

  • A revisit to the 7th course played.

Skull Point Adventure Golf in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex


Skull Point Adventure Golf in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

  • Course visit numbers 972 / 1002 / 1003.

Greensward Adventure Golf in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex


Greensward Adventure Golf in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

  • Course visit numbers 973 / 1003 / 1004.

Pavilion Adventure Golf at the Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex


Pavilion Adventure Golf at the Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

  • A revisit to the 94th course played.
  • It was an 11-hole course, now a 14-hole Adventure Golf course with a different theme.

Check out our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour page to see details of all the courses we've been to since September 2006.

Plans for a new adventure golf course in Folkestone

Folkestone in Kent could be home to a new Roman-themed minigolf course.


Folkestone in Kent could be home to a new Roman-themed minigolf course

A new Roman-themed attraction has been proposed for the East Cliff area of Folkestone, Kent and part of the venue could include an adventure golf course.

The Folkestone Parks and Pleasure Ground Charity is the organisation behind the proposal.

Should the course get the go ahead it'll be another place to revisit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We have played minigolf in Folkestone before, way back in 2010. There's also a very good art installation on the seafront where the old Arnold Palmer Putting Course from the Rotunda theme park has been incorporated into a series of beach huts!

New haunted mini-golf course opening in October

A new haunted house mini-golf course is opening in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada this October.


A new haunted house mini-golf course is opening in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada this October

The haunted indoor mini-golf course is opening at a haunted Victorian manor house in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in time for Halloween.

Check out the Haunted Manor Mini-Golf and Ping Pong Lounge website for more information.


Halloween minigolf

We're big fans of haunted and scary minigolf courses so it was brilliant to hear about this new course. We've played a few Halloween and haunted-themed courses and holes on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, but not nearly enough!

It'll be interesting to see what other scarily decorated and themed minigolf courses we hear about in the run up to Halloween this year...

Minigolf in Manchester city centre

A look at miniature golf courses in Manchester.


Minigolf in Manchester city centre

There are a number of options for minigolfing in Greater Manchester, with a variety of courses to play, ranging from traditional crazy golf to indoor minigolf to new adventure golf layouts. The city centre itself has seen an increase in courses over the last few years and there are more to open in the coming months too!

Here's a look at the minigolf courses in Manchester city centre.

Junkyard Golf, First Street

Home to three 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses.

Junkyard Golf



Treetop Adventure Golf, The Printworks

A venue with two 18-hole indoor adventure golf courses.

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks


Roxy Ball Room, Deansgate

Home to an 18-hole indoor mini golf course.

Roxy Ball Room on Deansgate


Roxy Ball Room, Withy Grove

Home to a crazy pool layout (a cross between pool and crazy golf - played with cues, golf balls and obstacles on tables).


Putters Mini-Golf at the Urban Playground, Arndale centre

A new indoor mini-golf course opening in 2021.


Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar, The Printworks

A new indoor crazy golf course opening in the future.


Minigolfing in Manchester

We've been travelling to play minigolf in Manchester since 2009 when I won the Mini Masters and Mini Open at the Trafford Golf Centre. I also won the Chrizy Golf Masters at Piccadilly Place in 2012. We moved to Stockport in 2016 and have continued to compete in events. Emily won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open in 2019, while I won the tournament in 2018. I also won the DinoFalls Masters at the Trafford Golf Centre in 2018.

Potion Putt - A Wizardry Mini Golf Course in Denver, CO, USA

A new magic-themed pop-up minigolf course is opening in Denver, Colorado, USA.


A new magic-themed pop-up minigolf course is opening in Denver, Colorado, USA

Potion Putt is opening in the city at an as yet to be announced secret location in February 2022.

The 9-hole magical golf course is being created by Explore Hidden. You can find out more about Potion Putt - A Wizardry Mini Golf Course on the Explore Hidden website.

Magical minigolf

Magic-themed miniature golf courses are becoming more popular and we've seen a few on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It'd be nice to return to Denver in the future. I had a great time in the city back in 2009. On that occasion I got to play some minigolf at the Boondocks Fun Center in Northglenn, Colorado.

New Boom: Battle Bars opening soon

There are plans for lots of new Boom: Battle Bar indoor entertainment venues to open in the coming months.


Boom: Battle Bar

As well as the existing locations in Norwich, Cardiff, Lakeside, Eastbourne and Liverpool there are plans for new Boom: Battle Bars to open in:
  • Aldgate East, London
  • Bath
  • Blackpool
  • Bournemouth
  • Chelmsford
  • Coventry
  • Ealing, London
  • Edinburgh
  • Exeter
  • Glasgow
  • Hull
  • Ipswich
  • Leeds
  • Manchester
  • Oxford
  • Oxford Street, London
  • Reading
  • Sheffield
  • Southampton
  • Swindon
  • The O2, London
  • Wandsworth, London
  • Watford

Boom: Battle Bars are home to crazy golf courses, shuffleboard, darts, axe throwing and more.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.


We played the 'Crazier Golf' course at the original Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich while on our recent Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to East Anglia.

Playing hole 1 of the Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich
Playing hole 1 of the Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich

Monday, August 23, 2021

Galaxy Golf at Apex Kart in Chester

There's a new indoor mini golf course at Apex Kart in Chester.


There's a new indoor mini golf course at Apex Kart in Chester

The Apex Kart centre in Chester, Cheshire is now home to a new indoor, space-themed mini golf course.

Check out the Galaxy Golf information on the Apex Kart website.


Galaxy Golf at Apex Kart is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. It's not a million miles away for us to get to either.