Monday, March 20, 2017

Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex

Looking back at our minigolf visit to Dovercourt.


Back in 2009 we visited the seaside town of Dovercourt in Essex where we played the Swedish Felt B-Run Minigolf course at Low Road.

Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex

Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex
Emily playing hole 6 in Dovercourt

The 6-hole course was the 92nd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now played 423 and visited a total of 723 since we began our travels in 2006.

Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex
A view of the 6-hole minigolf course

We played three rounds of the 6-hole course while in Dovercourt and the overall result was a 49 to 54 victory to me.





Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex
Hole 1

Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex
Hole 2

Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex
Hole 3

Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex
Hole 4

Crazy Golf in Dovercourt, Essex
Hole 5

Hole 6

Emily putting on hole 3

The Low Road venue is also home to a grass Putting course, Croquet and a Petanque piste. We didn't have time to play the other games on our visit.

Games at Coronation Gardens in Dovercourt
Lots of games to play

Putting Green at Coronation Gardens in Dovercourt
The Putting Green

Crazy Golf and Croquet in Dovercourt
Crazy Golf and Croquet

The Petanque terrain, Crazy Golf course and Croquet lawn at Coronation Gardens in Dovercourt
The Petanque terrain, Crazy Golf course and Croquet lawn

Our visit to Dovercourt was part of a roadtrip which saw us also visit minigolf courses at Stonham Barns, Felixstowe, Clacton on Sea, Blake End near Braintree and Hemel Hempstead.

Since our visit to Dovercourt eight years ago we've also seen there's an Adventure Golf course at Dovercourt Caravan Park. The Jungle Rock Golf course is open to both caravan owners and the general public. It's another course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we next get back to Essex.

Related blog posts:
- Dovercourt Crazy Golf
- Minigolf courses in Essex
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Videos:
- Playing Dovercourt Crazy Golf 1
- Playing Dovercourt Crazy Golf 2

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Abingdon to host first-ever World Championship Egg and Spoon Race

First-ever World Championship Egg and Spoon Race to take place in Abingdon.


My home town of Abingdon-on-Thames is famous for its curious tradition of Bun Throwing, but this year a new World Title will be contested in the town's Abbey Gardens over the Easter weekend - the World Championship Egg & Spoon Race!

A world championship winning egg in 2012

The Abbey Grounds in Abingdon, Oxfordshire
A view of the Abbey Grounds on a frosty December day in 2014

I'm quite tempted to enter the event as I have a bit of a pedigree in egg and odd athletics based sports. In 2012 Jas Kukielka and I won the World Alternative Games Egg Throwing Championship in Wales and I also took part in the first-ever Ripping Yarns Hopathon in London. The World Championship Egg & Spoon Race title - and trophy presumably - would be a great addition to my sporting CV.

World Egg Throwing Championships at the World Alternative Games 2012
En route to an egg-based world title victory in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

At the first-ever Ripping Yarns Hopathon in London
In a hopping race on Hampstead Heath

Abingdon's World Championship Egg & Spoon Race has been inspired by Paul Gustafson, the award winning local author of the children’s ‘Eggbert’s Adventure’ books.

Many thanks to my mate Adam Dewar for letting me know about the event which is taking place on Saturday 15th April. Further details are available on the Visit Abingdon website.

Link:
- Visit Abingdon website

Related blog posts:
- Abingdon
- Eggs

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Crazy Golf course in Southwold, Suffolk

Photos and details of the Crazy Golf course in Southwold.


My sister-in-law Jo and niece Kate were in the seaside town of Southwold today and spotted a Crazy Golf course there! It's a course we didn't know about and one we'll have to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we're back in Suffolk.

Crazy Golf course at the Southwold Boating Lake & Cafe on North Parade. Photo by Jo Tubby, 18 March 2017

Crazy Golf course at the Southwold Boating Lake & Cafe on North Parade. Photo by Jo Tubby, 18 March 2017

You can find the Crazy Golf course at Southwold Boating Lake & Cafe, North Parade, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6BN. I love the description of Crazy Golf as an 'ancient art' on the Tea Room's website.

Crazy Golf course at the Southwold Boating Lake & Cafe on North Parade. Photo by Jo Tubby, 18 March 2017

Back in 2009 Emily and I visited Southwold, but found out we were two days early to play the grass Putting Green near the pier.

Southwold Putting Green
The Putting Green - 200 yards from the Boating Lake. It wasn't open on our visit in 2009. But the man was prepping the grass ready for the season ahead

Jo has also found Crazy Golf courses on her travels, notably in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote and in Bury St Edmunds.

Related blog posts:
- Southwold
- Jo Tubby
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Links:
- Southwold Boating Lake & Cafe website
- Southwold Boating Lake & Cafe on Facebook
- Southwold Boating Lake & Cafe on Twitter

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Friday, March 17, 2017

Crazy Golf at Seawick Holiday Park in St Osyth

Details of the Crazy Golf course at Seawick Holiday Park in St Osyth, near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.


My cousins were recently at Seawick Holiday Park St Osyth near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex and sent me some snaps of them playing the Crazy Golf course. It certainly looks like a unique layout!

Crazy Golf course at Seawick Holiday Park in St Osyth, near Clacton, Essex. Photo by Adam Trigg, March 2017
A view of the Crazy Golf course at Seawick Holiday Park

Crazy Golf course at Seawick Holiday Park in St Osyth, near Clacton, Essex. Photo by Adam Trigg, March 2017
I've never played a course laid out on sand before!

Crazy Golf course at Seawick Holiday Park in St Osyth, near Clacton, Essex. Photo by Adam Trigg, March 2017
Adam tells me the sand was very we too. It can't have made for easy putting!

Visit the Seawick Holiday Park website for more details of the Park Holidays venue.

We've visited Clacton-on-Sea a few times on our travels, most recently in 2015, and always enjoy spending time in the seaside town.

Link:
- Seawick Holiday Park website

Related blog posts:
- Essex
- Clacton
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf in Essex

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Interesting benches at Vernon Park in Stockport

A visit to Stockport's Vernon Park.


Last weekend we were in the Offerton area of Stockport for the first time since moving to the Borough last summer and so headed along to have a wander around Vernon Park - the town's oldest public park. While there we spotted some park benches which may be of interest to the Park Bench Appreciation Society.

Park benches at Vernon Park in Stockport
The centrepiece of the Sunken Rose Garden in Vernon Park

The Sunken Rose Garden is home to a number of wooden benches, with a special bench at the far end of what was once the 'Top Pond' in the park, prior to its drainage in the 1930s.

Park benches at Vernon Park in Stockport
The path to the benches

Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
The special bench at the end

Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
Left bench

Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
Right bench
  
Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
The middle benches from outside the Sunken Rose Garden

Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
One side of the special bench

Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
The other side of the special bench

Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
Having a nice sit down

Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
Vernon Park Museum behind the bench

Park bench at Vernon Park in Stockport
One of the other park benches. Home to a lost jacket. Also note the two dogs having a bit of a set-to in the photo

Vernon Park was opened in 1858 and was known variously as Pinch Belly Park or the People’s Park.

Related blog posts:
Dull Men's Club
Park Bench Appreciation Society
- Stockport
- Park

Links:
- Park Bench Appreciation Society
Vernon Park, Stockport

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Free Jaffa Cake... if you buy a tyre

What a sales promotion!

While in Altrincham I spotted this great bit of advertising for The Tyre Warehouse.

Free Jaffa Cake with every tyre at The Tyre Warehouse in Altrincham
A free Jaffa Cake with every tyre at The Tyre Warehouse in Altrincham. Why yes, I'll take a dozen!

I wonder how many people take up the offer?

