If you were to chose two sports involving polar opposites of society, field hockey and cage fighting would probably be safe bets. Today I've managed to cover both.

We started up in the gantry at Sonning Lane, home of Reading hockey club. It's the first time I've found my way into a gantry, although I imagine that as gantries go, this is one of the riskier affairs. It's a wooden structure perched above the small stand at the ground, accessible via this ladder:

And missing a plank in the middle, thus making life a little dangerous for those who don't look where they're stepping:

Still, it afforded a great view of the pitch and the surrounding area.

More to the point, Reading ladies beat Wimbledon 3-0 to win their league title. I had a cracking time and there was a great "group interview" with the victorious girls after the match - I'll post a link when I've edited it and it's all online.

Into the car at the hockey club and off we go across town to the Rivermead leisure centre, scene of the return of cage fighting to Berkshire.

You may remember that last year I reported on cage fighting in Bracknell. This was the same deal, except this time I'd been allowed to shadow the medical team - filiming the fighters' medicals, sitting ringside with the paramedic, and even bursting into the ring with them when a fighter needed urgent treatment.

It was a fascinating evening and actually quite good entertainment. Whisper it quietly but I don't think cage fighting quite deserves the bad reputation it has. In fact I'm inclined to agree with the paramedic, who said it only suffers because the name involves the word "cage". Apparently local authorities have no problem if you say it's happening in a ring, but start using the world "cage" and often they don't want to know, even though the cage is probably better designed and more fit for purpose than the ring.

From what I've seen tonight the medical procedures in place are certainly adequate, and the fighters simply seem happy to be taking part. They've all got day jobs, they're all laughing and smiling. I'm struggling to see the harm and Rita, my work colleague who came with me, loved her whole evening to the point where she insists her name is first on the list to come to the next one. This despite nearly getting blood in her beer once or twice (we were that close).

Perhaps it's telling that there were almost 900 more spectators at the cage fighting than made it to the hockey. Me? I can easily watch both. But then with basketball, ice hockey, racing, hockey and cage fighting to my name this week, with speedway and a half marathon to come, keeping an open mind is becoming a part of the job description.