Friday, August 21, 2020

Crazy Golf Jigsaw Puzzle

Did you know there's a Jumbo Jan van Haasteren Crazy Golf Jigsaw Puzzle?


Jan Van Haasteren Crazy Golf Jumbo Jigsaw Puzzle
We found this jigsaw puzzle in Derby market after a lot of searching

One month until Miniature Golf Day 2020

There's a month to go until Miniature Golf Day 2020.


Miniature Golf Day is always on the 21st September. This year it falls on a Monday.

Crazy Golf at Southport's Botanic Gardens
It'll certainly be a crazy Miniature Golf Day this year!

Last year we played the Crazy Golf course at Southport's Botanic Gardens to celebrate the day.


How times change!

We'll likely be Putting at Home this year.

Crazy Golf course at Southport's Botanic Gardens
One of the holes at Southport's Botanic Gardens Crazy Golf course

We also visited The Masters Putting Green at King's Gardens while we were over in Southport on Miniature Golf Day last year. The excellent 18-hole course was really really really busy so we didn't have time for a game. Here's a video of me scoring a hole-in-one there on a previous visit.


Dates for your minigolf diary 2021

Each year there are two minigolf days.

The first of the year is National Miniature Golf Day which is on the second Saturday in May. In 2021 that is Saturday 8th May.

The second, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2021 that will be a Tuesday.

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Thursday, August 20, 2020

Crazy Golf and Crazy Snooker at Watermouth Family Theme Park and Castle in Devon

There are Crazy Golf and Crazy Snooker courses at Watermouth Family Theme Park and Castle near Ilfracombe in North Devon.


One of the places to visit on our post-pandemic bucket list is Watermouth Family Theme Park and Castle near Ilfracombe in Devon.

There's a 9-hole Crazy ‘Fountain’ Golf course there AND a Crazy Snooker layout. When I checked with the theme park the team confirmed it is a Pit-Pat layout. That makes it the only outdoor Pit-Pat course in the UK!

Watermouth money

Two of the tokens in my collection come from Watermouth Castle. I found them at an antiques fair back in 2015 and I found out they date from before 1992.

Token from Watermouth Family Theme Park and Castle in Devon
What a happy castle

Token from Watermouth Family Theme Park and Castle in Devon
I wonder how much 10 Gnolds are worth these days? Not that I'd part with the coin

Visit the Watermouth Family Theme Park and Castle website for more information.

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley

Playing Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley.


Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley

We played our first new minigolf course in almost six months when we visited the Escape Entertainment Venue in Chorley, Lancashire last Thursday. It was the first course we've played during the coronavirus pandemic.

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley

The 18-hole indoor Gator Adventure Golf course became the 955th visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Escape Entertainment in Chorley

The last round of minigolf I played was back on the 9th March, while our last round together was on the 19th January! Before our visit to Gator Adventure Golf the last totally new miniature golf course played on our tour was back on the 25th February.

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
The Rules of Gator Golf

In our minigolf match-up I took the win with a score of 43 to Emily's 53.

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Playing hole 4

We were both a little rusty on our shots!

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Emily on hole 13

Photos of the 18-hole Floridian-themed adventure golf course.


Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 1

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
The green on hole 1

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 2

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 2

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 3

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
The green on hole 3

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 4

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Alligators!

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 5

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
The raft from hole 5 to hole 6

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
The raft

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 5

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 6

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 7

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 8

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 9

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 10

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 10

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 11

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 12

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 13

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 14

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 15

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 16

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 17

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 17

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 18

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
Hole 18

Check out the Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment website for more information, opening times and prices.


Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
We survived!

Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley
The closest I'll be getting to flying anytime soon

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The Goonies street art

It's fun seeing street art and graffiti on my travels and I saw this superb piece by JXC Designs on my last trip down to London back in February.

Chunk from The Goonies graffiti in London
Truffle Shuffle!

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside

A look at the old Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside.


Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside

The former Blockbuster Video shop on Church Street in Prescot is now Partyworld, but the old QuikDrop box is still in place with visible branding.

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
Another 7 years late fee


If you look closely you can also see that the original Blockbuster sign is underneath the Partyworld sign.

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
Another Lost Blockbuster. It's good to see the Partyworld shop trading in its place though

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
Can you see the blue and yellow branding?

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
The old and the new - we didn't know Prescot had links to Shakespeare before our trip there. The crane is part of the building work of the new Shakespeare North Playhouse


Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
Quite a sight to see a Blockbuster Video QuikDrop box AND social distancing measures in the same place!

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
I wonder how many letters get posted in the QuikDrop box by mistake

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
QuikDrop

Retail archaeology

It's always nice to see remnants of old brands and ghost signs when they are hidden in plain sight.

Since we found the remains of Blockbuster Video near us in Fallowfield, Manchester we've been looking to see if there are any other former branches still showing signs of the brand. We've found a Blockbuster Video Express in Colne, as well as remnants in Cheadle Hulme and Marple.