Related blog posts:
- Marketing
- Funny sign

Link:
- The Tyre Warehouse

Friday, March 10, 2017

Amaze Miniature Park and a model village of Abingdon

Abingdon in Miniature and a minigolf course.


My mum and dad read about a model village in Australia based on Abingdon in Wednesday's Oxford Mail. Amaze Miniature Park in Western Australia also has a minigolf course.

Among the town landmarks featured at Amaze Miniature Park are the County Hall Museum (from which buns are thrown on special occasions), St Nicholas Church and the Old Anchor Inn.

Abingdon's County Hall and Museum during the last Bun Throwing
Abingdon's County Hall and Museum during the last Bun Throwing

I grew up in Abingdon (renamed Abingdon-on-Thames in February 2012) and always revisit the town to take part in the Bun Throwing spectacle.

Check out the story about Amaze Miniature Park (formerly Abingdon Miniature Village) near Mandurah in Western Australia on the Oxford Mail website.

It's funny that Amaze Miniature Park has a minigolf course too as the Crazy Golf course in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows closed at the end of last season following many many years of use.

Richard Gottfried at Abingdon's Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course
A photo taken on my very last visit to the very first Crazy Golf course I ever played

Emily has played the Glow Golf indoor minigolf course in Melbourne, Australia. If we both visit the country in the future we'll have to visit Amaze Miniature Park.

Links:
- Amaze Miniature Park
- World of Bun Throwing

Related blog posts:
- Abingdon
- Australia
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Model Village
- Last visit to Abingdon's Crazy Golf course
- Photos of Abingdon's Crazy Golf course
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Saturday, March 04, 2017

Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland

Visiting the indoor UV blacklight minigolf course at Blue City in Warsaw.


Emily recently made the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour's 27th minigolf course visit overseas when she swung by Time Machine Minigolf at Blue City in Warsaw, Poland. It looks superb.

Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland
Time Travel Minigolf in Warsaw

The 18-hole minigolf course takes players through a fantastic time travelling adventure - from the big bang, to the jurassic era, through mankind's achievements and a vision of the future!

Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland
The loop-di-loop obstacle is also a time machine!

We have now visited 723 miniature golf courses since September 2006. 696 of those were in the UK, with 27 overseas.

Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland
You get to play through the Wild West at Time Travel Minigolf

Check out the Time Machine Minigolf website for more information, opening times and prices.

Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland
What a BIG minigolf ball!

We've visited a number of indoor minigolf courses on our travels and they're becoming more and more popular around the world.

Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland
Some of the dinosaur theming at the course

2017 could very well be the year of Time Travel as charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried visited the time travel themed GlowGolf minigolf course in Amsterdam in January.

The closest I've been to a minigolf time machine recently was hitting the Doomsday Device at Mr Mulligan's Lost World Adventure Golf in Stevenage last year. Although back in 2012 I did play a Time Machine hole at the Golf Apocalypse in London.

Links:
- Time Machine Minigolf website
- Time Machine Minigolf on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Indoor Minigolf

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

The first and last bench in Cheadle Hulme

A look at a bench, and a view from it, in Cheadle Hulme.

While having a walk around my local park this morning I thought the views below may be of interest to my fellow members of the Dull Men's Club and the Park Bench Appreciation Society.

Adswood Park in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport
There are some nice flowers in Adswood Park

Adswood Park in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport
Adswood Park straddles the Cheadle Hulme and Cheadle border. It's also very close to Cheadle Heath. The park bench to the left of the photo is the first and last in Cheadle Hulme

Adswood Park in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport
A view of the park bench from the Cheadle Hulme side

Adswood Park in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport
Lidl - located in Cheadle - can be seen in the background of this photo

Adswood Park in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport
A closer look at the park bench. And a Stockport Council bin

Adswood Park in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport
As well as watching planes coming in to land at Manchester Airport you can also hear and see trains on the Cheadle Hulme to Stockport line while sat on the bench (trains not pictured)

Related blog posts:
Dull Men's Club
Park Bench Appreciation Society