Copenhagen is a cool city in the day time, but at night it always looked beautiful. Since it’s Christmas there’s plenty of Christmas trees around, all lit up, which look nice and festive. One of the Christmas markets had a big wheel which really stood out on the evening and was all lit up. The building near my hotel has the entire outside lit up too, in really cool LED lights which change colour and also create patterns like heart shapes. It looks amazing in real life, I think the pictures do it justice 🙂
Actually, I did come back Sunday, but I have been busy with work, resting and of course having to edit a huge number of photos for the blog! 😛 I was unsure how to organise these blog posts so I am just going to dive in and separate them by day, night and the odd place I loved 🙂
If you’re getting presents for a man, or buying yourself something, you can’t go wrong with a bit of tech. Tech can be cheap, but it’s usually expensive, and with everything, you get what you pay for. If you’re looking for some brand new tech, or looking to upgrade something you have, here’s a couple of ideas to get you started.
JXD S7800
I have to recommend the JXD S7800 tablet. It’s a gaming tablet, so it has hardware buttons and controls which is essential for gaming. I bought myself one of these and reviewed it here. It’s a brilliant device for playing old retro games, so if you’re 25+ and remember the good old days of arcades, Megadrives, NES, SNES, Dreamcast, Saturn, PS1 and more, you’ll love this and spend countless hours on it. Better still it’s only around £130.
iPad Mini 2
I have to recommend an iPad Mini 2, because a few months back I took the plunge and got one. I decided that I actually did not need the bigger screen of the iPad Pro, and replaced my original iPad 2 with one of these. Sure, it is smaller, but after months of using it I can honestly say the size has not made too much difference, and I really enjoy using it. The biggest selling point is the price, £259 for a 32GB model is such a good price for this device, which will last for a couple of years, no less than a bigger iPad Air.
XBOX One / PlayStation 4
If you’re into gaming and have still not got one of the latest generations of consoles, now is the time. There’s great deals on both the XBOX One and PS4, you just have to decide which one is for you (or be greedy and get both).
Bang & Olufsen H6 Headphones
If you want premium sound, the H6 headphones from Bang & Olufsen is definitely one way to get that. They’ve been around for a while, and now do the H8 which are Bluetooth, but I prefer a hard wired connection which will never compromise the quality. They are expensive at around £280, but are worth the purchase for those looking for a serious sound with style.
DJI Phantom 3 Drone
If money is not an object, and you want to buy a high end piece of tech which most will not have, the DJI Phanton 3 drone will fit the bill. It will cost you upwards of £600, but this is very much the Rolls Royce of drones. With features like an intelligent flight system, GPS which you can map out a route and it will fly to that and return home, it’s easy to use. The camera records upto 2.7K video, half 4K, and can snap 12MP photos in it’s journey which can be anything up to 25 minutes on a full charge.
Marshall Bluetooth Speaker
The Marshall Amps are an iconic design, anyone who likes rock or guitar music or has any kind of music knowledge will instantly recognise the design of this Bluetooth speaker. Coming in at around £170 it’s reasonably priced, and for that you do get this really nice design, which will look great in any bedroom, lounge, dining room or kitchen.
Surface Pro 4
It was launched a few months ago on the back of the successful Surface Pro 3, the Surface Pro 4 looks to build upon that and goes from strength to strength. If you want a laptop replacement this should be worth considering, and if you travel a lot it could save you lots of space as well as being powerful. These start at £749, for power I’d recommend starting at the 256GB/i5/8GB Ram option, which is £1079.
Dell XPS 13
If a new laptop or an upgrade is something you’re looking at, Dell has the one for you. If I was going to get a new laptop I’d have to seriously consider the Dell XPS 13 with the brand new 6th Generation Processor. The XPS 13 (9350) comes with a touchscreen and an infinity display, with an i7, Windows 10, 8GB Ram and a 256GB SSD Drive. All that comes in at just over a grand, £1149 in fact. High end ultrabooks don’t look better than this, and if you want to spend even more you can max this thing out for £1649 and get a 1TB SSD Drive and 16GB Ra. Did I mention it was only 1.29KG.
