Filmtown in Finland

From Filmtown to Candytown.

Many thanks to my Finnish friend Ion Mittler who has let me know that the Filmtown movie rental chain is stopping film rentals and becoming a chain of sweet shops called Candy Town.

Filmtown is the last movie rental chain in the country. There are currently forty Filmtown stores in Finland, and you can still rent films from four of them for the remainder of 2023 and 2024. The others have already become candy stores.

Ion called into one of the Filmtown stores last weekend and took these snaps. He noted that while there everyone was buying candies and that no one was renting movies.

It's fascinating seeing the change in consumer habits and looking at retail history. We've been to a fair few former video stores on our travels over the last few years.

Check out the Filmtown website for more information.

Minigolf Taivallahti in Helsinki, Finland

A look at Minigolf Taivallahti in Helsinki, Finland.

Many thanks to my friend, minigolf rival and team-mate Kevin Moseley for sending over some snaps of these two miniature golf courses he spotted on his recent trip to Helsinki, Finland.

Minigolf Taivallahti in Helsinki, Finland

Minigolf Taivallahti in Helsinki, Finland

The two courses can be found at Minigolf Taivallahti.

Visit the Minigolf Taivallahti website for more information.

Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki in Finland

A look at Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki in Finland.

A big thank you to my friend, minigolf rival and team-mate Kevin Moseley for sending over photos of the Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki indoor minigolf course from his recent trip to Helsinki, Finland.

Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki in Finland

A quick look shows "Hohtogolf" translates as "Glitter Golf". There doesn't look to be much glitter in that sh...portable toilet hole!

Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki in Finland

Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki in Finland

The rest of the layout looks shiny though.

Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki in Finland

A scorecard from Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki in Finland

Check out the Hohtogolf West Coast Helsinki website for more information.

Forssan Minigolf Puttaamo in Finland

A look at Forssan Minigolf Puttaamo in Forssa, Finland.

A big thank you to our friend and minigolf rival Chris 'Stretch' Jones for sending us some photos of Forssan Minigolf Puttaamo in Forssa, Finland.

Forssan Minigolf Puttaamo in Forssa, Finland

He was lucky enough to stumble upon the course on his recent trip to Finland.

Forssan Minigolf Puttaamo in Forssa, Finland

Check out Forssan Minigolf Puttaamo on Facebook and Instagram.

The Minigolf Nations Cup 2008

We made our Great Britain team debuts at the 2008 Nations Cup of Minigolf in Tampere, Finland thirteen years ago today!

Our Great Britain Minigolf team, sponsored by UrbanCrazy, finished the tournament in 13th place. In the individual rankings I finished in 51st place and Emily was 53rd.

In action at the Minigolf Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland

The 2008 Great Britain squad - Jouni Valkjarvi (coach), John 'Big Top Ted' McIver, Marion 'Mation' Homer, Sean 'Freebird' Homer, Tim 'Ace Man' Davies, Steve 'F1' Gow, Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried, Andy 'Sarge' Booth, 'Squire' Richard Gottfried

We've also played for the Great Britain national team in World Minigolf Sport Federation and European Minigolf Sport Federation tournaments in Stockholm, Sweden and Hastings, England.

The Beton Concrete Mini Golf course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere was the 50th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The Eternit Miniature Golf course was the 51st and the Swedish Felt Minigolf course there was the 52nd played. We've now been to 958 courses since 2006.

Social distancing at a railway station in Finland

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival John Mittler for sending me this social distancing sign from Tikkurila railway station in Vantaa, Helsinki metropolitan area. He noticed it while making an essential journey into Tampere.

As John put it "Please socially distance yourself from the train, for your own safety."

He knows me well.

I enjoy seeing different and funny signs around the world, I'm a train nerd and I'm also documenting as many social distancing / Covid-19 signs & posters during the time of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2008 Minigolf Nations Cup

A look back at the 2008 Nations Cup of Minigolf in Finland.

We made our Great Britain team debuts at the 2008 Nations Cup of Minigolf in Tampere, Finland twelve years ago today!

The GB team playing the Beton Concrete Minigolf course in Tampere, Finland

In international action on the Eternit Miniature Golf course

Our Great Britain Minigolf team, sponsored by UrbanCrazy, finished the tournament in 13th place. In the individual rankings I finished in 51st place and Emily was 53rd.

