][1]Being a bloke who has no interest in football other than as an excuse for having a bet and a night in the pub, the excitement about the World Cup has mainly passed my by.
I’ve no wish to make World Cupcakes, theme my dinners around the competing countries or change my name to Wayne Rooney.
Assuming that there might be one or two readers out there who feel the same way, here are a couple of suggestions for alternative ways to pass the weekend.
Sunday sees the opening Mardi Gras parade of the West End Festival in Glasgow. As well as marching samba bands and multiple stages of live music in Kelvingrove Park, the organisers promise lots of food stalls.
The festival actually runs for a further two weeks and plenty of West End bars and restaurants, including 5pm members such as Oran Mor, The Ubiquitous Chip, Cottiers and Brel, are hosting tasting events, plays and gigs.
On a more peaceful note, sunday is also Open Farm Sunday. Farms across the country are throwing open their gates and welcoming in the general public.
The idea is to forge closer links between the people who produce our food and the rest of us. Hopefully, this will help prevent one in four children from thinking that bacon comes from sheep.
If you really must cheer on the football then 5pm member Blythswood Square in Glasgow are offering some swanky match watching options in their Rally Bar and private screening room.
One option involves kicking off with champagne and then taking the game back to its roots with a half time Bovril.
You can make your own gags about prawn sandwiches.