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Banks International Hockey Festival 2012 From the setting up of the tournament, what happened after that can only be described as awesome. This annual event in Barbados has attracted teams from all over the world and has now firmly established itself as the biggest and most cosmopolitan in the Western Hemisphere .... if not the world. The Banks International Hockey Festival has prided itself on striking the balance between good hockey, good camaraderie and good social events on an island that naturally embodies everything magnificent as a destination for your holiday. Example Itinerary: Depart Gatwick to Barbados with Virgin Atlantic, departs 1000 arrives 1345. Upon arrival, transfer to your chosen accommodation for a 10 night stay. Day 1 Day at leisure. Tonight, 7-9 pm, team captains and managers are invited to a cocktail reception at the Banks Hospitality Centre. Oistins Fish Fry from 7:30 pm Oistins is a quaint, but lively, fishing village in the south of the island. Enjoy the fresh catches of the day. The aromatic flavours of grilled, or fried, fish in coal pots is only matched by their sensuous taste. You can quench your thirst in the many Rum Shops that abound in the area. Banks Beer will certainly be the order of the day and is considered the perfect compliment to a sumptuous fish dinner. Day 2 Bert's Bar, Rockley from 7:00 pm The newly renovated and re-branded Bert's Bar on the South Coast promises to be an excellent warm-up for the Opening Ceremony the next day. Bert will be on hand to host the event. Banks and Pizza specials will be the order of the night. The DJs on hand will spin a variety of tunes, from techno to calypso just to keep the crowd in good spirits. A local tip is that Bert's is not only known for their Daiquiris. Their wood-fired pizzas are quickly becoming a favourite with locals and tourists alike. Day 3 Opening Ceremony from 3:00 pm – 10:00pm The official opening, of the 23rd Banks Barbados Hockey Festival takes place. There will be a popular DJ to keep the crowd moving after all the pleasantries have been completed and all the teams will be keen to get their Festival off to a flying start, even without sticks and balls. A typical Festival includes : • Opening ceremony with colourful parade of teams. • Parties arranged by local clubs • Presentation ceremony and End-Of-Festival Fete Four competitions for men, women, mixed and men's vets (over 35). Each has pools of 4 to 6 teams, playing from Monday to Thursday on the Astroturf and grass pitches. Friday is Semi Finals day for pool winners; Saturday is Finals Day. Day 4 from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm 10 Day Holiday package starts here Full Hockey Game Day at the Astro Turf facility and 9:00 am to 5:00pm at all other grounds. Hangovers or lack of sleep are no excuse for a poor start to the Festival. Hockey action hits the venues from early. Day 5 from 7:30 pm Talent Night at The Ship Inn, St. Lawrence Gap Talent Night is where teams will showcase capabilities apart from the difficult art of striking a round, white ball with a stick. The ability to sing like Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole is great. However, unless it is accompanied by an original stage presentation, the team is likely to face the judges - and audience's - wrath. The action begins with a Happy Hour which spans 120 minutes (from 5-7 pm) and there is extra time, too, with an 11-12 pm Happy Hour. In between there will be Banks and other Drink Specials. As per the Ship Inn norm - "Party can't dun!" The judging panel will comprise a cross-section of famous Barbadian sportsmen and entertainers with an eye for the fun factor as well as talent. Day 6 from 9:00 am to 11:00pm Full Hockey Game Day at the Astro Turf facility "Carry your own key" Bingo night -- a.k.a Karaoke-Bingo This is the continuation of the hockey liming day with a twist. There will be Karaoke from 7:00 pm for everyone. This is fun for everyone as well as well as a competition where we will see, and hear, which team has the best "Crooners". Obviously the singing pipes will be cleared using Banks Beer. Day 7 from 7:00 pm Blue Bench Bar, Hastings The off-the-field action continues at the Blue Bench with a liming and party session. The Bistro & Bar is located in the Hastings area on the South Coast of the island and has a spacious deck and car park to accommodate the large hockey crowd. There will be a fantastic menu served up on the grill by Alibi Dave (fresh fish, spare ribs, burgers, BBQ chicken) and a fully-stocked bar where there will be Drink Specials all night long. Proprietor Martyn prides himself on the fact that he has the island's sexiest waitresses, The Blue Bench girls, who will be hard to turn down when they offer up their Jello Shots and other exciting blends. And there will be a DJ mixing up concoctions of his own, livening up the session with Caribbean rhythms but not leaving out the visitors with any requests they might have. Day 8 Semi-final Day & ”After Work Drinks" from 6:00 pm at the Astroturf Bar. After the heartache of not making it into the Knockout Stage of the Banks Hockey Festival, one will need to either vent or celebrate and the place to be is the Astro-tuf for the after work lime. It will be an evening to lime with friends, family, team players and officials whilst enjoying a drink or two. Again music will be provided by local DJs. After-HockeyParty & Presentation Fete Is it over, is it really over. Whether you have some hardware to take home with you or not, this is the place to say goodbye to your old friends and your new found friends. |
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