Elephant Parade in Southampton

Finding an art trail in Southampton.

We enjoy finding and following art trails on our travels and we spotted two while in Southampton. The first was The Mayor's Mayflower Mosaic Trail and the second was the Elephant Parade - the world’s largest art exhibition of decorated elephant statues - where there were 25 elephant statues at the Westquay shopping, dining and entertainment centre.

Visit the Elephant Parade section of the Westquay website for more information.

Toys R Us in Southampton

A visit to the old Toys R Us store on the Western Esplanade in Southampton, Hampshire.

We made a trip to the former Toys R Us store at Western Esplanade in Southampton last month.

There was still a lot of signage up on the large old unit.

I worked in the Gipsy Lane Toys R Us store in Luton, Bedfordshire back in the year 2000.

Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018. It's interesting to see that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK. 

Check out my blog posts below about other former Toys R Us stores:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Enfield Retail Park in Enfield
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Blockbuster Video in Southampton

A visit to the former Blockbuster Video store in Southampton.

We made a visit to the old Blockbuster Video store on Portswood Road in Southampton, Hampshire last month.

Work was underway to open the location as a new business but luckily there were still some traces of the Blockbuster brand on the wonderful Art Deco building.

One of the best things still visible was this elaborate QuikDrop box!

With our interest piqued by the discovery of the abandoned Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield in 2019 we've now visited a number of former Blockbuster locations, including:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Toys R Us in Basingtoke

A visit to the old Toys R Us store at the Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

We visited the old Toys R Us store in Basingstoke last month. There was still a lot of signage on display at the former store.

I worked in the Gipsy Lane Toys R Us store in Luton, Bedfordshire back in the year 2000.

Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018. It's amazing to see that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK. 

Check out my blog posts below about other former Toys R Us stores:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Enfield Retail Park in Enfield
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Blockbuster Video in Basingstoke

A visit to the former Blockbuster Video store in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

We took a look at the old Blockbuster Video store at the Chineham shopping centre in Basingstoke last month. The unit is still vacant, but somewhat recognisable as a Blockbuster shop - especially as the QuikDrop box is still there.

With our interest piqued by the discovery of the abandoned Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield in 2019 we've now visited a number of former Blockbuster locations, including:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Princess Parade Crazy Golf on Blackpool's North Shore

The Crazy Golf course at Princess Parade, Blackpool is now open.

Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels and Blackpool Fulfilling Lives joined forces to refresh and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore in 2019 and a number of other people and groups have been a part of the project. You can see what the course has looked like over the last few years in some of my previous posts.

Check out the Princess Parade Crazy Golf Facebook Page and the media release about the activity for more information.

We're looking forward to getting back to Blackpool again later this summer and playing a few more rounds on the course.

Here's a video of me playing the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore at the launch event on Friday 28th May 2021.

Old Miniature Railway at Marine Gardens in Fleetwood

There used to be a Miniature Railway at the Marine Gardens Pitch & Putt and Crazy Golf venue in Fleetwood.

We spotted the remains of a miniature railway while taking a walk round the Pitch & Putt and Crazy Golf course at Marine Gardens in Fleetwood.

You can still see - and walk through - the old miniature railway tunnel on the perimeter of the Pitch & Putt miniature golf course

New Crazy Golf course at Scunthorpe Bowl

A new 9-hole outdoor crazy golf course is now open at Scunthorpe Bowl.

The course opened last weekend and can be found at the Scunthorpe Bowl tenpin bowling centre on Warren Road in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.

More information, opening times and prices can be found on the Scunthorpe Bowl website.

Minigolf and tenpin bowling

Scunthorpe Bowl is the latest tenpin bowling centre to open a minigolf course. Until fairly recently the two leisure activities were quite separate, but a number of tenpin bowling venues have now added miniature golf to their entertainment offer.

Graffiti Golf in Blackpool

We passed by the Graffiti Golf course on Blackpool prom on our recent trip to the seaside resort.

We first played there back in 2009 when it was a Pirate Adventure Golf course. It was the 151st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Since then the venue has changed hands and look a couple of times. We played the Graffiti Golf version of the layout in August 2018.

The course was a Merlin Adventure Golf venue for a time

Check out the Graffiti Golf website for more information.

The Garfield Hotel in Blackpool

Spotting The Garfield Hotel in Blackpool.

We noticed The Garfield Hotel while walking around Blackpool last week. What a gimmick.

We might have to stay there on a future visit to the seaside resort to see what it looks like inside.

Check out The Garfield Hotel's Facebook Page for more information.

A Scooby Doo Ice Cream Van

Spotting a Scooby Doo Ice Cream Van at Mayflower Park in Southampton.

It's always fun seeing ice cream van artwork and we saw this Scooby Doo Ice Cream Van at Mayflower Park in Southampton, Hampshire last month.

The Mayor's Mayflower Mosaic Trail in Southampton

Finding an art trail in Southampton.

