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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Nectar Bar, 86 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, NE1 6SG
Closest Metro Station: Central Station
Other Nearby Bars: Alvino, Bacchus
Official Website:
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! 
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
Best season to wear – Spring/Summer
Scent type – Aquatic/Fresh
Age Recommendation – 21+
Best Worn – Daytime, Casual
Best season to wear – Autumn/Winter
Scent type – Aromatic/Woody
Age Recommendation – 21+
Best Worn – Nightwear, Casual, Date Night, Out With The Lads
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
YES! I have it….The first in the UK and maybe Europe, the Spain away goalkeeper shirt! 😀
I searched high and low, Adidas.es, Adidas UK, the usual UK shops and websites, and my usual Spanish websites, and nobody had this shirt. I eventually found it, so had to order it immediately, and it came quite quickly.
The away goalkeeper shirt for 2014 is a fluorescent yellow colour, and they have a very similar (almost identical) training shirt of the same colour, however it’s a slightly different style, and does not carry the World Cup 2010 badge which the Spain team uses in it’s match shirts. I got the home goalkeeper shirt 2014 some time ago, and when the away outfield shirt was announced and released I thought this would soon follow, but it seems very rare and hard to come by.
The badge, just like the other shirts this year, is mono coloured, and is fluorescent yellow and black instead of the usual colourful self. The shorts and socks are the same colour, making it an all neon affair.
I am not a big fan of fluorescent yellow on the black away shirt, I thought they could have used a better colour, it’s not very “Spanish”, but fluorescent yellow as a main colour is great, it reminds me of the 90s and it seems this year Adidas are really going for their neon and fluorescent colours.
I am back on the Air Max horse 😀 Today is Air Max Day, and what better way to celebrate it than getting a brand new pair of Air Max. I am taking it back to the beginning, and got the infamous old school and original style, the Air Max 1.
I love my Converse collection, but I have decided that I would mix things up a bit and a pair of Air Max. I have a pair for running, however they are old and tired and are in really bad condition, I only use them for running and have done for a long time. For the past few years I have bought so many pair of Converse, and before that KSWISS, with the odd pair of Adidas in between. Now I have a fresh pair of Air Max, and I love them.
I love this colour, a nice light smart colour which is not too boring and dull, but not overpowering and bright. They come with the customary and iconic air bubble to the side, a classic design.
What do you think? What are your favourite pair of Air Max?
Welcome to Michael 84 – A men’s fashion blog and lifestyle guide from the UK. You’ll find the best in fashion, style, male grooming, fragrances, travel, tech and modern living.
Read about the latest fashion for men. Everything from luxury designer menswear to affordable casual clothing to keep you on trend. You’ll always look stylish with effortless fashion tips and up to date information on the latest style trends.
Contact
Michael 84 is often named amongst the best mens fashion bloggers in the UK and the world.
Please let me know if you have featured me in your blog, magazine or publication and I will add your button. Check out my Press Page here
