Lost Shops - Grainger Games in Bradford

Spotting an old Grainger Games shop in Bradford.

Grainger Games at the Kirkgate Shopping Centre in Bradford

We saw this empty(ish) Grainger Games shop at the Kirkgate Shopping Centre in Bradford at the weekend.

A sign from the old days

I wonder what the last Pre-Order games were?

Some nice, clear and bright signage

The shelves are bare - but still branded

Note the Covid-19 social distancing signs outside the shop

We've also seen former Grainger Games stores in Stretford, Salford, Hyde and Ashton-Under-Lyne. Interestingly some of them still had a few bits of stock inside!

The company was founded in 1996 and ceased operations on the 28th March 2018.

As a brand with shops in the North of England and Scotland I only became a regular shopper at Grainger Games when I moved to Stockport in 2016. I picked up some nice old games for my SEGA Master System there.

Looney Golf in Bradford

Playing two new courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We're now up to 982 courses visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006!

The latest two crazy golf courses we played were at Looney Golf in Bradford.

Looney Golf in Bradford

You can find Looney Golf on North Parade in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The indoor venue was created in a former retail unit in the city centre.

There are two 8-hole minigolf courses at Looney Golf - the Neon Jungle and the Dump Yard - plus a bonus hole.

Check out the Looney Golf website for more information.

A minigolf scorecard from Glo Golf Peterborough

A look at a minigolf scorecard from Glo Golf Peterborough.

From the Crazy Golf Museum vaults - a minigolf scorecard from our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Glo Golf in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire earlier this year.

A minigolf scorecard from Glo Golf Peterborough

A minigolf scorecard from Glo Golf Peterborough

A minigolf scorecard from Glo Golf Peterborough

Check out the Glo Golf Peterborough website for more information.

A scorecard from Paradise Adventure Golf at Täby Centrum in Sweden

Something from the Crazy Golf Museum and Crazy World of Minigolf Tour archives.

We visited Sweden in February 2018 and during our trip we managed to visit nine miniature golf courses in 42 hours. Two of those layouts were at the Paradise Adventure Golf venue at Täby Centrum shopping centre.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf at Täby Centrum

Here's a look at a scorecard from the course.

A scorecard from Paradise Adventure Golf at Täby Centrum in Sweden

A scorecard from Paradise Adventure Golf at Täby Centrum in Sweden

A scorecard from Paradise Adventure Golf at Täby Centrum in Sweden

Check out the Paradise Adventure Golf website for more information.

Only Food & Sauces in Norwich

Spotting another Only Fools... business name.

We saw Only Food & Sauces in Norwich on our trip to the city last month.

Only Food & Sauces in Norwich

It's the latest Only Fools & Horses business name / sign we've seen on our travels.

A scorecard from Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Leeds

One from the Crazy Golf Museum and Crazy World of Minigolf Tour archives.

Here's a scorecard from the now closed Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf location in Leeds.

A scorecard from Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Leeds

We visited the two 18-hole indoor adventure golf courses in June 2018.

Our fellow minigolf adventurer Matt Dodd recently visited Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Putney, London.

There are also Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf courses in London, Bristol, Glasgow and Brighton.

There are plans for a new Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf course to open in Liverpool too.

Visit the Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf website for more information.

From Blockbuster Video to Pizza Hut to Pizza Hot

A Pizza Hot in a former Pizza Hut in a former Blockbuster Video store.

We had a look at the site of the former Blockbuster Video store in Newark-on-Trent on our trip to the town last month. There was no trace of its life as a video store.

It was interesting to note that the shop is now a pizza place called Pizza Hot. Between the time it closed as a Blockbuster and now it had also once been a Pizza Hut!

Pizza Hot in a former Pizza Hut in a former Blockbuster Video in Newark-on-Trent. You can see the Pizza Hut logo in 'ghost sign' form on the hanging sign

We wonder if this Pizza Hot is any relation to the Pizza Hot in Grantham, Lincolnshire?

Blockbuster Video

Luckily we did find a nice trace of the brand at the former Blockbuster Video in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire on the same trip.

The first Blockbuster Video store opened in Dallas, Texas, USA in 1985.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 stores around the world. 500+ of which were in the UK.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that 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.

There is now just one Blockbuster Video store left open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

However, the UK's high streets, shopping precincts, malls and retail parks still hold traces of the brand. And we've been to most of them!

We've now been to 27 former Blockbuster Video stores since we found the remains of the Fallowfield shop near to us in Manchester.

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

The Miniature Book of Miniature Golf by Mike Vago

Now in the Crazy Golf Museum - The Miniature Book of Miniature Golf by Mike Vago.

The Miniature Book of Miniature Golf by Mike Vago

Many thanks to my brother Christopher for the gift.

Pit-Pat Crazy Snooker Scorecard and a minigolf sign from Littlehampton

A couple of items from the Crazy Golf Museum's collection.

Here's a scorecard from the Pit-Pat Crazy Snooker course Littlehampton, West Sussex.

Pit-Pat Crazy Snooker Scorecard from Littlehampton

We played the course in 2014, two years after first visiting it. It was superb fun.

Unfortunately the course at Western Putting on Banjo Road in Littlehampton is long gone, along with the Crazy Golf and Putting layouts that were there too.

