Butlin's Monorails in the Picture Postcard Annual

The 2022 Picture Postcard Annual is out now.

Picture Postcard Annual 2022

The new Picture Postcard Annual is available now and includes a feature that I wrote about Butlin's Monorails.

Butlinland Skegness – Putting Green and Monorail by John Hinde Studios. Sent on 4 Aug 1980

There's a lot of great content in the annual including a wide-range of features, event listings, dealer contacts and more.

You can buy the 2022 Picture Postcard Annual from the Reflections of a Bygone Age website.

We made it to one postcard fair this year - at Stockport Town Hall - and we're looking forward to hunting for more old postcards of minigolf, monorails and holiday camps next year.

Aldi's second Christmas jumper of the season

Aldimania was running wild as I bought my second Aldi Christmas jumper of the year.

Aldi liked this photo of me in it that Emily took

I managed to get the more colourful version at my local store last week and luckily found this black and white version on a visit to the Stockport town centre shop.

Adventure Golf course at the Bannister Outdoor Sports Centre in Harrow

Plans for a new Adventure Golf course at Roger Bannister Sports Centre in Harrow, London have been approved.

The outdoor adventure golf course at the Bannister Outdoor Sports Centre will have a dinosaur theme.

Visit the Bannister Outdoor Sports Centre website for more information.

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

Putt Putt Crazy Golf opening in Streatham Hill, London

A new indoor Crazy Golf venue is opening in Streatham Hill, London.

Putt Putt Crazy Golf is opening in Streatham Hill, London on Wednesday 1st December.

The minigolf course claims it will be London's Biggest Indoor Crazy Golf course.

As well as the Crazy Golf course the venue will have a bar, food and karaoke rooms.

Visit the Putt Putt Streatham Hill website for more information.

Putt Putt Streatham Hill will be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

One Month Until Christmas Day

Not long to wait now.

The Christmas hole at Teezers Retro Crazy Golf in Coventry

Winebulance

We recently had a delivery from the Stockport Winebulance!

Emily with her emergency delivery of supplies from the Winebulance

What an emergency service.

New York - Paris - Milan - Stockport

Check out the Helen Jones Wines website for more information.

We had a delivery from LAPD Stockport earlier this year too.

Crazy Golf at Yum Yum World in Rugby

There's a Crazy Golf course at Yum Yum World in Rugby, Warwickshire.

A big thanks go to my fellow fan of retail history Mason Moore for letting me know about the Crazy Golf course at Yum Yum World in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Yum Yum Crazy Golf is an indoor course within Yum Yum World - a sweet shop, soft play centre, arcade and laser tag venue in Rugby town centre.

Mason tells me that the building Yum Yum World is in was once the town's Woolworths.

Check out the Yum Yum World website for more information.

Yum Yum Crazy Golf is another course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Prison Putt Adventure Golf opening in Maidstone

A new prison-themed adventure golf course is opening at Prison Island in Maidstone, Kent.

The Prison Island escape room venue in Maidstone, Kent is opening a new prison-themed indoor adventure golf course.

The new minigolf course is planned to open in December.

Visit the Prison Island website for more information.

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

Another Day, Another Christmas Jumper

I finally got the Home Bargains Christmas Jumper!

Just 32 days until Christmas.

Adventure Golf at Sherdons Golf Centre in Tewkesbury

A look at the Sherdons Adventure Golf course in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

Sherdons Adventure Golf

A big thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown for sending over these snaps from his recent visit to the Sherdons Adventure Golf course at Sherdons Golf Centre in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

Sherdons Adventure Golf

The pirate-themed adventure golf course opened two years ago and Simon told me it was in excellent condition and played very well. 

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Sherdons Adventure Golf

Visit the Sherdons Adventure Golf and Sherdons Golf Centre websites for further information.

Sherdons Adventure Golf

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

Minigolf Magazin from Germany

Now in the Crazy Golf Museum - Minigolf Magazin.

Minigolf Magazin

The official magazine of the German Minigolf Federation / Deutsche Minigolfsport Verband.

Christmas Jumper 2021

Christmas is officially underway now I have my first new Christmas jumper of the season.

I got this Aldimania Christmas jumper first thing yesterday morning.

Aldi's Christmas jumper for 2021 - not shown are one of the pairs of Aldimania festive socks I was wearing too. Very warm and toasty

Ecto-1 at The Light cinema in Stockport

It was nice to see Ecto-1 at The Light cinema in Stockport on Saturday evening as part of the promotion for the new Ghostbusters film.

I saw Ecto-1a and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in Urmston for Halloween a couple of years ago too.

Blockbusters NQ in Manchester

A new video shop-themed bar is opening in Manchester's Northern Quarter.

A new sight to see on Oldham Street

We were excited to hear that a new video store-themed bar is opening up in the Northern Quarter in Manchester city centre.

