Thursday, May 21, 2020

Minigolf in Stoke Park, Guildford, May 2016

A look at Stoke Park's Crazy Golf course in Guildford, May 2016.


Minigolf in Stoke Park, Guildford, May 2016

We played the minigolf course at Stoke Park in Guildford, Surrey on National Miniature Golf Day 2016.

Minigolf in Stoke Park, Guildford, May 2016

It's a Swedish Felt B-Run Minigolf course.

Minigolf in Stoke Park, Guildford, May 2016

The 18-hole minigolf course was the 399th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Golf in Woking Park, May 2016

A look at Woking Park's Crazy Golf course, May 2016.


We played the Crazy Golf course at Woking Park in Woking, Surrey on National Miniature Golf Day 2016.

The Crazy Golf course in Woking Park, May 2016

It was a felted version of an Eternit Miniature Golf course.

The 9-hole minigolf course was the 398th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Bladerunner 2009

Finding a futuristic barbers in Stockport.


On our daily exercise in the Reddish area of Stockport yesterday we spotted a fun shop sign.

Bladerunner 2009 in Reddish, Stockport

Blade Runner is set in dystopian Los Angeles in the year 2019. It's crazy to think we're living through our own dystopian times with the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing lockdown.

I wonder what life will be like in 2049...?

Mario Mini Market in Reddish, Stockport

Finding a super market in South Reddish.


We took our daily exercise in the Reddish area of Stockport yesterday and while having a wander we spotted Mario Mini Market on Gorton Road.

Mario Mini Market in Reddish, Stockport

There's another branch in Levenshulme, Manchester.

I've also seen Mario and Luigi ice cream vans in Buxton and HathersageMario movers in NewcastleMario's takeaway in Barnsley, and three MarioLuigi and Mario & Luigi takeaways in Blackpool!

L is for Luton

We took our daily exercise in the Reddish area of Stockport yesterday and swung by Luton Road.

Luton Road in Reddish, Stockport

We lived in Luton for 16 years before moving north to Stockport.

Interestingly both towns are famous in the hat industry and have hat musuems. In fact it was the growth of the hat trade in Luton that contributed to the decline of the hat industry in Stockport. While millinery is not as big a trade in either town nowadays, the history lives on in the nickname of Luton Town and Stockport County football clubs as they are both 'The Hatters'.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter

Check out our latest minigolf enewsletter and please do sign-up to receive future editions.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf course in Blackpool
Our latest newsletter is about the project to refurbish and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course in Blackpool

Happy International Tea Day

Today is International Tea Day.


Crazy Golf at Rylstone Tea Gardens on the Isle of Wight

Hole 1 of Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington is 'tea cup'-themed. Albeit of the fairground ride variety.

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington

There's a fun Crazy Golf course at Rylstone Tea Gardens on the Isle of Wight.

Crazy Golf course at Rylstone Tea Gardens on the Isle of Wight

Our local minigolf course when we lived in Luton was at Tea Green Golf at Wandon End.

Crazy Golf at Tea Green Golf at Wandon End, Luton

We played the Crazy Golf course at Selfridges a lot in 2012 as part of the Big Rooftop Tea & Golf Party. I won two tournaments, including the grand final, up there.

Rooftop Crazy Golf at Selfridges in London

The last cup of tea I drank was a nice one down in Weymouth during a break in the 2011 Weymouth Open minigolf tournament.

A Nice Cup of Tea in Weymouth

Having a Nice Cup of Tea in Weymouth

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Sharks at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in Aberavon, Port Talbot

A look at the sharks at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in Aberavon, Port Talbot, Wales.


Sharks at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in Aberavon, Port Talbot


Sharks at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in Aberavon, Port Talbot

Shark at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in Aberavon, Port Talbot

Shark at Pirate Cove Adventure Golf in Aberavon, Port Talbot

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Newsletter archive and sign-up to receive future editions.

An old Crazy Golf course in Pontypool Park

That time we found a derelict Crazy Golf course in a hedge.

The old Crazy Golf course in Pontypool Park
You could see where the lanes of the miniature golf course used to be set up

This was back in August 2010.

The Eternit Miniature Golf course in Pontypool Park/Parc Pont-y-pŵl had been removed from its foundations and put in a hedge.

Such a sad sight to see.


We've played a number of Eternit Miniature Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in a variety of conditions. But the one in Pontypool was the worst of the lot.

It was one of the oddest of the many lost, abandoned and derelict minigolf courses we've found on our travels.

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Newsletter archive and sign-up to receive future editions.

