Hockey nationals and more

Hi everyone,

Welcome back and thanks for taking the time to read. It is always a pleasure to write my blog, but this week it has been especially enjoyable because of the content. This is a BIG blog so be warned and don't go into reading it lightly, but equally make sure you read it. It is crammed full of stories and hopefully a gripping report on the biggest week in the UK Ball Hockey Calendar. Take your time to read it, comment and share with your friends.

Status Update

This week I am mostly tired and forgetful. It has been a busy week of work as we are undergoing an accreditation process so I have been putting in some longer hours to get stuff done whilst its quiet. Not only that, but as the NHL playoffs continue to enthral me I have been unable to get to sleep at an acceptable hour. I am definitely looking forward to some upcoming leave when I will be able to get some sleep and relax my tired and aching muscles.

This weekend hasn't exactly helped me catch up on sleep because the national hockey tournament dictated that I would have to wake up early on Sunday (3.45 am) to catch the team bus to Sheffield and then crawl back into bed a whole 23 hours later at 2.30am on Monday morning. Put it this way I have been on auto-pilot since then so you should count yourself lucky that I am managing to form a sentence let alone write an entire blog!

This week I also started a new fitness regime. I am going to be giving the workout that has been getting a lot of praise and recognition for its outcomes a try, Insanity. So far I have done the fitness test, but progression was rudely interrupted by hockey. I can, however, tell you that if the fitness test is anything to go by this is going to be some hardcore workout that will improve my cardio output and hopefully build my strength too. I am looking forward to giving it a shot and feeling the deep burn each time I turn on the DVD player. I am sure as weeks progress I will be reporting back, but the aim is to get fitter before I go to America so I can eat all the burgers I want without feeling guilty. Not that I would anyway!

Haggy's Hols

This week I finally got around to applying for my visa waiver so that my entry to USA would be smoother. I have to say that it had slipped my mind for a while and I was very happy to find that the process has been streamlined in comparison to other visa traditional processes. Ordinarily my understanding of visas is that you have to make a written application and then wait weeks whilst it is processed and your passport is updated. For this reason I was fearful that I may have left it a bit late and this would lead to impending panic stations, but reassured by recent travellers I logged on to a website to apply for my visa.

Well done to Homeland Security for creating such a simple process for applying for a visa. It removes a lot of complications for the customer and must allow them to complete all their necessary checks. The online application was simple and asked a few standard security questions, nothing too daunting though thankfully. I was also required to make a nominal credit card payment to complete the process. All in all though it was relatively painless and a mere 72 short hours later the visas were approved and we are cleared to travel! My advice don't leave it too late, but don't let concerns about complex visa processes put you off travel.

Let the countdown begin! There is still one stage left of our West Coast tour to tell you about - San Francisco. That can wait though because like they say good things come to those who wait. Before all that I have one final trip to make to Seville that I will tell you about next week and then real preparations will commence.

Food Glorious Food

Given that I am tired this week it was a nice coincidence that one of my favourite websites www.bbcgoodfood.com was running an article about how food can help you sleep better and reduce stress. Obviously I had a read of the article (found here) and it actually turns out that I do a lot of this stuff already. Maybe I just need to be strict and make myself go to bed at a reasonable hour. If you are having sleeping issues consider a change in your diet.

Based on what I read I would like to share with you the recipe for Zingy Chicken Stir-Fry because it looks tasty. It is literally a stir fry, but click here for the ingredients list.

Haggy's Hockey Corner

It has been the biggest hockey week of the year and I have a fair few stories to regale this week filled with real highs and some difficult times. I wouldn't say lows because they really aren't negative, but instead something that could have produced a slightly better outcome. Read on and I hope you catch my drift.

Comets collect the trophy with a final victory
Quick acknowledgement - the pictures of the Comets game and trophy come courtesy of Paul Lynch. Check out his 365 blog because he creates some stunning images.

