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Spain To Play Netherlands In White Kit? – FIFA Ban Black Away Kit For 2014 World Cup

Lifestyle
Tuesday, 27th May, 2014

FIFA ban Black Spain Away Shirt For 2014 World Cup

The boys over at FIFA have turned style gurus for this World Cup. First they declared that teams must play in all one colour, undermining the history of teams such as Germany who traditionally play with black shorts, England, Spain and Argentina who play in blue shorts to wear all one colour kit. This has angered most fans who say FIFA are disrespecting the tradition, culture and history of these great nations. Now FIFA have taken it a step further, and have deemed Spain’s away kit which was launched earlier this year as illegal under their rules, specifically rule 35.2, which states:

“Each team shall inform FIFA of two different and contrasting colours (one predominantly dark and one predominantly light kit) for its official and reserve team kit (shirt, shorts and socks)”.

Spain’s home shirt is red, with the away shirt being black. It appears Spain will have to play in a white kit, which could be the white shirt which was used in 2011, or Adidas may release a completely new shirt if they can get one ready in time, which will anger fans who have already gone out and bought the current away shirt, advertised as the “Spain 2014 World Cup Away Shirt”.

We will have to see what happens and if FIFA will force Spain to play in an “unofficial” kit, whether the RFEF (Spanish FA) will object or whether Adidas will have any influence. It could also cause problems for some others, with teams such as Mexico wearing a dark green home shirt and dark red away shirt, and Cameroon were spotted wearing an unknown white (possibly third) kit recently, their official home and away kits are green and yellow respectively.

Spain are drawn as the home team, so the usual protocol would be for them to wear red and The Netherlands to wear their away kit, which is dark blue. This makes perfect sense to everyone in Football including the Spanish FA but not FIFA. It could mean Spain wearing white against The Netherlands, Black against Chile and finally red against Australia in their three group games.

Adidas still have the black away kit on sale (It’s also being sold on the Official FIFA store).

Label Bar Newcastle Review

Newcastle Nightlife
Friday, 16th May, 2014

label bar review

Music, Cocktails and great deals, Label offers a great selection of drinks on Newgate Street in Newcastle.

The Venue

Formerly Babylon and Boom which were 90s bars and firm favourites of it’s crowd, it’s now gone upscale and goes by the name Label. With the new name came new décor and style, A swanky looking refurbishment came and the 90s music has been replaced with more current chart vibes. The layout of the bar has not changed, with a main room and separate room to the left of the place which can be used as a private area, plenty of tables and seating, and the dance floor to the back of the bar.

The Drinks

Label offers a large selection of drinks, bottles, alcopops and cocktails. There are usually plenty offers going on weekends, with 2 for 1 on cocktails every night. The 2-4-1 offer is however expensive, with the cocktails being £7.95, around £2 more than most places. One of the most original things in Newcastle have came from Label which are the teapot cocktails. Yes, cocktails in served in teapots.

The Crowd & Music

The crowd is usually a fun loving crowd of the younger generation, age 18-25 in the main however there is a mix of people of all ages. The music is a great mix of pop classics, house and modern RnB. An all round friendly bar, if you’re with a group of friends it’s a good place to have some fun.

Essential Info

Opening Hours: 7 Nights A Week, ‘Till 2AM (Weekends)
Weekend Entry Cost: £FREE!
Music: House, Chart, Hip Hop, RnB
Recommended Age: 18-25
Guestlist/VIP: YES
Bottle Service:YES
Stag & Hens: YES

Address / Directions

Label, 14-16 Newgate Street, Newcastle, NE1
Closest Metro Station: Central Station
Other Nearby Bars: Sinners, Tiger Tiger, Mushroom
Official Website: Label Newcastle

Luxury Swimwear From M A C K E E N E

Fashion
Tuesday, 13th May, 2014

mackeene swimshorts premium swim wear

The summer season is on the way, and you’re probably thinking of booking yourself a holiday if you haven’t already. One thing you have to get right is your wardrobe, and an essential part of your summer holiday wardrobe are a pair of shorts. M A C K E E N E have a range of premium swimwear ready for you to take them to the beach into the ocean.

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Nectar Bar Newcastle Review

Newcastle Nightlife
Friday, 9th May, 2014

nectar-bar-review

Nectar cocktail bar is a relatively new establishment in Newcastle, located in Pilgrim street in-between Alvino and where Popolo used to be. It’s on the top floor, the 3rd floor in fact, so be prepared to walk up a few stairs. I have only been in as a bar on a weekend night, however this place is also open through the day and is a restaurant as well as a bar.