Minigolf in Cleethorpes

We were in Cleethorpes two years ago.


Time has flown by!


What a seaside.


There are five miniature golf courses there.

Miniature Golf courses in Cleethorpes
Clockwise from top left Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf (also home to a Putting Green), Oddball's Crazy Golf, Pirate Adventure Golf at the Fairworld Amusements and the Arnold Palmer Putting course 

We hope to return one day.

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Newsletter archive and sign-up to receive future editions.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf in Blackpool, May 2019

I was in Blackpool a year ago today!


I visited the seaside resort to meet with the teams at Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels.

The two groups have joined forces to refresh and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf in Blackpool, May 2019
Princess Parade Crazy Golf in Blackpool, May 2019

The course has now received the green light from Blackpool Council and will be opening once the refurbishment work is complete and it is safe to do so.

The course will retain as many of the original obstacles as possible, with repairs made to damaged elements.

It's a pleasure to be a part of the Princess Parade Crazy Golf project and I've enjoyed working with the teams at Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool & the Fylde Street Angels, Blackpool Council and the Blackpool Civic Trust.

More information on the project can be found on the Blackpool Princess Parade Crazy Golf Facebook Group and via Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels.

The area has been given a massive clean up by the project team. This is how the course looked in October last year.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf in Blackpool, October 2019
Princess Parade Crazy Golf in Blackpool, October 2019

Results of the Putt18 4 Nations Cup

Results of the Putt18 4 Nations Cup international golf putting tournament.


We played in the inaugural Putt18 4 Nations Cup international miniature golf putting competition at the weekend.

Putt18 indoor putting mat game ball

The event saw us compete for the UK against pairs from Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

Each player had a 16-minute time limit to play four 18-hole rounds for a 72-hole total score.

Putt18 indoor putting mat game

The results of the Putt18 4 Nations Cup


The event was won by the New Zealand team of Cameron Couper and Matt Ansley with an 8-round total of 572.

Results of the Putt18 4 Nations Cup

The Australian duo of Josh Mars and Nathan Lamplough were runners-up with a total of 583.

The USA team of Pat Sheridan and Tom Loftus were in third place with a total of 604.

Emily and I shot an 8-round total of 658. Not too bad considering we only had a day to practice!

UK player results in the Putt18 4 Nations Cup 2020

The low round of the event was shot by Australia's Josh Mars with a score of 65.

We're looking forward to playing some more competitions and friendlies on the Putt18 game mat. We'll be trying out the set in different spots around the house to find the optimum putting surface too.

Many thanks to the team at Putt18 for sending us the game mat and selecting us to play in the event.

Visit the Putt18 website for more information.

You can watch each player's four rounds in the videos in this blog post about the competition.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

New Adventure Golf course could be built in Andover

There are plans for a new Adventure Golf course in Andover, Hampshire.


There are plans for a new Adventure Golf course in Andover, Hampshire

Plans have been submitted for a new Iron Age themed Adventure Golf course in Andover.

The course would be designed and built by Greenspan Leisure and is planned to replace the existing minigolf course at Charlton Leisure Centre.

The current Adventure Golf course there was the 255th we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in July 2011.

Andover Adventure Golf at Charlton Leisure Centre in July 2011
Adventure Golf at Charlton Leisure Centre in Andover, July 2011

On that occasion we took a wrong turn en route to Wales and found the course was open to play!


The plans are the first I've heard about for a new course since before the coronavirus pandemic.

The last new course I'd heard about before lockdown was a new Crazy Golf course being created as part of a new adventure play centre in Dundee.

A holiday at Barry Island

A holiday at Barry Island, Wales.


A view of Nell's Point in Barry Island, once home to a brilliant holiday camp
A view of Nell's Point from the beach in Barry Island. The area was once home to a brilliant holiday camp

My family used to go on holiday to Barry Island in the late 80's and 90's and loved it there. The holiday camp was absolutely marvellous, with everything from swimming to Crazy Golf, to snooker and darts, to the fun fair and more - all free of charge once you had checked in.

The slides on the outdoor pool at Barry Island. 1989. Photo from the Gottfried family archive
The slides on the outdoor pool at Barry Island

My brothers and I would spend hours going from one activity to another and then spend the evening in the arcades on the camp and on the seafront playing games such as Blasteroids, Xybots, Double Dragon and Wardner. Halcyon days.

A view towards the fun fair outside the camp looking across the outdoor pool. 1989. Photo from the Gottfried family archive
A view towards the fun fair outside the camp looking across the outdoor pool

A view of the outdoor pool area and indoor pool building. 1989. Photo from the Gottfried family archive
A view of the outdoor pool area and indoor pool building

We were lucky that on our first few holidays there we were able to ride the chair lifts too as they were removed in 1989.