So that’s the top gadgets this year for Christmas, hopefully you’ll get something here, buy one for someone or buy yourself something 😉
Christmas is rolling around again, and if there’s one thing which (almost) all men like, it’s a good scent. As you’ll know, I own a lot, in fact too many, and I’ve written about a great deal in my men’s scent reviews on the blog over the years, and still have plenty more to do. I’ve tried, tested and loved so many scents, with only a handful I’ve got to admit I was not much of a fan of. If you’re looking to get someone a scent this year, or just want recommendations for yourself and a new fragrance, here’s my little guide of what fragrances I’ll be recommending this year.
Creed Aventus
If you want to treat yourself or someone else and money is not something you’ll be thinking about too much, Creed Aventus is worth considering. It’s a strong EDP, and a masculine scent which is adored by both men and women. It’s a woody but sophisticated scent, and very inviting. Small 30ml bottles start at around £99, you can find it at high end perfume shops such as House of Fraser here.
Floris Santal
I cannot write a top fragrance guide without mentioning my favourite, Floris Santal. My journey with this scent started because I was looking for a Gucci Envy replacement, since it got discontinued. This is very similar, and as such it’s brilliant. It’s a floral style of scent, but still masculine, and works as a perfect all rounder. At £75 it’s one of the more expensive scents, but worth it. You can get it at Floris here.
Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
I describe this as an older gentlemen style of scent. Tom Ford Grey Vetiver is earthy, slightly powdery and really hits home in the way of sophistication. It’s for grown ups, gentlemen, and will have you smelling like nobody else. You can treat yourself to a 50ml bottle from Harrods, it will set you back £50.
Tom Ford Noir
To stay on the path of Tom Ford, I have to talk about Tom Ford Noir. Warm and inviting, it’s another quintessentially fragrance for the modern man. A great one for a night, if you’re planning on getting something before Christmas for a party of night out, try this one. Get it for around £57.
Dior Sauvage
I tried Dior Sauvage and love the way it smells. It’s another masculine style of scent, great for evenings. It smells really elegant, the woody notes are slightly toned down with a warmer spicy affair. It’s is a brand new scent for 2015, taking the name from Dior Eau Sauvage which was released way back in 1966.
Gruhme No.14
I reviewed Gruhme No.14 a few months back and was very impressed. It’s not your household name, but it is an independent British brand which makes quite an impact when you wear it. The number 14 indicates the concentration percentage, and once you wear it you’ll understand what it means. I tested it with two small sprays, and it lasted the entire day, and manages to achieve the longevity without overpowering. It’s a masculine style of smell, perfect for the Winter nights. You can find it direct at Gruhme, at £45 for 100ml.
Issey Miyake Pour Homme
If you’re looking for something manly but want something lighter, Issey Miyake Pour Homme has to be worth considering. It still oozes masculinity but in a fresher, more citrus style. It’s only £42 at Boots for a 75ml bottle, which should last a while, and you can make this your everyday scent.
Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani & BOSS Bottled
Two classic scents which are already favourites amongst men, Acqua Di Gio BOSS Bottled should be in your life, if they aren’t already. Both are fragrance staples which can be worn all year round both night and day, and are completely inoffensive. They are strong enough to be worn in all situations without overpowering, but will make a subtle impression when you’re wearing either of these. Sold in most shops, search for the best deal.
Verdict
Remember to shop around for the best deals. There’s so many people buying scents for others each Christmas, and many shops have fantastic deals on them. Christmas time brings out box sets, which can be the same price as a solo bottle so are well worth the buy, and you get it in a nice box too! 😛 Buying from Amazon is great, but make sure you read my guide on not buying fake fragrances online, you should always shop from authorised dealers to get a genuine product. Forget about a dog, a scent is a man’s best friend. If you’re getting one for someone else or yourself, make sure you have at least one of these in your repertoire.
Ever since I started writing my Newcastle Bar reviews I have had an amazing response from local people who go out every weekend, and those who live outside the city, some even the country, on what bars are the best, which they should go to, and which bars in Newcastle would I recommend. But what makes a good bar? If you ask 10 people in Newcastle, you’re likely to get different answers. That’s because Newcastle has a hugely diverse drinking scene; The more popular of recent years has been the Diamond Strip, but there’s also The Gate, The Quayside, The Bigg Market, Grey Street area, The Central Station and more. There’s also different styles of bars too, from pubs to cocktail bars and late night music bars, traditional party bars and modern gastro late night establishments.