After sealing the title as champions last week against Northumbria Sharks the North East Dekstars Comets were back in action this week. The team took to the court to face off against a fellow Dekstars team - the Supernovas. You would think that being a fellow Dekstars team and just a week out from the big national tournament this game may be a docile affair. It was not. Instead this game would turn out to be one of the hardest fought of the season and was interspersed with some aggressive play, sometimes overly so.

The game had been ticking over nicely for a while. It was feisty and committed, but being played in good spirits. That was until a jostle in the corner where two players gave as good as they got boiled over later on in the play. Whilst the Comet player James Dixon was running towards the boards he received a cross check to the back sending him head first towards the boards. This led to a lot of pushing and shoving between the teams and in all honesty a lot of people getting involved when they really didn't need to be involved. The referees did a good job of handling it and got the game going again relatively quickly. In my eyes it was totally unnecessary and could have caused serious injury to someone who is a very important piece of the Dekstars 1 national team and someone due to go and represent his country in a matter of weeks. That kind of thing does not belong in the game and hopefully the league look at it again, but if not the offending player should count himself lucky and learn from what happened in the aftermath.

Ultimately the Comets won 6-5 (I am not sure, but I may have the game winner) and completed the season undefeated. On reflection the incident gave the Comets the kick they needed to go on and win the game and it certainly made victory that little bit sweeter. The only blemish on the season was the draw last week and it would have perhaps been nice to have recorded a shutout at some point in the season. Beggars can't be choosers though! It was a great privilege to play alongside every single Comet and they are all superstars in my eyes contributing in many ways over the season. It is a shame that the team will probably be broken down and reformed in a draft style next season, but we can all be proud to be the first team to win the inaugural Northern Conference League. Thanks for the ride Comets, it's been an honour!

Dekstars 1 come a very close second
Sunday saw the entire Dekstars club take 3 teams to the season finale national tournament. I was honoured to be asked to captain the first team in the absence of our broken toed captain Becky Farren (get well soon Bec). It added a bit of additional pressure to the tournament, but it was a level of pressure I actually enjoy having and it drives me on to give more and really try to lead by example. That and it gives me the permission to be more vocal too!

The format of the tournament would be a group of sorts with the 3 other competing teams before a semi-final and a final. We would avoid the semi-final if we topped the group so there was added importance to winning  every game in the group stage. Forgive me for not remembering the ins and outs of games, but it was a long day!

First game was up against Shaw Millionaires. Shaw are a team we have historically had difficulty against because they are well drilled and play a hard game. This game followed tradition and to be honest I don't think the 4am start and a 3 hour coach trip had helped any of us as we were sluggish for the majority of the game. We clicked in flashes and just enough to start the day with a confidence building 2-0 victory.

Game two would be a different story against a team who were possibly the favourites just ahead of us Dekstars, Nottingham Wolves 1. A team filled with talent and pace and playing a forechecking style very similar to our own it would be a game decided by who could control the neutral zone the best. Unfortunately that accolade went to Wolves who dominated from start to end. We had a few good chances on goal, but the pace and precision of Wolves' passing saw us collapse deep in front of our net and encourage them to attack. It was only some sterling work in goal from Darren Elliott that kept the score to a respectable 1-0 loss.

Game three and the final game of the group was against a talented Wolves 2 team. It was do or die because a loss would very likely see our day end there and then and get dumped out of the nationals without showing anywhere near the performance that saw us capture the Southern Open tournament a matter of weeks ago. The game started out as a tactical affair on few clear cut chances, but a game that I think we had control of for long swathes. However, we would go behind thanks to a quick break that caught us napping and allowed  Wolves to sneak a goal in at the near post. Again, falling behind gave us the kick we needed to turn on our game and we went back down the other end and bagged an equaliser a couple of shifts later. As the game went on Coach Cree called us in and game us a ticking off and told us to up our game, we did. As the game drew on space did start to develop and a superb pass from Jonna Galloway found me on the left wing. I made my way up the wing unchallenged and I don't know what came over me, but I decide to take a slap shot from just inside the offensive zone. I don't think I have scored a slapshot since my first year of University ice hockey in 2005, but this one found itself nestling in the back of the net. That would be the game winner and we saw out a 2-1 victory to progress to the semi finals.

The semi-final would see us face off against that pesky Shaw Millionaires team filled with old team mates and good friends Katy and Jeff Holliday. Again the game was close and actually all turned on the penalty awarded to my line mate Justin Presseau. After taking a penalty the Millionaires would quickly convert a powerplay to take a 1-0 lead and see a usually calm Justin flip his lid and try and snap his stick coming out of the bench. I found this slightly funny as it was such a break from normality. Anyway, on the very next shift David 'JC' Hirst would convert a chance created by some hard board work from James Dixon. The momentum was truly with us and when Terry Simons scored on a semi spin-o-rama goal we took a lead that we would not relinquish. I would go on to add a goal that I will try to remain modest about, but am in fact very proud of. Picking up the ball on the halfway I chipped the ball over one defenders stick, volleyed it over the next and after settling the ball down snapped a shot into the top corner. The game was over by that point, but it still felt good to score a goal like that on the national stage. Final score 3-1 to Dekstars.

For some reason the video won't show, but here is a link - vs. Shaw video

Ahead of the final I sat and had a think about the Wolves breakout and how we could combat it. We had a few small chats beforehand. I am not going to say what about because there will come a time when we play them again, but put it this way I noticed one system they play. It seemed to work because the game was much more even than our first meeting earlier in the day. Chances were limited as both team nullified the others' attacks but both goaltender was called upon to make important saves. At one stage I hit the bar and would later be told by the opposing goalie that had it been on target it would have gone in because he was unsighted. That makes what happened next all the more unbearable. The game would end 0-0 and owing to time constraints would go straight to penalty shots. It takes a brave man to step forward and take a shot in this type of game and confidence is key. Even though I had a great day I was not confident as I tend to overthink one-on-one scenarios and end up missing, so looked and hoped for others to be braver than I. Luckily there were some brave enough to step forward: Arto Polus, Terry Simons and James Dixon. It was a tense affair as is to be expected, but luck was not on our side as we lost narrowly 2-1. Even though we lost I need to give a big shout out to our penalty takers. It takes guts and courage to do what you did so regardless of the result be proud in your mental fortitude and you will forever have my admiration.

Again here is another link to a video - Penalty video

After the final we all got together for a bit of a team talk as normal and the loss was still very raw for everyone. I could see in everyone's eyes that they had given much more than a physical effort but also an emotional effort. It was at that time that all you can do is congratulate the team for giving it their all and try to remind them of all the positives. There are a lot from a team who is still getting to used to using new line combinations, playing new systems and dealing with injuries and absences. I mean 2 trophies, a semi-final defeat to eventual champions and a tight penalty shot loss in a final is something to be very proud of. If any Dekstars 1 players are reading really do take great pride in what we have accomplished together this season. Next season we carry on upwards and build on each and every success we have earned this year. Well done you heroes!

Before I leave off from the nationals I want to give a shout out to the Dekstars 2 and 3 teams. Both teams gave excellent performances all day and hopefully learnt a lot about themselves and their team mates. From my perspective they played some excellent hockey and deserved to go deeper into the tournament than narrowly missing out at the group stage. I was lucky enough to bench coach Team 2 during their tournament and every player gave their all and impressed me in the passion and drive to achieve. There are elements of the team that Team 1 would do well to learn from and hopefully we can continue to give them something to aspire to and even one day usurp us! It was a great day for everyone involved in the club and a big thanks goes to Darren, Alison, Ali and Becky for organising the day and being so amazing!

Have You Heard What Haggy's Heard?

Story of the week  - I am not usually a fan of celebrity because unfortunately too many people are given this status despite being talentless. I mean programs like Geordie Shore and The Valleys symbolise just how dire things have become. Today though I want to praise Angelina Jolie for using her status to raise awareness in world issues. She has worked on behalf of the UN previously but today she is raising awareness in breast cancer through her own tribulations and a double mastectomy. In what must be a difficult personal time she is creating a media focus and discussion around the topic. If it can increase screening then hopefully people can make informed decisions before they are forced to take action. For once someone acting as a proper role model - click here for full story

Quote of the week - This week is less so a quote but more of a comment I saw on Facebook. It doesn't need much introduction, but it really gets you thinking why the world's superpowers couldn't just agree to get along for once and instead make a real positive difference to future generations.

Song of the week - This week's song of the week goes to Naughty Boy with the new track LaLaLa featuring Sam Smith. It's a catchy track for sure but it is song of the week on the back of the innovative video. I am loving the South American Wizard of Oz references in the oddly endearing story of a runaway and the people he meets on his journey. Check it out, it's cool. Another video link fail sorry so please click here

Film of the week - I love a dystopia and tonight I saw a trailer for a film that may just feed my just satisfy that craving. The Purge starring Ethan Hawke is about a society where once a year all crime goes. An interesting concept indeed an if not worth going to the cinema to watch it is a definite addition to my rental list.

Thanks for persisting and I hope you enjoyed this week's bumper edition. See you next week!

Love

Haggy

Bank Holiday delights

Hi there friends,

Welcome back to The World Of Hagg. It feels like it has been a long week. Possibly because there was a bank holiday and I had to work less or possibly because I am having difficulty remembering what happened when. Either way I have some stories that need to be told and some things in my life that need to be shared. I hope you enjoy them and as ever please comment and share my blog with those like minded people out there.

Status Update

This week saw the country 'celebrate' a bank holiday. I say celebrate because for some reason bank holidays are seen as an excuse to go drinking on a Sunday instead of (or possibly even as well as) a Saturday. I am a real creature of habit because ordinarily I would be visiting Snoozeville (Population: me) following an egg mayonnaise sandwich, so the concept of this just confuses me! I bought into it this time though and had a good weekend as a result.

After a fairly intensive pre-nationals training session on Sunday morning I made my way to the supermarket and bought myself a few beers. I was invited to a barbecue with some friends from hockey and for the first time in a long time I was going to be joined by 2 long time friends from my Uni days. It had the potential to be a great night and it turned out to be just that. Firstly, the food was incredible and I will most certainly be trying to get my hands on the recipes for the Dixon family chilli and crab cakes. Big love as always goes to them for their hospitality! After enjoying the chilled drinking atmosphere of the barbecue and warming up around the fire pit my Uni friends thought it was about time to sample the delights of Newcastle. As much fun as I was having I couldn't say no because one of them had never even been before. I may have had a few too many tequila shots before leaving the barbecue because the night becomes a little bit hazier from there on in, but we went to a couple of bars near the station and I generally danced like no-one was watching! By the time we came to leave my senses were returning, but my judgement was cloudy enough to demand greasy food and order my first ever Parmo!

Put it this way the reunion was so good that we are already talking about meeting up for a more sober affair next bank holiday. We shall see because I can't promise it will be sober, just maybe not as drunk!!!

Haggy's Hols

Apparently I go on holiday a lot. I am even starting to get sarky comments from the customers at work, but I think it is just a case of jealousy. To be honest I can't really help that my girlfriend lives in another country and I have to go abroad to see her and it is less like a holiday these days. That being said I am going back again in a couple of weeks to see her for the last time before we embark on our magnificent tour of America's West Coast. This time I will be travelling by all modes of transport in the value category in the vain attempt to save pennies for the summer. First up I will going Megabus to London and then flying Ryanair to Seville. Really, wish me and my cramped legs luck and hopefully it will all go smoothly. I guess I might appreciate other carriers more after this experience. I will most certainly be reporting back and perhaps warning you of such foolish journeys in the future.

Talking of our tour I can't really go one week without giving you an insight into our plans. Next up after Yosemite is 2 nights in Napa Valley. After making our way up from Yosemite with a potential pit stop in Sacramento we will staying in Napa itself. Renowned for its perfect wine growing conditions you can guess what we will be doing during our stay there...that's right...visiting the Jelly Belly factory in Bakersfield. I am so excited about this because not only is it free, but they also sell of reject jelly beans called Belly Flops - pure genius.

Of course during our time in Napa we will be sampling some of the local grape juice too!We are definitely going to be hiring some pedal bikes and taking in the wonder of the vineyards as we cycle. After the excess of the holiday so far it may be necessary to do some exercise anyway. By all accounts this is a great way to see the wineries and get involved in some sampling. I am looking forward to learning a thing or two and maybe becoming a wine connoisseur (it is hard enough to spell it)! At the moment we are undecided about whether to get a guide or do it ourselves. If you have any suggestions or recommendations then please do tell because it would really be useful right now!

Food Glorious Food

In honour of the fabulous barbecue food I was given I am going to bring you a couple of BBQ delights. Hopefully the nice weather will hold out long enough in the UK for you to try a few of them. If not try it next time the sun appears in a sky near you!

Beer Butt Chicken

This is pretty straight forward but gives you an awesome chicken dish. Essentially the beer will steam off in the cooking process and infuse the meat with its flavours so don't skimp on the beer because you will end up with a chicken that tastes foul. Yes the pun was intended!

Ingredients

Whole chicken (innards removed)

Beer (in a can)

Seasoning

Method

Season your chicken
Crack open your beer and drink half
Place the can in the chicken's cavity and stand upright on a baking tray
Cover with foil and cook low and slow until the juices run clear
Eat!

Second one isn't from me, but is from the guys at Tasted's Burger Lab. Basically these guys make gourmet burgers and I love it! This edition has some things after my own heart, spice and Spain. It's the Chorizo Burger! Oh, and go check out their other fine works and drool away.

Hagg's Hockey Corner

Last week I brought you news that the North East Dekstars Comets team was on the verge of winning the league and it all rested on one big game. This week I bring you good news because we are the champions, my friends! In a game where a draw would sufficient to win the league we did just enough and tied the game 5-5. Our opponents, Northumbria Sharks, played a really strong game playing a very solid defensive game and forechecking with both speed and aggression. This really caught us cold and at one stage we found ourselves in a 4-1 hole. I am not sure whether there was any complacency or whether the Sharks really wanted to stop our run and halt our title charge, but something just wasn't quite clicking. As ever though the Comet spirit drove us on and with the help of a couple of controversial goal line decisions (one disallowed against us and one given when it wasn't in) we dragged ourselves back into the game. It was all very nervy at the end, but when the final whistle blew a feeling of relief took over.

We can go into the final game of the season against Supernovas knowing that the league is in the bag, but we are all really keen to ensure we go through the season unbeaten. It will be our final game of the season and as well as the standard team with trophy pictures I am told there may potentially be local news reporters there to interview my line mate James Dixon as he prepares himself for the Ball Hockey international.

Next week is nationals week so I hope to bring you more good news from a hockey stand point. A quick prelude is that I have been named captain. Following the Southern Open tournament we found out that our captain broke her toe and has been out of duty since. It has come a bit out of the blue, because there are others who have been with the team longer, are very well respected by the team and would deserve the title, but I am honoured and hopefully I can represent the entire club by leading from the front and put in some good performances. I will sure as hell be trying to make them proud!

Have You Heard What Haggy's Heard

Story of the week - This week the North East Dekstars made the national media unexpectedly! After winning the Ball Hockey Southern Open hockey tournament a couple of weeks ago the majority of the team were making their way home on a private hire coach. At this point I will add I was driving so missed all this, but anyway the driveshaft fell off the coach and caused some damage to other cars as well as abruptly cutting short the victorious journey home. Apparently much hilarity ensued, but as the sun had long set it was starting to get cold. The team were however quickly joined by Highways Officers supplying those snazzy tin foil jackets to keep them warm and staying with them until alternative transport arrived to get them home. The incident has received a full write up thanks to those hard working guys at the Highways Agency. Well any publicity is good publicity I suppose! Full story

Song of the week - I heard this track a little while ago but never caught who it was by, but thanks to my awesome little app Jango it came across my path again and this time I was being told the artist. With a catchy  hook it feels like a summer tune all over and I am also a big fan of Rick Ross' beard! There is also a pretty good remix with J.Cole and Wale doing the rounds so find that too.

Special edition song of the week - After Lauryn Hill achieved the heights of stardom in 1998 with the critically acclaimed ablum 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' she took the controversial decision to leave the music business and focus on family life. This sent shockwaves through the industry as she was touted to be one of the generations best. In my eyes there are only a few albums that have stood the test of time as well as The Miseducation. Well, this week she is back in the news, but for the wrong reasons following a conviction for tax evasion (story here) and it has got me listening to the album again. So, I want to share 'To Zion' with you because it is song writing at its finest.

Quote of the week - "May your neighbours respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you and heaven accept you" - Drake

TV of the week - This week a new thriller/drama started on Sky Living, Hannibal. After watching the first in the series I have very high hopes for this gripping series. It has an all-star cast and looks at the criminal profiling of Dr Lecter from a psychological perspective. A tormented psychologist is recruited by the FBI to capture a killer with a taste for human flesh. A serious twist in affairs is that Dr Lecter is also recruited to work alongside them in capturing the murderer. It is beautifully dark and perfectly twisted in every way. Really really do watch it!

Film of the week - No new film this week, but I did watch the apocalyptic offering that is The Day After Tomorrow. Apocalyptic is probably a bit of a strong word for this film given its it will kind of be OK-ish in the end message following the second ice age. With blockbuster special effects and an unnecessary love story this film hits all the Hollywood clichés, but somehow it entertains me. Perfect late night viewing whilst you doze off!

See you next week when hopefully I can tell you all about captaining the Ball Hockey team to nationals victory and some other generally fun stuff.

Love
Haggy

Feria and the sweet taste of victory!

Hola amigos,

Welcome back. This week I bring you stories of my most recent adventure to Seville and also tales of how my hockey team captured the title of champions. Please stick with it because it may be slightly longer than normal under the new format, but it has been a fairly packed week. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Status Update

It has been a long week and my overriding feeling at the end of it is exhaustion. Filled with late nights in Spain and running myself into the ground playing hockey I am taking a well deserved break tonight and probably going to get an early night. I just can't work hard and play hard in the manner I once used to be able to.Wow does that sound like something an old man would say or what?! It has been a fun week and I got to see Vic again after a few weeks apart so I really cannot complain at all this week, not that I would anyway...honest.

Haggy's Hols

At 7am on Tuesday (after driving from Newcastle that morning) I climbed aboard a cramped Ryanair flight from Stansted and headed off to Seville. It was actually the first time I have been to Seville since November last year and I think I timed it perfectly. After hearing of some epic thunderstorms I arrived in a gloriously sunny Seville and basked in the mid 30s temperatures - not bad hey?!

Alongside getting to see my beloved I got to experience another truly Spanish holiday, Feria. Seville is internationally renowned for Feria, which is basically a week long party. I am still confused as to what it really celebrates, but lets be honest the Spanish don't need an excuse to have a good time and neither do I!

When you think of traditional Spanish clothing with the frills dresses and flowers in the hair you are thinking of Feria clothing. Everywhere you look women are wearing bold colours and trying to outdo each other with the size of their dresses or the size of the flowers in their hair. Let me tell you this they may all look glamorous, and they are, but underneath it all there is a lot of pain being endured from either the heels or even more so from the dresses that are so hip-huggingly tight that it is difficult to breathe!

We arrived at Feria at about 4pm after catching a bus with many a lady dressed in full Feria regalia. In the UK you would probably get funny looks for wearing fancy dress at that time of day, but for possibly the first time I didn't get stared at for being a foreigner, in fact we were greeted with smiles. As we approached the main event we were passed by many groups of party-goers on horse-drawn carriages and there was a palpable atmosphere of excitement and anticipation in the air. My first impression of Feria was that it was much bigger than I expected. A huge ferris wheel towered above a huge site crammed full of marquees or casetas.

Essentially the casetas are small tents designed to house small groups of people and as such are very private and exclusive. They are often reserved for high-society and act as a great way for people to show off their wealth and power. Some casetas and seat about 20 whereas others are huge and can hold what appeared to be well over 100 people. Each and every one was designed to look like someone's front room and pretty much is a home from home for the party people during Feria. Food and drink flows inside and if you are lucky enough to get an invite you best make the most of it. For those without an invite there are several public casetas that give you the same experience, but maybe with a bit less of the razzamatazz.

As the evening approached and the night drew in the party really came alive. The temporary streets were lit up with decoration and fairy lights and the casetas began to glow from within. We met up with some of Vic's colleagues and headed to some of the casetas that they had invitations to. As we drank rebujitos (recipe later) and ate tapas the festivities really began. Live bands played and people danced and chatted in the streets. A genuinely fun and friendly atmosphere ensued and we celebrated with the locals into the wee hours of the night. Overall, Feria was a fantastic experience and one unlike anything I have ever been part of before. Same again next year if anyone wants to join me?!

Food Glorious Food

This week I am going to dedicate this section to something slightly different...cocktails. We all love food, right? But have you ever had a drink that really made you forget about food in a good way that is not a 'I don't remember last night' kind of way? This week I enjoyed many a cocktail that brought back some fond memories so I thought I would share some of my favourite recipes with you so that you can create your own memories and then promptly forget them!

Rebujito - A classic Spanish feria drink that the locals love. These strong, but sweet cocktails are best served cold and served in a shot glass. That doesn't mean down it though it means enjoy in moderation and sip on it whilst the conversation and festivities flow.

Ingredients

500ml Sherry wine

Lemonade (to taste) 

Method

1. Put plenty of ice in a large jug

2. Pour the ingredients over and stir

Mojito - The classic and no cocktail party would be complete without it. Mix it up try new flavours and spirits, but enjoy! Best served at any time of the day and in copious quantities!

Ingredients

Mint (approx 8-10 leaves)

Lime wedges (approx 4)

1 tsp Brown Sugar 

50ml Rum (I like to use golden or honey)

Sprite (to taste)

Method

1. Muddle (mash) the limes, mint and sugar in a tall glass

2. Add some ice and give it a quick stir

3. Add the rum and stir again

4. Top the whole thing with a splash of Sprite

Raisin Expectations - I first had this cocktail in Popolos in Newcastle and enjoyed it so much that I just had to recreate it over the Christmas period. It is a luxurious cocktail that reminds me so much of melted rum and raisin ice cream. Honestly it is well worth a try and if you can't find a raisin syrup then make your own. It's easy just mix equal amounts water and sugar and boil until thick, then add a generous handful of raisins and blitz until smooth...yum!

