Keep following the brown signs

A blog post about brown tourist signs.

I was pleased to hear that my fellow blogger, 'dull' person and fan of the quirky Amanda from Follow The Brown Signs was back in action after a hiatus.

We've always been interested in straying off the beaten path and even before we found out about Follow The Brown Signs we would look for and find different things to see and do while out and about on our travels.

Finding out about Amanda's mission and website in 2011 gave us even more ideas as well as another outlet for us to share tips and stuff from our own quest.

Just last week I spotted a brown sign, followed it and found a Pumpkin Garden!

Check out the Follow The Brown Signs website for more information and inspiration.

Here's a selection of brown tourist signs from our adventures.

Pavilion Adventure Golf in Clacton-on-Sea

A revisit to the Pavilion Adventure Golf course in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

We took a look at the Pavilion Adventure Golf in Clacton-on-Sea during our visit to the town on our East Anglian Road-Trip.

We first played the course in May 2009 when it was a 10-hole layout. It was the 94th course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 973 courses since September 2006.

These holes haven't changed much since we first visited

On a return trip in June 2015 another hole had been added to make it 11-holes.

One of the original holes

On our visit in August the name of the course had changed from Augusta Adventure Golf to Pavilion Adventure Golf and it was a 14-hole course.

This is part of the new additions

Visit the Clacton Pavilion website for more information.

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Thatched Roof Putting at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft

A revisit to the Putting Green at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

We swung by the Putting Green at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft, Suffolk during our East Anglian Road-Trip in August.

We first visited the Kirkley Cliff Putting Green on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in February and June 2009. We played it when we returned in August 2011. It was the 264th course played on our travels.

The course is now known at the Thatched Roof Putting and the layout still looks to be in excellent condition.

As with many things in Lowestoft, the grass miniature golf course at Kirkley Cliff is the most easterly thing of its type in the British Isles.

Visit The Thatch Restaurant website for more information.

Blockbuster Video Express in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

A look at the ghost signs on the former Blockbuster Video Express store in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

We found some brilliant ghost signs and a QuikDrop box at the former Blockbuster Video Express store in Clacton-on-Sea during our trip to the seaside town in August.

We had a good idea that the QuikDrop video return box would still be visible on the front of what is now a Tendring Community Clothing charity shop. Partly from our research in advance, and partly because the day before the charity's spokesperson had been interviewed on BBC Look East news outside of the shop and you could clearly see the QuikDrop box there!

What we hadn't expected was that the side and front of the shop would still have ghost signs on them! It's wonderful to see these pieces of retail history on display.

The inside of the charity shop itself has had very few changes made to it since it was a Blockbuster, with the colour scheme, walls and till desk all looking very Blockbustery!

Blockbuster Video

Our interest in old Blockbuster Video stores was piqued when I found one close by in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019.

Since then we've found quite a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of the year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The remaining stores closed on the 16th December that year.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores around the world. There is now just one remaining store open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

Blockbuster Video stores we've visited

Check out the posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores we've been to in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• 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
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Halloween in the City returning to Manchester this month

Halloween in the City is returning to Manchester city centre.

Halloween in the City is taking place in Manchester on the 30th and 31st October with a number of large-scale monsters adorning buildings around the city centre as well as other themed activities.

Halloween in the City Manchester Monsters in 2019

Check out the Halloween in the City website for more information.

Adventure Golf at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea

A visit to the Adventure Golf course at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea.

We swung by the Adventure Golf course at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea during our East Anglian Road-Trip.

The course opened in May 2016 and replaced the Carpeted Miniature Golf course that had been on the same spot for many many years. We played that layout in May 2009 when it became the 93rd we visited on our travels and revisited in May 2011 and June 2015.

The Adventure Golf course at the Greensward Cafe in Clacton-on-Sea became the 973rd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We're looking forward to a return visit to Clacton and a game there in the future.

Check out the Greensward Cafe and Adventure Golf website for more information.

Rules and regulations at the course

Bagatelle at the Hyndburn Heritage Museum in Accrington

Spotting a Bagatelle display at the Hyndburn Heritage Museum in the Accrington Arndale.

We spotted this Bagatelle table on display in the window of the Hyndburn Heritage Museum while walking through the Accrington Arndale.

It's a pretty rare game and not really played much anymore. Most tables are to be found in Chester.

Playing Bagatelle

We've played Bagatelle once before, at the Union Vaults pub in Chester back in 2016.

One of our favourite pub games is Bar Billiards and the rules of that game can appear complicated to a newcomer. Bagatelle is no different in that respect. However, while the cue, table and green baize ball games may also appear to be similar in appearance, looks can be deceiving. 

Visit the Hyndburn Heritage & Community Group website for more information.

Crazy Golf at Vickersway Park in Northwich

A revisit to the Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich, Cheshire.

We were in Northwich at the weekend and while there had to swing by the Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park.

The 9-hole layout was the 700th course overall we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in September 2016. We returned in January last year - it was one of the last courses we visited before the pandemic hit!

A Covid-19 sign at the Vickersway Park Crazy Golf course

We've now been to 973 courses on our minigolfing travels since September 2006. 934 of them have been in the British Isles.

Vickersway Park in Northwich is a very pleasant spot and lovely for a wander.

Vickersway Park is also home to nice grass Putting Course.

The Putting Green at Vickersway Park

Social Distancing signs at SEA LIFE Blackpool

A look at the social distancing signs at the SEA LIFE centre in Blackpool.

I spotted these nice social distancing signs outside the SEA LIFE centre on the promenade in Blackpool on my trip to the seaside town last month.

I've been documenting all of the Covid-19 signs I've seen during the pandemic on my Instagram account and here on the blog.

A sign of panic buying

Spotted at a pub in Northwich, Cheshire today.

A sign of the times