Toys R Us at the Trafford Centre

A Toys R Us is opening at the Trafford Centre.

I spotted this sign for a new Toys R Us opening inside the WH Smith at the Trafford Centre in Manchester on a recent trip to the shopping centre. 

While the last of the original Toys R Us stores in the UK closed on the 24th April 2018 the brand returned to the UK in 2022 with an online presence, and further expanded in 2023 with the opening of nine concessions inside WH Smith.

There are plans to create 30 Toys R Us concessions in WH Smith shops during 2024.

Working at Toys R Us

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

Toys R Us concessions in the USA

Emily saw a Toys R Us at a Macy's department store in Fort Worth, Texas and a sign for one at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on a trip to the USA earlier this year.

The old Toys R Us

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Lost Toys R Us Stores

My book about Lost Toys R Us Stores is available to buy from Amazon.

There were once 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. The business ceased trading in 2018 and all of the shops closed.

It is still possible to find traces of the brand on some retail parks and shopping centres around the UK.

The book takes a look at some of those old stores between 2019 and 2021.

Buy Lost Toys R Us Stores on Amazon.

Prison Putt in Parrs Wood, Manchester

Parrs Wood Prison Putt is opening in July.

A new indoor minigolf course is opening in Parrs Wood, Manchester on Saturday 6th July.

The 10-hole crazy golf course is opening at the Tenpin centre at Parrs Wood.

Find out more on the Parrs Wood Prison Putt website.

Parrs Wood is just over the border from us so the course will be the new closest indoor minigolf to us. We'll have to check it out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A Crazy Golf course in Lincoln

A look at a Crazy Golf course in Lincoln.

We recently met some friends in Lincoln and booked in to do some Axe Throwing for the first time. The venue was also home to what was at the time called Urban Putters indoor crazy golf.

An axe throwing-themed crazy golf hole

The Crazy Golf course in Lincoln was the 1,056th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The venue was home to an escape room (Escape Lincoln), axe throwing (Axed) and crazy golf (Urban Putters)

The venue was home to axe throwing, crazy golf and an escape room

Check out the course website for more information.

New Mini Golf at Bristol Downs

There are plans for a new Mini Golf course at Bristol Downs.

It'd be another new course for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

GH Golf in Lincoln

A look at GH Golf in Lincoln.

GH Golf in Lincoln

While on a recent trip to Lincoln we spotted GH Golf in the city centre.

GH Golf in Lincoln

GH Golf isn't the venue's full name - to write it here on the blog would result in this post being put behind a warning for readers. It's an adults-only crazy golf course to give you some indication!

GH Golf in Lincoln

There are other GH venues in Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.

GH Golf in Lincoln

The course was the 1,057th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Jungle Rocks Adventure Golf at Adventure Point in Swindon

There's a 9-hole Crazy Golf course at Adventure Point in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Jungle Rocks Adventure Golf is indoor course at Adventure Point in Swindon.

Visit the Adventure Point website for more information.

It's another course for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Sneaky Links Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

A look at the Sneaky Links Crazy Golf course in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Sneaky Links Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Emily recently had a sneaky swing by the Sneaky Links Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds on a flying visit to the town earlier this month.

Sneaky Links Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Sneaky Links Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Sneaky Links Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Sneaky Links Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Visit the Sneaky Links Crazy Golf website for more information.

The Rules of Sneaky Links Crazy Golf

Sneaky Links Crazy Golf was the 1,055th course visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and the 1,000th in the British Isles.

Pirates Cove Mini Golf in Barrow, Bury St Edmunds

We recently found out there's a Pirates Cove Mini Golf in Barrow, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The outdoor adventure golf course opened in 2023.

Check out the Pirates Cove Mini Golf website for more information.

It's another course for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on a return visit to Suffolk.

Abbey Gardens Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Finding a Crazy Golf course at the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Abbey Gardens Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Emily spotted this Crazy Golf course at the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds on a trip to the town earlier this month.

Abbey Gardens Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Abbey Gardens Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

Abbey Gardens Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

The Abbey Gardens Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds is open from April to October. Find out more on the Abbey Gardens website.

Abbey Gardens Crazy Golf in Bury St Edmunds

It's the second time we've visited a course in the gardens, the first was another pop-up back in 2008. That was the 71st on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 1,057 courses!

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo

New mini golf heading to Trafford Palazzo in Manchester.

A new indoor mini golf course is opening at the King Pins tenpin bowling centre at the Trafford Palazzo in Manchester.

The King Pins Mini Golf course opens at the Trafford Palazzo on Saturday 13th July.

Find out more on the King Pins website.

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

There's a King Pins Mini Golf course at the new King Pins centre at the Arndale in Manchester city centre too. We've not made it over there yet. The Arndale Centre location opened in May.