Minigolf at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium

A visit to Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium.

Emily visited three courses and a new country on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when she went to Blankenberge, Belgium back in 2016

What a sight for minigolf fans

The seaside resort is home to a Minigolf course, a Crazy Golf and a Snookergolf layout. The three 18-hole courses at Leopoldpark became the 710th, 711th and 712th visited on the tour.

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,045 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

The Minigolf course (left) and Crazy Golf course (right) at Leopoldpark

Photos of the Minigolf course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

Photos of the Crazy Golf course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

Photos of the Snookergolf Billiards course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

We've got some great old postcards from Blankenberge that show the miniature golf courses which used to be at Leopoldpark. It's great to know there are still courses on the same spot today.

The whole place looks marvelously bright and colourful.

The Petanque terrain at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge

Visit the Leopoldpark website for more information.

The end of Toys R Us in the UK

The last Toys R Us stores in the UK closed on the 24th April 2018.

Toys R Us on the Western Esplanade in Southampton

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

A sign at Toys R Us at St James Retail Park in Northampton

A sign at Toys R Us in Reading

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Toys R Us at Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich

Toys R Us at Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees

Toys R Us at The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes

A sign at Toys R Us at Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Toys R Us at the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

A new beginning...

Toys R Us did return to the UK shopping scene in 2022 with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops.

This was the sign at the Toys R Us shop unit at Gateway retail park in Reading, Berkshire in September 2022. It looked to be in great condition and most of the signage and branding was still on display

Lost Toys R Us Stores

My book about Lost Toys R Us Stores is available to buy from Amazon.

There were once 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. The business ceased trading in 2018 and all of the shops closed.

It is still possible to find traces of the brand on some retail parks and shopping centres around the UK.

The book takes a look at some of those old stores between 2019 and 2021.

Buy Lost Toys R Us Stores on Amazon.

Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport

Finding a 100% gluten free market stall in Cheadle Hulme.

We found Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport at a Worker Bee Market in Cheadle Hulme yesterday.

It was brilliant to find the totally gluten free stall. I bought a Black Forest Cake and Carrot Cake - both were delicious.

A rarity for me - two freshly prepared cakes!

It's been years since I've been able to buy something on the go from a market. I occasionally see 'gluten free' items, but served next to gluten containing items, or a warning to state they have been prepared in the same environment as gluten.

Black Forest gateau is one of my favourite cakes - I can't remember the last time I had one! This one from Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport was excellent

I had no trouble with that from the Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport stall. It was nice chatting to the bakers and hearing their own gluten free story. It gave peace of mind knowing the food would be safe for me to eat. That goes a very long way in making eating food enjoyable!

I took the cakes home so I could eat them with a cake fork, as I don't get to do that often

If we'd got there earlier I could've bought some savoury items too, including a Scotch Egg. However, they'd sold out by the time we got there. I can see why as the two cakes I bought were very good indeed.

Check out Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport at another market in the area soon.

Crazier Nolf at Boom Battle Bar in Bournemouth

A look at the Crazier Nolf course at Boom Battle Bar in Bournemouth, Dorset.

Emily recently visited Boom Battle Bar in Bournemouth with some work colleagues for a social do, and saw Crazier Nolf there. A first for the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Boom Battle Bar calls its crazy golf courses 'Crazier Golf' (and we've played the location in Norwich). Crazier Nolf is Crazier Golf, but played without putters!

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

Emily didn't get a chance for a game of Crazier Nolf on this occasion as some of the electronic holes were out of order. But she get to play some of the darts and shuffleboard there.

Visit the Boom Battle Bar Bournemouth website for more information.

Check out this post to see all the different types and variants of miniature golf we've visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour to date.

Crazy Golf Tournament at Putt Putt Social in Norwich

A Crazy Golf tournament is being held at Putt Putt Social in Norwich on Friday 17th May.

My brother Christopher spotted this advert for the event while in Norwich this week

The team event will be contested at the indoor Crazy Golf venue inside the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich.

A look at the course from one of Christopher's visits on his leg of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Visit the Putt Putt Social website for more information.

A look at the course from one of Christopher's visits on his leg of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

New Adventure Golf at Seal Bay Resort in Selsey

A new Adventure Golf course is being created at Seal Bay Resort in Selsey, Chichester, West Sussex.

The Adventure Golf course will be a part of an indoor adventure hub being created by Greenspan Projects.

Visit the Seal Bay Resort website for more information.

We visited the holiday park back in 2011 when it was known as West Sands Holiday Park and played the 18-hole outdoor Crazy Golf course there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

From Jurassic Golf to Glo Golf in Basildon

The indoor minigolf course at the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon, Essex is in the process of changing from a Jurassic-themed course to a glo-golf, with UV paint and lighting effects.

We haven't been to Basildon yet on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazier Golf and Crazier Nolf at Boom Battle Bars

A look at Boom Battle Bars offering Crazier Golf and Crazier Nolf.

Emily recently visited Boom Battle Bar in Bournemouth and saw Crazier Nolf there. A first for our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Boom Battle Bar calls its crazy golf courses 'Crazier Golf' (and we've played the location in Norwich). Crazier Nolf is Crazier Golf, but played without putters!

Hole 2 of the Crazier Nolf course at Boom Battle Bar Bournemouth

There are currently 29 Boom Battle Bars in the UK! Each of them offers a range of games, with most (23) home to a Crazier Golf layout at the venue. Other games include shuffleboard, augmented reality darts, axe throwing and more.

Hole 3 of the Crazier Golf course at Boom Battle Bar Norwich 

Here's the list of Boom Battle Bars:

1. Aldgate East - Crazier Golf
2. Bath - Crazier Golf
3. Birmingham Broad Street - Crazier Golf
4. Bournemouth - Crazier Nolf
5. Canterbury - Crazier Golf
6. Cardiff - Crazier Golf
7. Chelmsford - Crazier Golf
8. Coventry - Crazier Golf
9. Ealing - Crazier Golf
10. Eastbourne - Crazier Golf
11. Edinburgh - Crazier Golf
12. Exeter - Crazier Golf
13. Glasgow - Crazier Nolf
14. Ipswich - Crazier Golf
15. Lakeside - no golf or nolf
16. Leeds - Crazier Golf
17. Liverpool - Crazier Golf
18. London Oxford Street
19. Manchester - no golf or nolf
20. Norwich - Crazier Golf
21. Plymouth - no golf or nolf
22. Sheffield - Crazier Golf
23. Southampton - Crazier Golf
24. Southend-on-Sea - Crazier Golf
25. Stevenage - no golf or nolf
26. Swindon - Crazier Golf
27. The O2 - Crazier Golf
28. Wandsworth - Crazier Golf
29. Watford - Crazier Golf

Visit the Boom Battle Bar Bournemouth website for more information.

Plans for Adventure Golf in Sheerness

There are plans for a new Adventure Golf course to be created as part of the Sheerness Revival Project.

It'd be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and a return trip to Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey.

Crazier Nolf at Boom Battle Bar in Glasgow

One of the games available at Boom Battle Bar in Glasgow is Crazier Nolf.

Emily saw Crazier Nolf for the first time on a recent trip to Bournemouth.

Boom Battle Bar calls its crazy golf courses 'Crazier Golf' (and we've played the location in Norwich). Crazier Nolf is Crazier Golf, but played without putters!

Hole 5 of the Crazier Nolf course at Boom Battle Bar in Bournemouth

Visit the Boom Battle Bar Bournemouth website for more information.

Check out this post to see all the different types and variants of miniature golf we've visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour to date.

Happy Shopper shops

Looking back at our visits to Happy Shopper shops since 2020.

A Happy Shopper shop sign in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk

We felt very nostalgic during the coronavirus pandemic and one of the old brands from our childhood we thought about was 'Happy Shopper' - the name alone conjures up images of the 1980's.

A sign at the Pleasant News Happy Shopper in Wisbech (2021)

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 - or any - of the original orange and yellow branded shops still around, but we were proven wrong when we saw one in Preston in September 2020.

A Happy Shopper shop in Preston

Visiting a fully branded Happy Shopper shop is like stepping back in time

The Happy Shopper branding was changed in the year 2000 and I think it lost a lot of its charm and individuality. Many of the former Happy Shopper shops have since been rebranded as Premier shops.

You could still see the 'newer' Happy Shopper branding on Pleasant News in Wisbech in 2021

The shelves inside the store were still the classic orange and yellow design

Since spotting the old shop in Preston we've been lucky enough to spot and snap a few more.

The Happy Shopper on Page Hall Road in Sheffield in 2020

Here's a list of posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston
• Hitchin
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Ashwellthorpe
• Ormesby St Margaret
• Lowestoft (2011)
• Lowestoft (2021)
• Wisbech
• Sittingbourne
• Burton-on-Trent 1
• Burton-on-Trent 2

At the Happy Shopper shop on Chaucer Road in Sittingbourne

You can view my YouTube Playlist of Happy Shopper shop videos here.