The 2008 Great Britain squad - Jouni Valkjarvi (coach), John 'Big Top Ted' McIver, Marion 'Mation' Homer, Sean 'Freebird' Homer, Tim 'Ace Man' Davies, Steve 'F1' Gow, Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried, Andy 'Sarge' Booth, 'Squire' Richard Gottfried

We've also played for the national team in tournaments in Stockholm, Sweden and Hastings, England.

Receiving some tips on the Middle Hill Eternit Miniature Golf hole from Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies

The Beton Concrete Mini Golf course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere was the 50th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The Eternit Miniature Golf course was the 51st and the Swedish Felt Minigolf course was the 52nd played.

Minigolf in Helsinki, Finland

My friend, minigolf rival, sometimes team-mate and international sporting superstar John 'Big Al' Moore was recently in Vantaa, Finland where he was competing in the 2016 European Transplant Sport Championships. In a break in his running competitions - where he won gold medals to add to his World and British titles - he managed to fit in a round of minigolf on a Swedish Felt miniature golf course near the Oulunkylä train station in Helsinki. Check out the photos of the course below. John tells me he scored a rather nifty round of 45(+9) on the layout.

We've played a Swedish Felt course in Finland too. At the 2008 EMF Nations Cup in Tampere we had a round on the course next to the two tournament layouts.

We've also played minigolf in Sweden. But neither of those courses was of the Swedish Felt variety.

You can read a European Transplant Sport Championships interview with John on the Vantaa 2016 Games website.

John is back in action this weekend at the British Transplant Games 2016 in Liverpool. He don't half get around!

WMF World Minigolf Championships 2015

The World Championships of Minigolf are taking place in Lahti, Finland.

This week sees the WMF World Minigolf Championships taking place in Lahti, Finland with 127 players from 19 countries and four continents lining up to compete.

The Great Britain men's team, sponsored by UrbanCrazy, will be in action and they face nine other teams in the four-day competition. You can follow all the results live online - the tournament tees-off from the 19th August 2015.

The 2015 WMF World Minigolf Championships are being held on the Feltgolf and Miniaturegolf courses at the Lahti Minigolf Centre. Good luck to all of the participants, especially those making their debut appearances on the world stage.

Emily and I made our debuts for the GB team at the 2008 EMF Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland and had a great time.

The 2008 Great Britain team - Jouni Valkjarvi (coach), John 'Big Top Ted' McIver, Marion 'Mation' Homer, Sean 'Freebird' Homer, Tim 'Ace Man' Davies, Steve 'F1' Gow, Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried, Andy 'Sarge' Booth, 'Squire' Richard Gottfried

We've also played for the national team in tournaments in Stockholm, Sweden and Hastings, England and we're both ranked in the WMF's international General Class ranking lists.

The GB team playing the Beton Concrete Minigolf course in Tampere, Finland

Emily playing the Swedish Felt minigolf course at the Manse Ratagolf Club in Tampere, Finland

Receiving some tips on the Middle Hill Eternit Miniaturegolf hole from Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies

In international minigolf action

Playing an incredibly long Feltgolf hole in Finland as Steve 'F1' Gow looks on

The World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) is the umbrella organisation of Minigolf sports association's worldwide and continental associations in Asia, Europe and America.

Following the recent WMF Delegates Conference eight new national minigolf federations were accepted into memebership, with Belarus, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Togo, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam joining the existing 47 members. And this year New Zealand and Kenya are appearing in an international tournament for the first time.

The WMF is a member of SportAccord - the union for both Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations, and organisers of international sporting events. The WMF is also a member of AIMS, the Alliance of Independent Members of SportAccord.



Check out the links below for more on the 2015 WMF World Minigolf Championships.

Links:
- WMF World Minigolf Championships website
- WMF World Minigolf Championships on Facebook
- World Minigolf Sport Federation website
- World Minigolf Sport Federation on Facebook
- British Minigolf Association website
- Great Britain Minigolf Sport Team on Facebook
- Lahti Minigolf Centre website

Related blog posts:
- Course Played #50 Tampere, Finland - Beton
- Course Played #51 Tampere, Finland - Eternit
- Course Played #52 Tampere, Finland - Swedish Felt (including the 'Story of the Rotten Shark'!)