This is my take on the top 10 bars in Newcastle, and they all have to meet a certain criteria. First of all the drinks; It’s why we’re there in the first place. Do they have a good range, and do they do them well? Then there’s the price, is it worth the money? The style of the venue is next, and of course customer service and staff is paramount, nobody wants to go out for a good time and be met with horrible staff. So here they are, the best bars in Newcastle, in no particular order.
Top 10 Bars In Newcastle
Alvino
Why? – Alvino is a cool, chilled out place in Newcastle, on Pilgrim Street which is not overrun by people, and although it can get really busy at peak times, you’re unlikely to have to queue. They play a mix of cool background style music, there’s a good selection of drinks including cocktails and beers. I really like the layout of the place, over 2 floors there’s plenty of seating, then there’s the terrace. This is super cool and a great place to go and chill on a Summer night.
Why?Revolution sell alcohol, and when I mean alcohol, I mean they don’t skimp on it. Their specialities are cocktails, pitchers of cocktails and racks of shots, and when you buy one, you get exactly what you want. If you’ve ever had a cocktail in here you’ll know it, because you can taste the alcohol, unlike some places in the town which you have to wonder where the alcohol actually is. They do sharing pitchers, you can get a rack of vodka shots which they do a huge range including plenty you’ll not find anywhere else. The building, a former bank, is amazing, there’s simply nothing like it in Newcastle. The music is good, and there’s a nice mix of people too.
Why?Jalou specialise in cocktails, but they are cocktails with a difference, and they’re so good too. They do the Cookie Monster and Poppin Candy, both really nice and you’ll not find these anywhere else in Newcastle. The music is good, there’s a bit of a dance floor if you like to dance, booths and seating areas inside, a seating area outside, and there’s also a nice selection of the usual alcohol you’d expect to see in any bar. Free entry, it’s a late bar open until 2AM at the weekends, with last entry at 1AM.
Why? Tokyo is another cool cocktail bar in the town, with quite a small bar on the ground floor which is usually good to just chill, with a bit of random house music usually being played by the DJ. Upstairs is where the place really opens out, literally. The small bar area is met with quite a grand terrace, perfect in the summer, and also not bad in the Winter with the heaters on too. They seem to be selling a bigger range of the usual bar drinks you’d expect to find in a bar along with their cocktails. It can take a little bit of time to get served here on occasions, which is a slight let down.
Why?Bonbar is a newer bar, located in the Old Assembly Rooms. It’s geared up towards more of a late night crowd, with good music and plenty of drinks. When you go in you’re greeted with the bar right down the middle of the room, with plenty of seating and cool booths all around. It looks and feels quite grand, with an outdoor area to relax and chill, and a VIP room called the 467 Club if you want to spend a fortune in peace. You won’t want to, the main room is cool and you can spend a few hours here with friends, and it’s open until 4AM.
Location – The Assembly Rooms, Fenkle St, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5XU | Twitter | Website
The Quayside Bar
Why? As the name suggests, The Quayside Bar is right on the Quay which is a really nice location in Newcastle. There’s a huge courtyard at the front with seating, great for the summer and there’s plenty of tables and seating around the back with views overlooking the River Tyne. Inside there’s a couple of small nooks to chill out with your friends in, so you’re covered in terms of space. It’s a Wetherspoons pub, so it’s not expensive, and a great bar to start in down the Quayside.
Location – 35-37 The Close. Quayside | Twitter | Website
Tiger Tiger
Why? When Tiger Tiger is fully open, it’s huge. There’s the whole downstairs which is big in itself, with brand new VIP style seating. You’ll find 7 different rooms over three floors, the place has everything you could want and more; With an 80’s themed room complete with disco ball, VIP karaoke, pop, and beyond the curtain is what we used to call the club, now called the white room. If you want a taste of every kind of club under one roof, this is the place. You can be here for hours and you won’t get bored.
Location – The Gate, Newgate St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5RE | Twitter | Website
Union Rooms
Why? The Union Rooms is a Wetherspoons pub, which means it’s cheap, but it’s far from nasty. In fact it’s nice, it’s usually always busy, and they do a large selection of drinks. It’s close to the Central Station and close to so many bars, which makes it a perfect meeting bar.