The Place

It’s quite a small venue, which is fairly cosy with the set up being with comfortable seating and tables, and two areas for drinking or eating. As you walk in you have the bar immediately at the front, with the seating or standing areas either side. A cool kind of set up if you’re going with a girl or a couple of friends. It’s open late night which is a great, having been there quite late on in the night it’s a cool chill out kind of vibe with not too many people there and you can wind down and enjoy the rest of your night.

The crowd is a mix of 20-somethings and early 30s, with contemporary styles of music.

Drinks

This is a cocktail kind of venue, with a big cocktail menu for you to peruse. If they aren’t your thing, traditional drinks such as lager is always an option. Prices are quite average for this end of the town, expect to pay £3-4 for beers, and £6- for cocktails.

Essential Info

NECTAR BAR IS NOW CLOSED

Opening Hours: 7 Nights A Week, ‘Till 2AM (Weekends)
Weekend Entry Cost: £FREE!
Music: House, Chart, Hip Hop, RnB
Recommended Age: 25-35
Guestlist/VIP: NO
Bottle Service:NO
Stag & Hens: NO

Address / Directions

Nectar Bar, 86 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, NE1 6SG
Closest Metro Station: Central Station
Other Nearby Bars: Alvino, Bacchus
Official Website:

How Fast Can You Run A Mile?

Lifestyle
Monday, 28th April, 2014

How Fast Can You Run A Mile?

I will start this off by saying the following: I cannot run far. I cannot run fast. I am not a professional runner, or in fact a keen amateur, I am actually pretty bad at running and always have been. I remember back in the days of being a kid, we did athletics quite a bit at middle school, I particularly remember the 1500M around the school field many times, it was so hard and felt like running miles! :mrgreen: We used to do P.E. with 2 classes together (split boys and girls) so there would be around 30 of us running round the field. I always remember the good runners finishing so far ahead of everyone, they’d be sitting on the field watching the rest of us finish. I was not the best, probably in the last 10 or so most of the time. Needless to say I was never going to be a runner, and did not really enjoy it.

Fast forward to now and I still don’t like it, not the running aspect anyway. The good things about it is the peace, you can be out and run and it really does clear your mind, it’s a great escape from the world. It also keeps you fit, or it will at least feel that way since you are doing something, and gives a sense of achievement of doing something. It’s actually addictive, even though I don’t like it I have been running for about 6 years and when I don’t run for whatever reason I feel like I miss it, or feel like I really need to exercise.

When I run I do not run too far, like I said I can not handle it. I heard that some people are just not made to run, even if they are fitness freaks some people can simply not run very far…If that is true I am one of those people 😉 Since I got the Nike App I have been able to see how far I run, and how fast, and have been able to set goals etc. which has been great, but I don’t take it too seriously. I usually run 3km which is far enough for me, sometimes I take it a bit further to 4 or 5, or shorter to 2.5km, depending on the routes I go on.

I don’t really know what is considered fast/average/slow…I read a couple of forums online and I found people which were a lot slower than me and people who were so much faster, so it does not really give much insight. This is me anyhow, and my times. It was over 2 or 3 weeks, and I really pushed the first mile to see how quick I could do it. The fastest I have ran a mile has been 7 minutes 42 seconds, which I think is really quick, considering my fastest was 8 minutes 24 seconds weeks before, shaving off 42 seconds is a lot! It’s all about competing with myself, rather than someone who is actually a great runner :p

I think I have hit the wall with that though, my fastest time is 07:42 and I think that will be the fastest I can do, but you never know 😉

How fast can you run a mile?

Fastest Mile – UPDATE – December 2014

So I have been running all year, and I thought I would never beat my 7:42 mile time, but by some kind of miracle I did! 😮 I ran a mile in under 7 minutes…In fact, UNDER 6 MINUTES! My fastest mile is now 05:40!!! I know I’ve said it before, but there is no way I will ever beat this!

Fashion Advice – Spring Knitwear For Men

Fashion, What To Wear Guides
Wednesday, 23rd April, 2014

One thing I love about the spring fashion is spring knitwear. It’s not warm enough to walk around in just a t-shirt, and not cold enough for a winter coat and layers of clothing, it’s perfect weather for spring knitwear.

It’s important to remember that knitwear such as jumpers and cardigans should not be put away when the first glimpse of sunshine comes, and that they are great pieces to build up your wardrobe and look with.

You can keep it simple and toned down with darker colours such as dark greys, blues and black, or a great thing to do is to add some subtle colour to your look with a pastel colour knit.

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Revolution Bar Newcastle Review

Newcastle Nightlife
Thursday, 10th April, 2014

Traditionally a vodka bar, Revolution is one of the finest bars in Newcastle. Located on the corner of Collingwood Street, It’s in a prime location situated close to the Central Station with plenty of nearby bars.

Recently refurbished you can enjoy the décor including the huge pillars and amazing ceiling of this building, which is a former bank.