Ingredients

25ml Raisin sugar syrup 

50ml Dark Rum (if you can find it use Myers)

25ml Cream 

50ml Full Fat Milk

Method

1. Pour all the ingredients in a shaker with some ice 

2. Shake well

3. Strain and Serve

Hagg's Hockey Corner

Where do I begin this week? I guess by bringing you the news that this week the mighty North East Dekstars  took a trip to a shed in the middle of Lutterworth and came home crowned the champions of the UK Ball Hockey Southern Nationals! The sweet taste of victory has come at a cost though as in our first came I received a stick to the face and am now sporting a lovely gash above my eyebrow which will likely scar. Winning has however made it tolerable and people have told me that women love a scar. I am not quite sure what Vic will think when she sees it though!

Anyway, back to the hockey. Over the course of a long, drawn-out day we would play a total of 8 games against a variety of different teams from across the country. Initially we were grouped with last year's national champions London Crusaders as well as Ealing Eagles, Sheffield Storm, Tayside Thunder and Shaw Millionaires. We drew our first game 2-2 against London and built on this by recording wins in each of our remaining group games. It was a fine run of form against some tough opposition and really helped us bond as a team and gain in confidence. Ultimately we topped the group and that saw us through to the knock out stage of the tournament as top seed.

In the semi we faced Ealing Eagles again and as ever it was a close game. Ealing play a very attractive form of hockey with good passing plays and are competent on the ball so we had to do our best to put pressure on them. As a result the game was close and went right to the last whistle. For me I came away from the game feeling both happy and mad at myself. Just moments after grabbing the only goal of the game I took a stupid penalty that left us defending the lead in the last minute on the penalty kill. As they had all day the defence stayed calm and did a great job seeing us through to the final.

The final saw us face off against the team we played in the first game of the day, the reigning national champions London Crusaders. It was always going to be a tough game and especially having lost 3 players before the start due to injury or prior engagements, but we went into it full of confidence. On the first shift of the game we lost a player to yet another injury and we would have to double shift for the rest of the game. This would make things more difficult but Justin Presseau got the first goal of the game and we never looked back. We went on to win 2-1 on the back of a further goal from Justin. It was a great feeling and it felt like a fantastic reward for all the hard work the team have put in over recent weeks.

Next stop nationals!!! We will go into it full of confidence and hopefully the injuries we suffered on the tough road to glory will have healed and we will all be ready to go again. We are only 3 weeks away from the main event. Let the countdown begin.

Have You Heard What Haggy's Heard

Story of the week - This week's story is in support of North Tyneside General Hospital's children's ward. In 2002 a signed Newcastle United football shirt was donated to the ward and brought real joy to the kids ever since. Last week someone stole this shirt. Why someone would do such a thing let alone on a children's ward defeats me, but if you see this shirt anywhere please report it and lets get it returned to where it belongs. For the full story click here

Song of the week - This song has been around a while and I have been listening to it for a while, but it is still not getting old. Although the lyrics are somewhat depressing this song still feels upplifting and pretty epic in general. So song of the week goes out to all the Biffy Clyro fans out there. Ladies and gentlemen I give you 'Biblical'

Quote of the week - This one is mine. During Feria we were stopped by the local news and asked to sum up what we think of Feria. Not knowing much conversational Spanish I went with the tried and tested "Guapa!" to satisfy their need to for soundbite. Little did I know that I had actually made the news until the next day when I was stopped in the street by Vic's landlord. So this week's quote of the week is the word that made me a local celebrity for all of a second - "GUAPA!!!!"

Book of the week *special edition* - Yes I know it's unbelievable, I can read! This week I finished reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods. In the modern world following the death of his wife one man gets mixed up in a mythical world of warmongering gods of yesteryear and the 'gods' of the modern era. Filled with twist and turns I was intrigued by the back stories of many of the gods who appear as well as the main thread of the story. It was a gripping read that gathered pace and really developed character profiles well. I really don't want to give too much away because every piece of the story is part of an intricate puzzle, but I would really recommend people go out there and check it out. The good news for all you non-readers out there is that apparently the book has been picked up by HBO and is getting a Game of Thrones-esque makeover.

See you later,
Haggy