Location – 48 Westgate Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE1 1TT
The Town Wall
Why? The Town Wall, aka The Toon Waal is a bar for friends. It’s like your traditional local pub, but it’s a large city centre bar, with large seating areas and a smaller snug style room. There’s an extensive list of beers including their own Toon Waal Ale, as well as all the drinks you’d expect to find in a pub.
Why? Tiger Hornsby has a bit of history to it; I remember when this was Julies 2, Newcastle Quayside was the cool place to drink, and this establishment was the place to go. I never actually went when the bar was Julies 2, since I was only 17 😉 It became Blue and I loved the place, we went all the time, probably not enough, and then it closed. It is now back, with a cool, more chilled out vibe, while keeping that Saturday night feeling.
Why? The Bacchus is a favourite among beer drinkers and has been voted the best bar in Newcastle on numerous occasions, primarily because of the sheer number of beers they have available, from all over the world including the best name for a beer, Hadouken! (Yes, it lends it’s name from Street Fighter). If beer isn’t your thing they do a large selection of spirits, so there’s plenty on offer for everyone. It’s another bar to go to with your friends, sit down with some good alcohol and chill in a grown up setting.
Location – 42-48 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EW
That concludes the Top 10 bars in Newcastle. I have included the best of all worlds; From the best cocktail bars Newcastle has to offer, to the establishments which take beer to a new level. There’s places to party and let your hair down, and neighbourhood style bars in the middle of the city to relax in with your friends. Remember if you’re looking for a bar crawl, you can try my Newcastle Diamond Strip Bar Crawl, which will definitely give you a great night out 🙂 If you’re a guy, remember to check out my what to wear on a night out guide, which will give you some tips on how to dress when out in Newcastle. Newcastle has well over 100 bars just in the city centre, so condensing them down to a top 10 is obviously no easy task, and there’s plenty of other brilliant establishments which aren’t featured here.
I have had my quilted Barbour jacket for a number of years now, and while I do like it, it has got me thinking, is it the best jacket for Winter?
If you’re thinking about a jacket or coat for this Winter, I have answered some of the questions which you may have on the Barbour quilted jacket, and my thoughts on where it should fit in with your wardrobe this year.
What do you think of the good old fashioned ugly Christmas jumpers then!?
Christmas jumpers have gained enormous popularity over the past 3 or 4 years, and there’s even an official Christmas Jumper Day, to raise money for charity (it’s 18th December this year). If you’re going out or going to a party over the festive period, you have to do at least one night in a Christmas knit, and at least 1 work day if you’re allowed that too, and if you’re not, ask your boss, if he says no, convince him to say yes 😉
This year I have so many jumpers! A couple from last year and the year before, and I have some new additions from Fat Face, Tokyo Laundry and the amazing Funky Christmas Jumpers once again. When choosing your festive jumper there’s a few options you can go for; From a fair isle knit to the ultimate in a novelty design and even light up tops! It’s up to you to pick which style suits you, and you can of course get yourself more than one 😉
Funky Christmas Jumpers have some amazing designs, they’re so funny and if you have a look on their site you’ll probably end up getting more than one. This year they’ve got some brand new hilarious jumpers, including a Kim Kardashian inspired jumper from the Paper magazine cover.
Happy Birthday Jesus – £40
Kim Kardashian Reindeer Christmas Jumper – £40
Hipster Santa Christmas Jumper – £40
Baby Jesus Selfie Jumper – £40
I Know What You Did Last Christmas – £40
Fatface
If you want something a little bit Christmassy but more formal and toned down from an all out novelty design, Fatface have got a few jumpers to get you in the spirit without going overboard. With a few fair isle style knits, and some featuring reindeer, you can wear these with some festive cheer in a more toned down manner.
Stag’s Running – £45
Stag Head – £45
Fairisle Knit – £45
Red Fairisle Knit – £45
Tokyo Laundry
Tokyo Laundry have some brilliant festive designs at a great price. Classics include the elf costume, and other Christmas knits, including some with a 3D vibe to them with 3D pompom detailing.
Merry Christmas Elffie Jumper – £20
Happy Holidays Knit – £20
Penguin Blue Knit – £17
It’s Christmas Time Jumper – £20
Burton
Burton have a nice little selection of Christmas jumpers, including this one which I love, a Santa outfit. This design comes with a few funny extras which I haven’t seen anywhere else which are the naughty list, a hip flask and some faux buttons.
Merry Christmas Peeing Santa – £25
Reindeer Jumper – £25
Overworked And Underpaid Christmas Jumper – £25
Bad Santa Christmas Jumper – £25
My Other Christmas Jumpers
A few favourites of mine are these two; I got a light up Christmas jumper a couple of years ago which is always makes people stare which is pretty funny, it gets some attention in dark bars on a night out 😉 Another is my Santa Claws jumper which I got last year for my 2014 Christmas Jumper Guide which I really love 🙂
A Stag Do is all about that last night of freedom, out with the lads for one last big night. However the stag night is now changing, we used to have a big night, and now we’re having big weekend’s away, some are even going away for a week for their stag do. Going away for the weekend means packing, so you need to know what you’ll need to take with you and make sure you don’t forget anything.
Here is my handy checklist and essential guide to how you should prepare for a weekend away.
The other day I got this box from Adidas, and I was as excited as a child!
Adidas launched the new kits for all their international teams, including my team, Spain. I went down to the Adidas store a couple of weeks ago on launch day, but they only had the standard home shirt in, and I wanted to get the Adizero version this time round. I’ve had the players editions before, last time I did not bother because I bought a standard top, so this time I decided I would only get the players edition, so had to wait for the delivery, and they finally came!
If you’ve been reading my blog since day 1 you’ll know that I always buy the Spain shirts, and when I say I buy them, I get virtually as many as I can! 😛 Being a Spain fan in the UK has been tough, it’s always been a challenge to get some of the shirts, especially things like the goalkeeper shirts which Adidas don’t usually market in the UK; Last time round they did one which I got, and had to send off to the USA for the other (which cost a fortune plus duty & import tax!!). I’ve bought direct from Spain a few times which always costs a lot more plus lots of shipping, so this time round I was so happy that Adidas UK are finally selling a lot of Spain gear in the UK 🙂
Of course that means that I bought a lot…A hell of a lot! I got the Adizero home shirt, the standard away shirt, and the standard goalkeeper shirts, both home and away. I got the ‘keeper shirts with printing, and of course it had to be no.1 Casillas as I’ve had on my previous few shirts. I got a training top too, and I have a further two training tops which I have given to my mam to put away for me for Christmas 😛
Official Home Spain 2016 Shirt Adizero Players Edition
The Adizero players version is a lighter shirt, with a vented back, a better, tighter fit and the badges are heal seals rather than embroidered.
Spain 2016 Away Shirt
The away shirt looks like a weird quirky design, but it comes together when you understand the story behind it. It’s a heat map of Fernando Torres when he scored the winning goal in the final of Euro 2008. I didn’t really like this design before I knew that, but now I do it’s growing on me more and more. It’s now iconic, and everyone remembers Fernando Torres for that winning goal 🙂
Spain 2016 Home Goalkeeper Shirt
The home goalkeeper shirt is a really nice blue with pin striping, and dark blue trim and sleeves. I got a number 1 and Casillas printed on the shirt, as I’ve done for several years now. The number is perforated and a different style to the away number which is odd. It’s a similar colour to the previous one.
Spain 2016 Away Goalkeeper Shirt
The away goalkeeper shirt is yellow and blue and I love it! The colours work really well, and has the diamond pattern on the shoulders as seen on all the other shirts. Once again I went for the number 1 and Casillas print, as mentioned this is a different style number to the home shirt, it’s sort of a block with speckled paint effects within it.
Spain 2016 Blue Training Shirt
I love this colour blue! The picture does not really do it justice, and a lot of the training gear is this colour. This is the royal blue training top, an Adizero shirt which means it’s a really good fit, and has vented perforations in the back the same as the official home shirt does.
If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know that for the past few months I have been talking about adding small details to a look, in particular pocket squares.
A simple pocket square can add a little bit of colour to an otherwise plain looking jacket, it adds a touch of class and will not go unnoticed. I really do like these fine details, and it doesn’t have to stop there, with other additions such as bracelets, lapel pins, ties and even tie bars can add small touches to finish off any outfit.
When the guys over at Me My Suit And Tie got in touch about their style boxes, I had to find out more. Check out their kickstarter here, and read more about them below.
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