Mini Golf and Putting Leaderboard from Littlehampton

Many thanks to Anthony Pope for donating the items to the Crazy Golf Museum.

Blockbuster Video in Wisbech

We found another old Blockbuster Video store on our travels last month.

A QuikDrop Box at the former Blockbuster Video store in Wisbech

Luckily the former Blockbuster Video shop on Norfolk Street in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire still had a visible QuikDrop box in the entrance doorway.

At another former Blockbuster Video store!

A QuikDrop Box at the former Blockbuster Video store in Wisbech

The shop is now Lumira Snack Bar. But between the time of it being a video shop and today it was also The Entertainment Centre. A sign for that business is still on show on the rear of the unit on West Street.

Lumira Snack Bar in Wisbech - a former Blockbuster Video store

Sign for The Entertainment Centre in Wisbech - itself a lost shop and a former Blockbuster Video store

Blockbuster Video

The first Blockbuster Video store opened in Dallas, Texas, USA in 1985.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 stores around the world. 500+ of which were in the UK.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that 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.

There is now just one Blockbuster Video store left open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

However, the UK's high streets, shopping precincts, malls and retail parks still hold traces of the brand. And we've been to most of them!

We've now been to 27 former Blockbuster Video stores since we found the remains of the Fallowfield shop near to us in Manchester.

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Lost brands

I've spent a lot of the last two years reminiscing about 'the good old days' before the coronavirus pandemic hit the planet. One of my areas of interest is in old retail brands - I'm a marketer by profession and two of my first jobs in the 1990's and the year 2000 were at Tandy and Toys R Us. It's been fascinating to find remnants of a number of lost, dead and defunct brands on the high street and at retail parks.

You can now buy my new eBook 'Lost Toys R Us Stores'.

A minigolf scorecard from Texas

A look at a minigolf scorecard from Texas.

From the Crazy Golf Museum vaults - a minigolf scorecard from Christopher Gottfried's Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA.

A scorecard from Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA

A scorecard from Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA

A scorecard from Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA

SpongeBob SquarePants at Apperley Bridge Hand Car Wash

Spotting SpongeBob SquarePants in Apperley Bridge, Bradford.

On a recent drive from Leeds to Bradford we passed through Apperley Bridge and spotted a familiar character on a sign.

It doesn't look much like a pineapple under the sea

Plonk Golf at Borough Market in London

A new Plonk Golf minigolf course is opening at Borough Market in London.

The team at Plonk Golf are opening a new 9-hole indoor crazy golf course at Borough Market in Southwark, London.

You can also find Plonk Golf courses at London Fields, the Horniman Museum and Camden Market.

Check out the Plonk Golf website for more information.

We've visited a number of Plonk Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since the first of the brand's layouts was created in Dalston back in 2015.

Plonk Golf in Shoreditch in 2019

Jump Heaven Adventure Golf in Hazel Grove, Stockport.

A new adventure golf course is being built at Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove, Stockport.

The new Jump Heaven Adventure Golf course at Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove, Stockport is opening in March 2022.

Opening in March 2022

We swung by for a quick look while out on a Sunday drive.

Visit the Jump Heaven website for more information.

It'll be a very local course for us and our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A Filwood Fantastic Crazy Golf scorecard

A look at a scorecard from the Filwood Fantastic Crazy Golf course in Knowle West, Bristol.

From the Crazy Golf Museum vaults - a scorecard from the Filwood Fantastic Crazy Golf course in Knowle West, Bristol, England.

A Filwood Fantastic Crazy Golf scorecard

A Filwood Fantastic Crazy Golf scorecard

The real life mini golf course was created during the pandemic and the ideas for the hole designs were generated by members of the Knowle West community during Lockdown 1.

The Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club's 9-hole Crazy Golf course was the 966th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Check out the Filwood Community Centre website for more information.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

A look at the Arnold Palmer Minigolf Course at the Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Norfolk.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

A big thanks to our friend, team-mate and minigolf rival Peter Jones for sending over these photos of the Arnold Palmer Minigolf Course at the Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Norfolk.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

It's one of the few remaining Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in the UK.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

While the course has had some new obstacles added and fresh felt it is still easily recognisable as an Arnold Palmer Putting Course and appears to be in excellent condition.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

The final hole on the Arnold Palmer Minigolf course at Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park has a Punch & Judy obstacle

Arnold Palmer Putting Courses

The Arnold Palmer branded miniature golf courses were part of the Arnold Palmer Enterprises empire set-up in 1961 that saw the legendary golfer's name licensed and franchised to a wide-range of activities and products including Dry Cleaning centres and an Arnold Palmer brand foot detergent.

The first Arnold Palmer Putting Course in the UK opened in Coventry in 1965 and was part of an Arnold Palmer Driving Range. A course was also located at a Driving Range in Sheffield.

Only around 16 of the 46 Arnold Palmer Putting Course locations still exist today.

Playing minigolf at Haven holiday parks

Our friends Sophia and Karl Moles played the course while on holiday Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth back in 2012.

They've also played crazy golf at a few other Haven holiday parks over the year.

Hopefully we'll get to have a game on the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Visit the Haven website for more information.