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Tampere Reunion Classic II - Stockholm, Sweden

Upon arrival in Stockholm, Sweden on Wednesday 8th June 2011, the four Great Britain Minigolf Sport Team members who had played at the 2008 WMF Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland decided to contest the second-ever Tampere Reunion Classic minigolf title on the Tantogårdens BGK Beton (Concrete) minigolf course.

In the one-round 18-hole contest played using course Balls and Putters Sean 'Freebird' Homer picked up the victory with a score of 38(+2), 11-shots ahead of 2009 TRC Champion 'Squire' Richard Gottfried & Marion 'Mation' Homer, who tied for second place with 49(+13). Emily 'Coach' Gottfried was third on the Podium with a score of 52(+16).

Photo: On th Podium (from l-r) Richard Gottfried, Marion Homer, Sean Homer (winner), Emily Gottfried

Related blog posts:
- Results of the 2009 Tampere Reunion Classic
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Beton Minigolf

Miniature Golf Putting for a trip to Finland

Last week I attempted to win a trip to Finland at the Sport Finland stand at SportAccord.

You had to score holes-in-one at three Finish Towns/Cities - Tampere, Lahti and Helsinki. I managed to 'Ace' Tampere and Lahti, but not Helsinki.


In nine attempts I scored two holes-in-one! A poor showing indeed!

In 2008 I played for the Great Britain Minigolf Team at the WMF Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland. A great country and a very nice city to visit.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #52 Tampere, Finland - Swedish Felt

The 52nd Minigolf Course visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Swedish Felt course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere, Finland where we played for Great Britain in the 2008 Nations Cup competition.

The story of the Rotten Shark Classic!

Following the first days play in the Nations Cup tournament, the Great Britain Team and its entourage headed to the Viking Restaurant - Harald - in Tampere, where we asked for the Viking Speciality, which turned out to be Rotten Shark and Aquavit!!!

Only three of the team were brave (daft) enough to try it, with myself, Andy 'Sarge' Booth and Tim 'Ace Man' Davies eating the rotten shark and earning ourselves a place on the 'Wall of Fame' as people who had completed the dish!

After the main Nations Cup tournament had finished, the Great Britain Team played the Rotten Shark Classic tournament over one round of the 18-hole Swedish Felt course. Sean Homer and Steve Gow tied for the lead, with Sean picking up the win on Aces.

Results of the Rotten Shark Classic (The unofficial 2008 British Swedish Felt Run Championships)
1. Sean Homer 46 (GBR)(6 Aces)
2. Steve Gow (GBR) 46 (4 Aces)
3. Jouni Valkjarvi (FIN) 48 (1 Ace)
4. Richared Gottfried (GBR) 51 (2 Aces) (7’s 1)
5. Tim Davies (GBR) 53 (2 Aces)
6. Emily Gottfried (GBR) 64 (1 Ace) (7’s 1)
7. Ted McIver (GBR) 65 (2 Aces) (7’s 4)
8. Andy Booth (GBR)75 (7’s 6)
9. Alex Barr (GBR) 78 (1 Ace) (7’s 4) (cameraman)
10. Matt (GBR) 85 (7’s 7) (journo)

On the 9th May 2009 five members of the 2008 Nations Cup squad played in the first Tampere Reunion Classic competition at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #51 Tampere, Finland - Eternit

The 51st Minigolf Course visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Eternit (Miniaturegolf) course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere, Finland where we played for Great Britain in the 2008 Nations Cup competition.







On the 9th May 2009 five members of the 2008 Nations Cup squad played in the first Tampere Reunion Classic competition at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #50 Tampere, Finland - Beton

The Landmark 50th Minigolf Course visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Beton (Concrete) Miniature Golf course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere, Finland where we played for Great Britain in the 2008 Nations Cup competition.

While in Tampere we also played the Eternit (Miniaturegolf) course (in the Nations Cup itself), and the Swedish Felt (Felt Golf) course at the Manse RG course.

On the 9th May 2009 five members of the 2008 Nations Cup squad played in the first Tampere Reunion Classic competition at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk.