Seen on a food stall at Manchester's Christmas Markets last year |
A blog about our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. With a sprinkling of nostalgia and urban exploration for good measure.
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Spot Pickle Rick
The end of Blockbuster Video
The last Blockbuster Video store in the UK closed on this day in 2013.
Blockbuster Video Express in Colne, Lancashire this summer |
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 |
Blockbuster Video in the UK
The Last Blockbuster Video
The QuikDrop box is still in place at the old store location in Prescot, Merseyside |
Other video stores are available
Save the Video Store
Related blog posts:
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Crazy Golf on Shanklin Seafront
A look back at the Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course.
Visit the Shanklin Seafront website for more information.
Monday, December 14, 2020
A gluten free Christmas
Thank you to @marketing_gott who shares his experiences of eating out and eating in at #GFChristmas: https://t.co/MRLO2TvFK1 pic.twitter.com/ofFvnE0o44
— Coeliac_UK (@Coeliac_UK) December 14, 2020
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
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.
One of these cards is from the USA (2005), the other from Canada (2006).
Related blog posts:
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.
Tuesday, December 08, 2020
Various Fried Chicken
A look at some fried chicken shops in Rochdale.
What's the most obscure US State or North American place you've seen used in a chicken shop name?
A retail time machine
Today is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.
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.
What does next year have in store? |
Dull events
About the Dull Men's Club
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
National Christmas Tree Day
Happy National Christmas Tree Day.
In Hyde |
Just got to make room in our ceiling for this tree |
The first Christmas tree I saw this year was in Withington, Manchester. In July! |
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.
Monday, December 07, 2020
Oregon Fried Chicken
We had planned to visit Oregon on holiday this year.
The closest we're getting to Oregon anytime soon is Oregon Fried Chicken in Rochdale |
Merry Christmas from Stockport
Merry Christmas to everyone from us here in sunny Stockport.
Sunday, December 06, 2020
Another "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.
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:
Saturday, December 05, 2020
Hot tapes
Minigolf course visit 900 - a year ago today
We visited our 900th miniature golf course in the British Isles a year ago today.
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 |
Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
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 |
These shops are all on the Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton.
Related blog posts:
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.
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.