Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf in Knowle West, Bristol

Playing the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club's new Crazy Golf course in Knowle West, Bristol.

We had a superb time at the launch of the brand new Filwood Fantastic Crazy Golf course in Knowle West, Bristol on Saturday.

This was my favourite hole - the obstacle at the top of the ramp hid a sneaky surprise!

The real life miniature golf course was created during the pandemic and the ideas for the hole designs were generated by members of the Knowle West community during Lockdown 1.

I managed to score a hole-in-one taking the direct route across the beachy 'bridge'

We really enjoyed being a part of the clubhouse and tee party online meetings and to play the unique course and meet the people involved was brilliant.

I had the honour of cutting the ribbon to officially launch the course!

The Filwood Fantastic Crazy Golf course was the 966th course visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 549th we've played since September 2006.

There were so many fantastic people and organisations involved in the project and you can find out more about them via the links to their websites and social media below:

• Filwood Community Centre
• Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club
• Megan Clark-Bagnall
• Claudia Collins aka Claudia the Caddy
• Re:Work Bristol
• Nic Marshall Designs
• Knowle West Beaches
• Julian Wood

Blockbuster Video Express in Filton, Bristol

Finding a ghost sign at the former Blockbuster Video Express in Filton, Bristol.

While we were down in Bristol recently we checked out the old Blockbuster Video Express store in Filton, Bristol to take a look at the repurposed torn ticket sign on the side of the old video shop.

The former video shop is now a vets

I noticed the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

One other of those torn ticket signs had also been used by the new business in the location.

Check out my posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• 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
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Toys R Us in Milton Keynes

A look at the old Toys R Us store at The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes.

We took a look at the former Toys R Us store at The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes while on our way back from a trip to Luton last month.

There is still a lot of visible signage at the old store, including a nice sign in the car park. It's always interesting to see the variety of branding employed by Toys R Us over the years.

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
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Free Crazy Golf in Dorchester, Dorset

A free to play pop-up crazy golf course will be set up in Dorchester's Brewery Square on Saturday 17th July.

Check out the Brewery Square Crazy Golf Day event website for more information and to book a slot.

Blockbuster Video in Ashton, Bristol

A look at a former Blockbuster Video store in Bristol.

The former video shop is now a gym 

We spotted another old Blockbuster while driving to the former store location in Filton, Bristol. This one was at Winterstoke Road in Ashton.

You can still make out the outline of the QuikDrop box at this location

I noticed the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

Check out my posts about other former Blockbuster stores in:

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

New Plonk Golf course at Camden Market

A new Plonk Golf indoor minigolf course is now open at Camden Market.

Plonk Camden is a new 9-hole indoor crazy golf course at Camden Market.

You can also find Plonk Golf courses at London Fields, the Horniman Museum, Peckham Levels and on the South Bank.

Check out the Plonk Golf website for more information.

We've visited a number of Plonk Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since the first of the brand's layouts was created in Dalston back in 2015.

Plonk Golf in Shoreditch in 2019

New Crazy Golf course now open in Weston-super-Mare

A new indoor glow-in-the-dark crazy golf course has opened in Weston-super-Mare.

Weston-super-Mare is now home to a new 9-hole indoor crazy golf course.

You can find the miniature golf course at the old Seaquarium in the seaside resort. The venue is now called Revo and as well as the crazy golf course features a bar and kitchen.

Visit the Revo Facebook Page for more information.

It's another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

New Crazy Golf course installation in Greenwich, London

A new Crazy Golf course has opened in Greenwich.

Greenwich, London is now home to an immersive art installation consisting of a number of play experiences. One of which is Crazy Golf.

The art installation, called Promise me memories and I will let you in, has been created by Yinka Ilori and is open at Tide Square in Greenwich Peninsula until the 19th of September.

Toys R Us in Northampton

A look at the old Toys R Us store at St James Retail Park in Northampton.

I called in for a look at the former Toys R Us store at St James Retail Park in Northampton while en route to Luton last month.

There is still a lot of visible signage at the old 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 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
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Blockbuster Video Express in Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Finding a ghost sign at the former Blockbuster Video Express store in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

Emily found this ghost sign at the old Blockbuster Video Express on Regent Street in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight last month!

The former video shop is now a charity shop

The outline of the old QuikDrop box is still there

I spotted the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

Check out my posts about other former Blockbuster stores in:

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

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

A revisit to Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire.

Emily swung by Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea on the way back from her trip to the Isle of Wight last month.

Some of the Covid-19 signage at the course

Times have certainly changed in the last 15 years!

A closer look at some of the Covid-19 signage and measures in place at the course

We played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf on Saturday 30th September 2006. I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole and our minigolfing adventures have been rolling ever since!

Check out the Treasure Island Adventure Golf website for more information on the two 9-hole courses, opening times and prices.

A Happy Shopper at The Hart of the Triangle

Finding a Happy Shopper shop in Fallowfield, Manchester.

We've been looking for examples of classic Happy Shopper shops and signage since spotting a closed version in Preston last year. Last night we found there's one very nearby to us! It's in the Fallowfield Triangle.

A few years ago the convenience store now known as The Hart of the Triangle was a full blown Happy Shopper. While most of the signage and branding has gone, the window decals are still in place. A lovely thing to see.

The Hart of the Triangle - formerly Happy Shopper Supermarket

The window decals are still there, although this one is temporarily covered by some posters

Checking online there were a few years when the Happy Shopper decals were covered up completely so it's nice to see it was still intact underneath

Emily's first job was at a Happy Shopper in Ipswich and I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was growing up in Oxfordshire back in the 1980's and 1990's. We didn't think there would be many left nowadays considering Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000.

