Wednesday, December 16, 2020

The end of Blockbuster Video

The last Blockbuster Video store in the UK closed on this day in 2013.


Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

I've spent a lot of 2020 reminiscing about 'the good old days' before the coronavirus pandemic hit the planet. One of my areas of interest is in old retail brands - I'm a marketer by profession and two of my first jobs in the 1990's and the year 2000 were at Tandy and Toys R Us. It's been fascinating to find remnants of a number of lost, dead and defunct brands on the high street and at retail parks.

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne, Lancashire
Blockbuster Video Express in Colne, Lancashire this summer

One of those lost brands is Blockbuster.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The remaining stores closed on the 16th December.

The first Blockbuster Video store had opened in Dallas, Texas, USA on the 19th October 1985.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

We live near an abandoned Blockbuster Video store here in Manchester. It's always an eerie, interesting and nostalgic thing to drive past the old shop at Fallowfield Retail Park.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester


Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester
2020 and 2013 meet - Covid-19 social distancing signage on the ground next to the remaining signage at the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield

The sign about the closure is still on the window there.

The end of Blockbuster Video in the UK

Blockbuster Video in the UK

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores around the world. 500+ of which were in England, Scotland and Wales. Interestingly in Northern Ireland the Xtra-Vision brand was used by the owners in-line with the Republic of Ireland.

Blockbuster Video entered the UK video rental market in 1989 following the purchase of Ritz Video.

The Last Blockbuster Video

There is still one last remaining open Blockbuster Video store in the world. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

We had planned to go on holiday to Portland this year but the pandemic put paid to that. We would've called in at the store if we were there.

Instead we've been visiting the sites of old Blockbuster Video shops near to us here in the North West of England. It's been incredibly interesting to see how may remnants of the brand can still be found on the high streets and retail parks of the country.

Blockbuster QuikDrop box in Prescot
The QuikDrop box is still in place at the old store location in Prescot, Merseyside

A new documentary film about the store was released yesterday. You can find out more about it on The Last Blockbuster website.

Other video stores are available

Blockbuster certainly wasn't the first video rental shop brand, but it was at one time the market leader.

We actually found a video shop open in October. And it just so happened to be Video Shop Day. You can find B.V.C. - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever, Bolton. It's brilliant to know that you can actually still rent VHS tapes there!


Save the Video Store

Family Video - one of Blockbuster's competitors back in the day - and a brand that has existed since 1978.

There is a Save the Video Store campaign and you can follow it and get involved on social media using the hashtag #SaveTheVideoStore. 

Related blog posts:

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Crazy Golf on Shanklin Seafront

A look back at the Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course.


Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course on the Isle of Wight



Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course on the Isle of Wight

Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course on the Isle of Wight

Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course on the Isle of Wight

Since that trip the course has once again been refurbished and is now a Jurassic Adventure Golf course.

Visit the Shanklin Seafront website for more information.


We're looking forward to a return visit to the Isle of Wight on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've still got to explore a lot of the island. There are also a number of new courses that have opened since our last trip there.

Monday, December 14, 2020

A gluten free Christmas

Check out Coeliac UK's Christmas campaign online and using the hashtag #GFChristmas.

Tales from a Gluten Free Christmas


Thank you to Richard Gottfried - Marketing Consultant who shares his experiences of eating out and eating in at...

Posted by Coeliac UK on Monday, 14 December 2020


It's always good to be able to raise awareness of Coeliac Disease and you can read more of my Tales from a Gluten Free Christmas in this Christmas blog post.

Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds
Last Christmas at The Oxford Place in Leeds

A couple of nice festive gift cards from days gone by

Did you know that Blockbuster pioneered the use of gift cards? The first plastic gift cards went on sale at Blockbuster Video in the USA back in 1994.

Blockbuster gift cards

One of these cards is from the USA (2005), the other from Canada (2006).

Related blog posts:

- Video Shops

- Blockbuster

Thursday, December 10, 2020

New Adventure Golf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester

Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester will be home to a new Adventure Golf course.


New Adventure Golf course opening at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester

A new outdoor Adventure Golf course is being built at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester.

It'll be another new layout for us to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've played a few miniature golf courses at garden centres on our travels and they are a popular spot to set up a course.

Related blog posts:

Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Various Fried Chicken

A look at some fried chicken shops in Rochdale.


Emily's snap of Oregon Fried Chicken in Rochdale reminded me of a few other chicken shops we've snapped in the town in the last few years.

Oregon Fried Chicken was called 5 Star Fried Chicken before.

5 Star Fried Chicken in Rochdale

There's an Arizona Fried Chicken next to Wet Rake Gardens just outside the town centre.

Arizona Fried Chicken in Rochdale

The former Dallas Fried Chicken (next door to West Virginia Fried Chicken) in the town centre is now Toronto Fried Chicken.

West Virginia Fried Chicken and Dallas Fried Chicken in Rochdale

West Virginia Fried Chicken and Toronto Fried Chicken in Rochdale

What's the most obscure US State or North American place you've seen used in a chicken shop name?


Related blog posts:

A retail time machine

Today is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.


I pretend to be a Time Traveler quite a bit by hunting out relics of the past that can still be seen today.

Old UK shop brands from my (time) travels
Old UK shop brands from my (time) travels

If you could once again shop at a long lost store which one would it be?

Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021

Looking ahead to next year. Now.


The Dull Men's Club's brand new calendar for 2021 arrived yesterday and we're looking forward to reading up about our fellow dullards as the year progresses.

Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021
What does next year have in store?


You'll be able to find an update on our adventures within the 2021 edition too.

Dull events

This year has certainly been a strange one. While not completely dull, it has had its moments.

