Saturday, November 07, 2015

Crazy Golf in Hastings

A look at the Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex.

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Emily playing hole 1 of the course

The 39th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the classic Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf in Hastings, East Sussex back on the 26th of October 2007. Since then we've returned for a number of minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf competitions in Hastings each year and were recently in town again - this time for the 13th annual World Crazy Golf Championships.

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 2 at Hastings Crazy Golf

Here's a look at the course as at October 2015. It's well worth a play and is a great piece of seaside heritage.

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 1

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 2

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 3

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 4

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 5

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 5 - the green

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 6

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 7

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 7 - the middle bit

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 7 - the green

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 8

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 8 - the green

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 9

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 9

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 10

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 11

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 11 - the green

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 12

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 13

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 14

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 15

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 16

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 17

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
The flat loop obstacle on hole 18

The Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex
Hole 18

The Lucky Last Hole where you can attempt to win a free game pass

Hastings Adventure Golf is also home to an Adventure Golf course and a Pirate Golf layout. Visit the Hastings Adventure Golf website for more details, opening times and prices.

Link:
- Hastings Adventure Golf website

Related blog posts:
- Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf in Hastings
- Hastings
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Videos:
- A walk around the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf in Hastings (2010)
- Videos from the 2015 World Crazy Golf Championships

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Report from the 2015 Worlds £2 Tat Challenge in Hastings

Results from the off-course shenanigans at the amusements in Hastings.

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
What the sport is all about

Since 2010 Crazy Mini Golfers from around the world have descended on the amusement arcades of Hastings to compete in 'Tat Challenge' tournaments.

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
One of the machines not in use this year

2015 would be no different at 23 competitors lined-up to fight for the honour and prizes that come with being the World Tat Challenge Champion.

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
The competitors receive some last minute instructions from The Buttons Committee

Following the first day's play of the World Crazy Golf Championships the group headed over the road to the Old Town Amusement Arcade for 20-minutes of non-stop tu-penny pushers gaming to see who could land the largest haul of prizes. There had been some doubt as to whether the event would take place, as in the lead-up to the contest on Saturday there had been reports that the Old Town Buttons had closed down and the site was up for sale!

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
Afternoon of the Living Dead - a shocking sight indeed

Fortunately the Old Town ones were open and buzzing on the big day itself. Rendering the recce to the buttons next to The Deluxe pointless. Speculation that an alternative venue would be 'Keith's' buttons down by The Stade were also dismissed as hogwash. Especially when the rumour included something about the use of ten pence pieces. A ridiculous notion.

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
Tatters Buttonsing

The 2015 champion was Helen Dodd with a total of seven bits of tat, leaving her closest rivals trailing in her wake with a mere four bits. The defending champion Kate 'Mrs' Kelly was unable to hold onto the crown as she slipped to a disappointing last place after drawing a blank.

Helen Dodd - the 2015 Worlds £2 Tat Challenge in Hastings
The Champ Helen Dodd shows off her winnings as a character looks on

The modern era of the sport has quite possibly seen advances in technology that favour 'the house' as the days of one person winning an event with 40 pieces of tat (as veteran James Rutherford rocketed into his pocket during the great summer of sport in 2012).

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
Sussex's finest

With a total prize bag of 51 tats Helen declared that the toys and stuff would be put to good use as the 'second best Crazy Golfer in the Dodd household' (Emily Dodd) would be given them when Helen and Matt arrived back home.

Results of the 2015 Worlds £2 Tat Challenge (all competitors GB & NI except where stated)
1 - Helen 'Lucky 7' Dodd = 7
2 - John 'Forgot his Waffles' Moore = 4
2 - Richard 'Seen Better Days' Gottfried = 4
2 - Steve 'Stay Puft' Le Velle = 4
5 - 'Peter Peter Ice Cream Eater' Jones = 3
5 - Martin 'Alien' Greenhead = 3
5 - Ollie 'Little Alient' Greenhead = 3
5 - Steve 'The Treasure Hunter' Sturdy = 3
9 - Will 'Donnelaney' Donnelly = 2
9 - Tony 'Better than Kate this year' Kelly = 2
9 - 'The Portuguese Man o' War' Nuno Cunha (POR) = 2
9 - 'Big' Stevie Gow = 2
9 - Ed 'Dressed for the weather conditions for a change' Haynes = 2
9 - Chris 'Tusk' Wood = 2
9 - Adam 'On Par with Pa' Kelly = 2
9 - David 'Local Competitor' Hartley = 2
17 - Marion 'Local Athlete' Hartley = 1
17 - Mark 'Character' Wood = 1
17 - Matt 'Not top' Dodd = 1
17 - Steven 'Bonnie' Langford = 1
21 - Kathryn 'Debutee' Haynes = 0
21 - Ed 'Friend of Le Velle' Pope = 0
21 - Kate 'Oh dear what happened this year' Kelly = 0

To date ten official Tat Challenge competitions have been played with 800 bits of tat won for a total of £382.