Take a look at my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Lowestoft
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin

Jurassic Golf at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Reedham, Norfolk

A visit to the Jurassic Golf at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Norfolk.

My brother Christopher, a charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, has made the 993rd course visit of the tour with a trip to the Jurassic Golf course at Pettitts Animal Adventure Park in Reedham, Norwich, Norfolk!

Check out the Pettitts Animal Adventure Park website for more information.

National Hot Dog Month and National Hot Dog Day

July is National Hot Dog Month.

This year National Hot Dog Day (in the USA) is on Wednesday 21st July.

In the UK National Hot Dog Day is on Friday 10th September.

Some of the Hot Dog mascots we've seen on our travels

As someone with Coeliac Disease it can be tough to find gluten free hot dogs. Luckily we recently found Morliny Berlinki Classic and Cheese hot dogs are gluten free. And very tasty.

Find out more about hot dogs in general, National Hot Dog Month and National Hot Dog Day on the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council website.

Competitions at Aces Minigolf Gloucester

Two tournaments to tee-off at Aces Minigolf Gloucester.

The new Aces Minigolf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester is gearing up for the full opening by hosting two minigolf competitions on Sunday 4th July.

First up is an Amateur Championship with a great prize up for grabs to the winner.

This will be followed by the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Invitational Championship with some of the best minigolfers in the country invited to compete on the course.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester will be opening fully to the public on Friday 9th July.

Check out the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Facebook Page for more information.

We're really looking forward to having a game on the new 12-hole layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Happy Shopper in Hitchin

I've been on the lookout for other classic Happy Shopper shops since spotting the Happy Shopper in Preston last year.

I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was growing up in the 1980's and 90's but I didn't think there would be many left considering Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000.

Luckily I've found a few.

One of them is the Happy Shopper, aka the Nightingale Supermarket & Off License, on Nightingale Road in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. When we lived in Luton we drove past this particular Happy Shopper a fair bit.

I was down in Luton again recently and had to check out the Hitchin Happy Shopper to see if it was still there. I'm happy to report that it is.

A happy shopper at a Happy Shopper

Check out my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Lowestoft
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston

South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort

Marwell Resort in Winchester, Hampshire is home to a new adventure golf course.

A new adventure golf course is now open at Marwell Resort in Hampshire.

The 18-hole South Downs Way Adventure Golf course is themed on the local area.

Visit the Marwell Resort website for more information, opening times and prices.

The South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort was created by the team at Greenspan.

South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Tandy in Hitchin

You can still see some Tandy signage at the old Electronic Universe shop in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

I recently passed through Hitchin en route to Luton and had to make a quick stop to see if the old Tandy signage was still up at the former Electronic Universe shop on Churchgate in the town centre. Luckily some of it still was. However, the sign at the rear of the store has now gone.

My first job was at a Tandy franchise shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire back in 1996 where I remember selling a number of electronic products bearing the 'RadioShack', 'Genexxa' and 'Realistic' brand names.

It's always fun spotting old brands and signage and a real treat when it's something rare like Tandy. I've also seen some RadioShack signs on my travels.

While in Hitchin I also took a look at a classic Happy Shopper and in Luton took a look at my old local Blockbuster Video store.

Minigolf on the Isle of Wight

A look at minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight.

Emily recently returned from a trip to the Isle of Wight and while there played and visited a number of minigolf courses.

Sandown

Dino Islands Adventure Golf at Sandham Gardens in Sandown

Lost World Adventure Golf on Sandown Pier

Shanklin

Caddy Shack Crazy Golf at Shanklin Seafront

Jurassic Bay Adventure Golf at Shanklin Seafront

Pirates Cove Adventure Golf at Shanklin Seafront

The Pirates Cove course is next to the Jurassic course on Shanklin Seafront. When we first visited the Isle of Wight in 2007 the course was a grass Putting layout

Jungle Adventure Golf at Shanklin Village

Crazy Golf at Rylstone Gardens

Alum Bay

Jurassic Adventure Golf at The Needles

Ventnor

Putting Green at Ventnor Park

Other minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight

We've been to the Isle of Wight a few times over the years and have also played the Mini Golf Garden at Puckpool Park and the Pirate Adventure Golf at Peter Pan's on Esplanade in Ryde.

Other minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight include:

• The Cow Putt crazy golf course at Tapnell Farm Park in Yarmouth
• Crazy Golf at the Horse & Groom pub in Ningwood
• Crazy Golf at Calbourne Water Mill in Calbourne, Newport
• Mini Golf Putting at Luccombe Hall Hotel in Shanklin

Lost minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight

There used to be another adventure golf course in Shanklin too - Jungle Jim's - but that closed a few years ago.

Some of the courses that are on the Isle of Wight now have been built on top of older courses or have totally replaced grass Putting courses that were there before.

It's certainly interesting seeing the changes and developments on the island.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've now been to a total of 965 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester opening next month

The new Aces Minigolf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester will be opening to the public on Friday 9th July.

The 12-hole course's opening hours will be:

• Monday - Saturday 9:30am - 6pm (Last tee off time 5:15pm)
• Sunday 10:30am - 4:30pm (Last tee off time 3:45pm)

Check out the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Facebook Page for more information.

We're looking forward to playing the new course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.