We had an enjoyable evening of mild excitement at the Dull Men's Club Anorak of the Year Award event in Manchester last November. I can't believe the world has changed so much since then.

I was also a speaker at the Dull Men's Club's 'Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening' at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston back in 2018.

I'm moderately excited about speaking at Dull Men's Club events again the future.

About the Dull Men's Club

The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary and the life-changing magic of simple, everyday, run-of-the-mill things.

Visit the Dull Men's Club website for more information.


The Dull Men's Club Calendar for 2021 will be available from Amazon.

Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day

It's Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day today. If you could go to any time period to play Miniature Golf when would it be?

Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland



National Christmas Tree Day

Happy National Christmas Tree Day.


Christmas tree in Hyde
In Hyde

Today is National Christmas Tree Day.

Christmas tree in Cheadle Hulme
Just got to make room in our ceiling for this tree

The first Christmas tree I saw this year was in Withington, Manchester
The first Christmas tree I saw this year was in Withington, Manchester. In July!

Do you have your Christmas Tree up yet?

I competed in a Christmas Tree Throwing Competition at a summer fete back in 2012
I competed in a Christmas Tree Throwing Competition at a summer fete back in 2012. One of many obscure sports I've tried over the years

Pretending to be a Time Traveller

Today is Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day.

The closest I've been to time travel was when I saw this DeLorean Time Machine back in March this year.

Back to the Future DeLorean at MediaCityUK

Monday, December 07, 2020

Oregon Fried Chicken

We had planned to visit Oregon on holiday this year.


Oregon Fried Chicken in Rochdale
The closest we're getting to Oregon anytime soon is Oregon Fried Chicken in Rochdale

What's the most obscure US State you've seen used in a chicken shop name?

There's an Alaska Fried Chicken in Gatley, Stockport. That automatically makes me think of the cold.

Merry Christmas from Stockport

Merry Christmas to everyone from us here in sunny Stockport.


Merry Christmas from Stockport

We're not sending any real cards this year as last year we posted out a hundred special Christmas minigolf postcards and only 5 arrived at their destination, and 2 of them were half destroyed, as the post box we put them in suffered some sort of incident.

Sunday, December 06, 2020

Another "KFC"

 A look at Krispy Fried Chicken in Eccles.


Krispy Fried Chicken in Eccles
Another KFC seen on our travels

Related blog posts:
- KFC

Deane Video Centre - a lost video shop

A look at Deane Video Centre aka Valji's Convenience Store on Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Dean Video Centre in Bolton

The Premier Express convenience shop isn't a video shop anymore.

Premier Stores is another convenience store brand owned by Tesco.

Last month we found a Video Box Office sign in a Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston.

There is still a video shop - with lots of VHS tapes - operating in Bolton. You can find B.V.C - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever. It's well worth a visit to step back in time.

Related blog posts:

- Video Shops

Saturday, December 05, 2020

Hot tapes

You can't get burnt at that price.

VHS video tapes in a Stockport charity shop

Minigolf course visit 900 - a year ago today

We visited our 900th miniature golf course in the British Isles a year ago today.



Pirate Cove Adventure Golf at New York Thunderbowl in Kettering
We had a brilliant time at the New York Thunderbowl. The 9-hole adventure golf layout was a good challenge and we'd visit again 

Check out the New York Thunderbowl website for more information, opening times and prices for all of the activities at the centre.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour


When our minigolfing adventures began in 2006 there were 600 miniature golf courses in the UK. We visited our 600th course at Goodrington Sands in Paignton, Devon. There are now well over a thousand places to play the game.

We've been to a total of 956 courses to date. In the last 14 years a number of new courses have come and gone, older courses have been updated or refurbished, while some layouts have been lost forever.

Our 900th course visit, including overseas venues, was at the North Bay Crazy Golf course in Scarborough in the summer of 2019.

We've been to 39 minigolf courses in eleven overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the USA.

Our stop off at the Thunderbowl was en route to visit family and friends in Suffolk. Something we haven't been able to do this year.

Last year we hit 82 courses. This year we've been to 46 courses, including revisits, with 15 of the layouts being new courses to us. During the coronavirus pandemic we've been able to visit eight courses, playing two of them.

We had been on schedule to reach our 1,000th course this year and had a very strong start to 2020, visiting 20 courses in the first 20 days of January!

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Friday, December 04, 2020

Travel in 2020

I've barely travelled outside of Greater Manchester this year so it was nice to 'get away from it all' with a trip to Miami, California and Italy this afternoon.

Miami Sun Centre, California Wines Express and Little Italy on Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton
Miami Sun Centre, California Wines Express and Little Italy on Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton

These shops are all on the Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton.

Related blog posts:

- Holidays at home - Stockport, 2020

- A postcard from Stockport

Wednesday, December 02, 2020

Toys R Us at the Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham

A look at a lost shop in Nottingham.

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Jam Trubridge for sending over a snap of the old Toys R Us store at the Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham.

Toys R Us in Nottingham. Photo by James Trubridge, November 2020

It's great to see the signage is still up.

It's another store for us to visit in the future as soon as it's safe to do so.

It'll be nice to meet up with Jam too as there are a lot of minigolf courses in Nottinghamshire we have yet to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Former Toys R Us stores

Sadly Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018. Luckily there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK. I worked in the Gipsy Lane store in Luton, Bedfordshire back in the year 2000.


We took at look at the old Toys R Us store at the Central Retail Park in Ancoats, Manchester just prior to its demolition in March 2019.

Popeyes in Chesterfield

A look at Popeyes takeaway in Chesterfield.


Popeyes takeaway in Chesterfield.

We've seen other Popeyes takeaways in Blackpool, Southport and Edinburgh.