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Zegna Intenso & Essenza Di Zegna Fragrance Review

Men's Grooming
Tuesday, 8th April, 2014

Zegna Intenso And Essenza Fragrance Review by by Ermenegildo Zegna

Essenza Di Zegna and Zegna Intenso are two fragrances which I got quite a while ago. Released around 2003 and 2007 respectively by Ermenegildo Zegna. The Italian fashion house is known for it’s elegance, and these two scents can certainly be described as that.

Both bottles are a similar style, with the Essenza being a light coloured clear bottle, and the Intenso being dark, and having stripes throughout in the style of closed blinds.

Essenza Di Zegna is a slightly fresh and aquatic style of smell, with hints of amber and musk as it settles down. It’s quite a strange combination, which makes determining it as a night or day scent is quite difficult. This means I could recommend it as either day or night wear, probably on a more casual basis. It’s a slightly warm aroma, but not something you’d exclusively classify as something for a winters night.

Zegna Intenso is a really nice, inviting scent, which slightly resembles Armani Code. It’s slightly woody and aromatic, and is perfect for date night, a night out with the lads, or any kind of situation where you want to smell like a warm and inviting individual.

Both scents are quite individualistic, and quite underrated in the fragrance market. Neither is a stand out scent which is going to be a must have for someone who’s looking for that one killer bottle of cologne, but if you’re looking for something which others aren’t wearing, either of these could be worth thinking about.

As both scents are quite old now, you can shop around and pick up either for a great price. It’s worth buying if you can get a good deal.

In terms of the longevity, as these are both EDT and not particularly strong, the longevity is fair. Expect to get 4 or 5 hours before the scent really starts to fade away, especially Essenza, the lighter of the two. The projection is also quite small, so people at the other end of the room are unlikely to smell the scent.

If you’ve got or worn either of these fragrances from Ermenegildo Zegna, let me know what you think of them.

Essenza Di Zegna

Best season to wear – Spring/Summer
Scent type – Aquatic/Fresh
Age Recommendation – 21+
Best Worn – Daytime, Casual

Zegna Intenso

Best season to wear – Autumn/Winter
Scent type – Aromatic/Woody
Age Recommendation – 21+
Best Worn – Nightwear, Casual, Date Night, Out With The Lads

Alvinos Cocktail Bar Newcastle

Newcastle Nightlife
Thursday, 3rd April, 2014

Alvinos is an amazing bar

From real ales to cocktails, Alvinos has all the drinks you could want. One of the best bars in Newcastle, it manages to combines a cool chilled back atmosphere with a lively friendly spirit, a true old fashion cocktail bar with great music inside, great people and plenty of seating over 3 levels including a few cosy hideouts.

Drinks

As far as drinks go, you’re pretty much covered at Alvinos. bottled beers, draught, guest ales, a large selection of cocktails and more, classics such as a Mojito can be yours for under £6.

The Place

As mentioned, the bar has a sort of 3 levels, with the middle being tiny but space enough for a couple of friends, with a couple of hideaway spots on the ground floor too. The ground floor also houses plenty of seating and tables out in the open, and has classic bar games such as pinball and fuss ball. With 2 separate bars, you can get drinks on the ground or top floor. The top floor has tables and seating area inside, open but secluded enough to not be bothered by other tables. The top floor also leads to an outside terrace, the place to be in the summer with an outdoor DJ, or if you smoke you can go here and stay warm under the heaters in the winter.

Located on Pilgrim street, this is one of Newcastle’s best places to go if you’re a young person looking for a good time with a laid back attitude.

Hot Water By Davidoff Fragrance Review

Men's Grooming
Wednesday, 2nd April, 2014

Davidoff Hot Water Fragrance Review

A fire red bottle, and an oriental and warm smell, Hot Water by Davidoff is a fragrance which has been around since 2009. This EDT features a quite tall and slender looking bottle, with a few grooves thrown in and plastic sides.

An inviting aromatic scent, it’s a spicy one which will warm up your cosy autumn or winter nights. The spicy scent hits you straight away, and is not the most powerful I have experienced, although it does pack a punch, so if a warm spicy smell is not what you like, you should avoid this.

It’s not a classic scent by any means, but if you’re looking for something a little bit different to what the others are wearing, this could be a contender. It lasts for a fair while, a few hours, long enough for an evening out. It’s definitely one for the night, I would not really recommend wearing this as daywear for work or college, people may think you’ve just rolled in from a night out!

Best season to wear – Autumn/Winter nights
Scent type – Aromatic/Spicy
Age Recommendation – 18+
Best Worn – Evening, Date Night, Casual

Notes

Paprika, Pimento, Benzoin, Woodworm

What do you think of Hotwater from Davidoff? Let me know, and you can check out more of my aftershave reviews if you’re on the look out for a new signature scent.


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