It's always fun finding art trails when out exploring and while in Southampton we found two. The first was The Mayor's Mayflower Mosaic Trail.

The 400 mosaics were placed around the city to mark the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from the UK to America.

The other art trail was the Elephant Parade - the world’s largest art exhibition of decorated elephant statues.

Visit the The Mayor's Mayflower Mosaic Trail section of the Southampton council website for more information.

New Crazy Golf centre opening in Norwich

Putt Noodle Crazy Golf planned for the Castle Quarter in Norwich, Norfolk.

Norwich city centre could soon be home to a new indoor minigolf venue as Putt Noodle Crazy Golf is looking to create three 9-hole themed layouts at the site in the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre.

It'll be a new set of courses for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. My brother and charter member of the tour doesn't live too far away so I'm sure we'll swing by for a game when it opens.

Retailtainment minigolf

Putt Noodle Crazy Golf is proposed to open in a retail unit in the centre and is the latest in the new wave of retail entertainment (retailtainment) activities opening up around the UK.

Indoor minigolf

When our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began in 2006 there were only two indoor places to play the game, both in East Anglia. Now there are around 100 indoor miniature golf courses around the UK, with more planned and opening all the time.

Guest blog - Planning a BIG minigolf break

Check out our guest blog post over on the Putterfingers Crazy Golf website at "Planning a BIG minigolf break".

The Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Centre - one of 18 courses we visited on a road-trip in May 2019

The Holbeck Putting Green in Scarborough. The course has been open since 1925. It was the 901st visited overall on our travels and one of seven miniature golf courses we went to on the trip back in June 2019

InterFun Expo Guide for UK Operators

I contributed a feature on marketing in the time of Covid-19 for operators in the UK entertainment sector in the new InterFun Expo Guide.

The whole publication is well worth a look, but you can also jump directly to my piece at Top 20 tips for operators.

The InterFun Expo will next be taking place at New Dock Hall in the Royal Armouries complex in Leeds on the 26th and 27th April 2022. I'm looking forward to speaking at the event and seeing developments in the sector from a range of suppliers and colleagues.

Links:

• InterFun Expo Guide for UK Operators
• InterFun Expo
• InterGame Video Insights, Episode 01: Mini-golf in the time of Covid-19

New mini golf course in Falkirk

A new mini golf course is opening at the Falkirk Wheel.

The new 9-hole mini golf course at the Falkirk Wheel will have a water-way theme.

Visit the Falkirk Wheel website for more information.

We last visited Falkirk in 2014 when we were in Scotland for the Commonwealth Games. It'll be nice to travel up again and have a game on the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

New indoor adventure golf in Newquay

There's a new indoor mini golf course in Newquay, Cornwall.

The Pirate's Quest attraction in Newquay has a new addition this year with an indoor glow-in-the-dark minigolf course opening at the end of May.

The pirate-themed adventure golf course is a 12-hole layout.

Further information can be found on the Pirate's Quest website.

It's another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour next time we're in the South West.

New Adventure Golf course opening in Bracknell

An adventure golf course will be part of the new Golf Plex entertainment centre in Bracknell, Berkshire.

Many thanks to my friend, minigolf rival and fellow adventure golf explorer Matt Dodd for letting me know about the development. The Golf Plex Adventure Golf will be a new local course for him and one for us to swing by on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Miniature Golf at Newham Grange Farm

There's a Miniature Golf course at Newham Grange Farm in Middlesbrough.

Visit the Newham Grange Farm website for more information.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf in Blackpool

Work is nearing completion at the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore.

I was in Blackpool two years ago today where I first met with colleagues on the project team working to refresh and reopen the Crazy Golf course on Princess Parade in the seaside resort.

How the course looked on my last visit in September 2020 - it's looking even better now

The minigolf layout has undergone a lot of improvement work to get it up to scratch and it is planned that the course will be open to the public for the first time in many years later this summer.

The course on the 20th May 2019

How it looked in October 2019

The base of the course itself has changed very little since it was first created in the late 1950's and it's wonderful that the area is still easily recognisable from old postcards from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

A Crazy Golf Course and North Pier, Blackpool postcard by The Photographic Greeting Card Co Ltd. London. Posted to Manchester on the 4th June 1969

Visit the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course Facebook Group for more information and to see some photos of how bright and fresh the course and its surroundings are looking now.

Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels and Blackpool Fulfilling Lives joined forces to refresh and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore in 2019 and a number of other people and groups have been a part of the project.

The activity has helped homeless and disadvantaged people in Blackpool by giving them the chance to work on the Crazy Golf course so it is playable and the opportunity to continue by staffing the site for the season. It's a brilliant plan to give people work experience, while also bringing a disused minigolf course attraction and asset to the town back to life.

We're really looking forward to seeing the course open again and having a game there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour as I haven't played it since I was a kid. Our first visit to the course on our tour was in 2009 and it wasn't open then.