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
Hands like lightning! Peter Jones in action

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
Local competitor Marion Hartley made her debut this year

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
The former People's Champion 'Big' Stevie Gow in action, with Johnny Waffles eyeing up some 'rattin' opportunities

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
Not winning this year

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
Keith Kellard stalks the floors for some loose change while David Hartley is in the zone. Kellard would eventually find over £2 in dropped money while everyone else competed

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
An Essex-based character playing the Buttons

The Old Town Amusement Arcade in Hastings
Ed Haynes uncharacteristically wearing a jacket

£2 Tat Challenge Hall of Fame:
#8 - William Edwards - 8 pieces of Tat (World Title)
#9 - Kate Kelly - 10 pieces of Tat (World Title)
#10 - Helen Dodd - 7 pieces of Tat (World Title)

Related Blog Posts:
Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter. You can also sign-up to receive our newsletter.

Schär gluten free

There are many funny things about being a Coeliac, not least being called a 'Celery', 'Celeriac' or even a 'Solero'.

When I checked my post this morning I didn't expect to be given a new first name on a mailer from Schär Gluten Free!?

I'm used to having a wide range of spellings for my surname - but 'Richard' is normally straightforward

I know I'm good at making up Italian sounding words for foodstuffs, but 'Riamo' takes the biscuit.

Schär used to be known as DS Gluten Free and I've been buying their products since I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in 2008. At the recent Beds & Mid Herts Coeliac Group Food Fair I added my name to the Schar UK mailing list - my handwriting must've been terrible.

Schär gluten free
The offending mailer and some of the tasty Schar Milk Chocolate Nobbles that are currently residing in my cupboard

Find out more about Schar UK's products on their website. I'm a big fan of their Chocolate Fingers - I find it impossible to not eat a whole box at a time!

Related blog posts:
- Funny things about being a Coeliac
- Gluten free
- Coeliac
- Schar

Link:
- Schar UK website

Note:
- According to a quick search on the internet 'riamo' is a "first-person singular present indicative of 'riamare'". Riamare means 'to return the love of another' or 'to love again'.

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter. You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Monday, November 02, 2015

Videos from the 2015 World Crazy Golf Championships

Action from the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings.

The 2015 World Crazy Golf Championships took place on the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October.

Check out the video of the final group of Michael Smith (GBR), Nuno Cunha (POR) and Chris Harding (GBR) playing their final shots of the tournament.



Michael Smith defeated 74 players to become a three-time World Crazy Golf Champion.

Pasi Aho (FIN) was runner-up. Former, and three-time, champion Chris Harding (GBR) was third.

The date of next year's World Crazy Golf Championships has been announced as Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June 2016.

Windmill hole at Hastings Crazy Golf
Emily playing the 5th hole at Hastings Crazy Golf

Videos:
- World Crazy Golf Championships 2015 - Phil Botto on Hole 2
- World Crazy Golf Championships Final 2015 - Hole 16
- World Crazy Golf Championships Final 2015 - Wasps in Hastings
- World Crazy Golf Championships Final 2015 - the leading group play hole 18
- World Crazy Golf Championships Final 2015 - the leading group play hole 18 version 2

Links:
- Hastings Adventure Golf
- British Minigolf Association
- World Crazy Golf Championships 2015 results

Related blog posts:
World Crazy Golf Championships 2014 Videos
BMGA British Crazy Golf Open 2013 Videos
- Videos from the Final of the 2012 'Castle Golf' World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings
- Videos of the 2011 Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings
- Report from the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings
- World Crazy Golf Championships
- Hastings

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter. You can also sign-up to receive our newsletter.

Sunday, November 01, 2015

Gluten free beer update

Earlier this week I spotted that Twitter had introduced a new Poll function, so immediately asked a question.

The result of the poll is this blog post - on a topic I haven't posted about in a little while.

The Beer Cave and Westerham Brewery Co

En route to Hastings for the recent World Crazy Golf Championships we made a stop in Tunbridge Wells and while having a wander to stretch out legs we spotted a chalkboard sign advertising the Beer Cave. We heeded the instructions and found ourselves in the underground beer shop.

The Bedford Beer Cave in Tunbridge Wells
A great bit of advertising

If I see an independent beer shop I'll always pop in on the off chance that I'll find a gluten free beer, ale or lager that I haven't seen or tried before

The Bedford Beer Cave in Tunbridge Wells
The Beer Cave

I was in luck on this occasion as the chap at the Beer Cave let me know about Scotney Pale Ale from the Westerham Brewery Co! I had to buy a bottle at the reasonable price of £2.80.