So we had to go along for a look.

Blockbusters NQ can be found on Oldham Street and according to the signs on the windows it is COMING SOON.

BLOCKBUSTERS NQ - COMING SOON

We're looking forward to checking it out when it opens.

The walls and counter of the bar look brilliant already - we can't wait to see what it'll look like when the installation is completed

Blockbuster Video

We're big fans of video, videos stores, retail history and retro stuff and have been visiting and documenting the last remaining traces of the Blockbuster brand in the UK over the last few years. We've seen a number of the brand's shopfronts, signs and QuikDrop boxes. As well as some other video shops.

The first of the old Blockbuster locations we found was also in Manchester, just up the road from us at Fallowfield Retail Park.

Speakeasies

Blockbusters NQ looks like a cool and nostalgic speakeasy and while we were taking a look at the store the signs were getting some interest from passers-by.

It'll be a fun new speakeasy for us to visit when it opens.

It'll be great to see what the full signage will look like

Find out more

Give the Blockbusters NQ Instagram account a follow for more information on the bar.

A Father Christmas wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man in Dereham

Spotting a festive wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man in Dereham, Norfolk.

While having a wander around Dereham on Saturday we spotted this Father Christmas wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man outside QD!

A Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man Santa Claus at QD in Dereham

It's only the second Santa Airdancer we've seen on our travels.

The first Father Christmas Windy Man I spotted was in Cheadle Heath back in 2016.

We looked in the store and online but couldn't find one of the Father Christmas Airdancers for sale.

The last wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man of any description we saw was before the coronavirus pandemic on a trip to Ashton-under-Lyne where we spotted a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man advertising Albion Mill Carpets.

Putt Noodle Mini Golf at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

Putt Noodle Mini Golf opening at the Castle Quarter in Norwich, Norfolk.

Coming very soon...

The new Putt Noodle indoor crazy golf and Asian food venue at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich is planned to open this month.

We were a little too early when we swung by on a trip to Norwich last weekend.

Putt Noodle will be home to three minigolf courses and is opening in the former New Look unit in the Castle Quarter.

Putt Noodle Mini Golf at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

The venue sits below Boom: Battle Bar - a business owned by the same team behind Putt Noodle.

Retailtainment and minigolf

Putt Noodle Mini Golf is one of the latest in the new wave of retail entertainment (retailtainment) activities opening up around the UK.

Minigolf is a big part of this boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in malls, high streets and retail parks.

Cream Me Up Scotty

We spotted Cream Me Up Scotty in Downham Market, Norfolk.

Cream Me Up Scotty in Downham Market

Cream Me Up Scotty in Downham Market

Crazy Golf at the Brighton Christmas Festival

There will be a Crazy Golf pop-up at the Brighton Christmas Festival.

Globetrotters Crazy Golf will be set-up at the Brighton Christmas Festival in Victoria Gardens.

Check out the Brighton Christmas Festival and Globetrotters websites for more information.

It's always interesting finding out about new minigolf courses and Christmas pop-ups.

Globetrotters Bar & Golf

Looking on the Globetrotters Bar & Golf website the 9-hole pop-up course at the Christmas Festival is the first event from the business and there are plans for a permanent venue in Brighton in 2022.

It'll be a new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Boom: Battle Bar opening in Ipswich

A new Boom: Battle Bar will open in Ipswich, Suffolk.

The new Boom: Battle Bar planned for the Buttermarket in Ipswich has been given the green light and is scheduled to open in February 2022.

The new competitive socialising venue in the town centre will be home to minigolf, shuffleboard, beer pong, axe throwing and more.

It'll be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we're next back in Emily's home town.

We played the Crazier Golf course at the Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich earlier this year.

The Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich

There are plans for lots of new Boom: Battle Bar indoor entertainment venues to open in the coming months.

Boom: Battle Bar

Miniature Golf is a big part of the retailtainment boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in shopping centres, malls, high streets and retail parks.

New Puttstars Minigolf opening in Speke, Liverpool

Puttstars Minigolf is opening a venue at the New Mersey Shopping Park in Speke, Liverpool.

Merseyside will be home to a new miniature golf location as a Puttstars indoor minigolf venue is opening at the New Mersey Shopping Park in Speke.

The new Puttstars is planned to open in September 2022.

Visit the Puttstars and New Mersey Shopping Park websites for more information.

Puttstars Minigolf

Playing Puttstars

Puttstars Speke will be a new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. There are currently Puttstars courses in Rochdale, Leeds and York. We've played two of the three courses at the Rochdale Puttstars.

Puttstars Minigolf in Rochdale

The retailtainment and minigolf boom

Minigolf is a big part of the retailtainment boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in shopping centres, malls, high streets and retail parks.