The Chair Lifts at Barry Island holiday camp. 1989. Photo from the Gottfried family archive
The Chair Lifts at Barry Island holiday camp

I recently had my family's cinefilm footage digitised and it was wonderful to see there was film from our holiday to the camp in 1989.

Gottfried family on holiday at Barry Island in 1989
On holiday, from l-r my brother Jon, my mum, my brother Christopher and me on holiday at Barry Island in 1989. This photo was taken near the outdoor pool and and the entrance to the main arcade

Old postcards of the camp

Barry Island holiday camp opened as a Butlin's site in 1966. In 1986 the camp on Nell's Point closed as a Butlin's and re-opened the next year under the new ownership of Majestic Holidays.

I've only got a couple of postcards of the camp, but I always keep my eyes peeled for more.

Butlin's Outdoor Pool and Playhouse Theatre, Barry Island. PT28469. Photo Precision Limited. Posted. Date unknown
Butlin's Outdoor Pool and Playhouse Theatre, Barry Island. PT28469. Photo Precision Limited. Posted. Date unknown

The final season for the camp came in 1996 and it was eventually demolished to make way for housing.

Butlinland Barry Island. The Pig and Whistle Bar and Stage. John Hinde Limited. 12 August 1980
Butlinland Barry Island. The Pig and Whistle Bar and Stage. John Hinde Limited. 12 August 1980

A look at the site, May 2019

I returned to Barry Island for only the third time since the 1990's while heading home from a weekend in Aberavon last year.

Barry Island, 13 May 2019
Pointing out where the holiday camp once was

I first went back to the town in 2009 during our road-trip around the Welsh coast and then swung by the following year for a brief visit while visiting friends nearby.

Barry Island, 13 May 2019
The entrance to the holiday camp

It was nice that Barry Island was still recognisable from my time there 30 years ago, even though the holiday camp has been knocked down to make way for housing and a public car park.

Barry Island, 13 May 2019
The exit view

Walking up through the old gates at the entrance to the holiday camp brought back so many memories and I could still picture the swimming pool to the left, the main building and walkway/arcade ahead of me and the chalets to the right.

Barry Island, 13 May 2019
Walking up towards where the camp once stood. On the left is where the swimming pool was

Barry Island, 13 May 2019
This spot was once home to the outdoor swimming pool and slides
  
Barry Island, 13 May 2019
The approach to the main arcade. The photo of me, my mum and my brothers was taken in the area just to the left of the yellow barrier 

Barry Island, 13 May 2019
A view of the seaside resort from inside what was once a thriving holiday camp

A look at the seafront


Barry Island, 13 May 2019
On the prom

A view of the beach

Barry Island, 13 May 2019
The distinctive building and shelter housing a number of takeaways, shops and arcades on the promenade

Barry Island Resort Information & Entertainment Guide

As a big fan of the British seaside and traditional holiday entertainment I was pleased to find a Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide while sorting through some paperwork at home.

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

Seeing the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide brought back many happy memories.

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

Check out the six-page Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide. As a former holidaymaker at the camp, fan of the British seaside, postcard collector and marketer it makes for interesting reading - especially some of the adverts!

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide


More old postcards of Barry Island

Looking at the postcards I've collected of Barry Island I noticed all of them were sent in August during the peak summer season.

Figure 8 Railway, Barry Island. Posted 24 August 1915
Figure 8 Railway, Barry Island. Posted 24 August 1915

The oldest card I have of Barry Island is also one of the oldest postcards I have. It shows the Figure 8 Railway and was posted on the 24th August 1915. I bought it at the North Wales Postcard Club Fair in Llandudno a couple of years ago and it only cost me ten pence!

Crazy Golf Course & Eastern Shelter, Barry Island. P47856. Plastichrome by Colourpicture Publishers Inc. Posted 27 August. Year unknown
Crazy Golf Course & Eastern Shelter, Barry Island. P47856. Plastichrome by Colourpicture Publishers Inc. Posted 27 August. Year unknown

Promenade and Gardens, Barry Island. PT28091. Posted 14 August 1968
Promenade and Gardens, Barry Island. PT28091. Posted 14 August 1968

Promenade and Gardens, Barry Island. WT.665R. By Valentine. Posted 2 August 1969
What a summer holiday scene!

Promenade and Gardens, Barry Island. WT.665R. By Valentine. Posted 2 August 1969