Scotney gluten free Pale Ale by the Westerham Brewery Co
Scotney Pale Ale by the Westerham Brewery Co

Find out more about Westerham Brewery Co's range of gluten free beers on their website. They do a fair few.

Check out the Beer Cave website and if you're walking along the High Street do make sure you head down the alley for a look around.

Flatstick Pub

Another gluten free beer I've only recently heard about is from the Ghostfish Brewing Co based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It's served at the Flatstick Pub in Kirkland, Washington, a place that is on my must visit list!

The main four gluten free beers from the Ghostfish Brewing Co are:
- Grapefruit IPA
- Shrouded Summit Witbier
- Vanishing Point IPA
- Watchstander Stout

They also have Taproom Exclusives.

Not only does the Flatstick Pub serve gluten free beer, but they've also got a minigolf course and an array of pub games, two of which I'd never seen before - Duffleboard and Puttskee!

Gluten free beers around the world

With the addition of the Ghostfish Brewing Co beers I've now found out about 108 gluten free beers, ales, lagers, stouts, porters etc. since I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in 2008. Check out the full list on my blog post here.

Links:
- The Beer Cave
- Westerham Brewery Co
- Flatstick Pub
- Ghostfish Brewing Co
- The Puttskee
- Coeliac UK

Related blog posts:
- Details of gluten free ale, beer and lager found since being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease
- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Pub Beer Gardens
- Pub Games

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter. You can also sign-up to receive our newsletter.

The Game That Got Away sports blog

My friend and minigolf rival Marc 'The Roller' Bazeley has started up a new sports blog.

The Game That Got Away is dedicated to Rugby League and will include opinion, analysis and features on the sport.

Marc (left) and me outside the now demolished Greyfriars Bus Station in Northampton during the epic year of sport that was 2012
Marc (left) and me outside the now demolished Greyfriars Bus Station in Northampton during the epic year of sport that was 2012

Find out more about Marc's blog here.

Links:
- The Game That Got Away blog
- The Game That Got Away on Twitter

Related blog posts:
- Marc Bazeley
- Blog
- Blogging

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Mini Golf in the 2016 Picture Postcard Annual

The 2016 Picture Postcard Annual has a feature on minigolf postcards.

I wrote the piece about the top minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and putting postcards we've found on our travels this year.

Postcard of the Mini Golf course in Newquay, Cornwall (A1E). Harvey Barton Viewcard. Postally unused
A postally unused Harvey Barton Viewcard of the Mini Golf course in Newquay, Cornwall (A1E). We visited the course on our summer roadtrip

Other articles in the 2016 Picture Postcard Annual include early Donald McGill cards, Alpine mountains, artist drawn London cards and more. There are also dates for fairs and auctions taking place next year and useful reference info.

Visit the Reflections of a Bygone Age website to order the 2016 edition of the Picture Postcard Annual and for more information about the postcard collecting hobby. Do check out the website of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine too.

We've been collecting postcards for a few years now and have found some great old and new cards showing the ever changing landscape of miniature golf in the UK and overseas. Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has so far taken us to 671 courses and we've amassed almost that amount of postcards!

I've written other features for Picture Postcard Monthly, starting with an article on Crazy Golf in the December 2011 edition.

Links:
- Picture Postcard Annual
- Reflections of a Bygone Age
- Picture Postcard Monthly magazine

Related blog posts:
- Postcard
- Postcards
- Picture Postcard Monthly

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter. You can also sign-up to receive our newsletter.

Adventure Golf at Stevenage Leisure Park in Hertfordshire

New indoor Adventure Golf courses heading to Stevenage.

A brand new Adventure Golf course is heading to Stevenage Leisure Park in Hertfordshire. The 36-hole centre will have two 18-hole layouts with a nautical theme.

We've visited Mr Mulligan's Pirate Adventure Golf courses in Milton Keynes, Castleford and Woking. The Stevenage course will differ from the other sites as it'll be an indoor venue.

A view of Mr Mulligan's Pirate Adventure Golf course in Milton Keynes
A view of Mr Mulligan's Pirate Adventure Golf course in Milton Keynes

We're looking forward to visiting and playing the new Adventure Golf course in Stevenage when it opens in Spring 2016.

Links:
- Adventure Golf Limited website
- Mr Mulligan's Adventure Golf website
- Stevenage Leisure Park website

Related blog posts:
- Indoor Mini, Crazy and Adventure Golf courses
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date
- Hertfordshire
- Stevenage

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter. You can also sign-up to receive our newsletter.