Like marmite

Love is in the air; or in theory it was last weekend. Valentine’s Day is treated like something of a marmite occasion by almost everyone I know – people either love it or hate it. Personally I don’t fit the mould and fall somewhere in the middle. I do like an excuse to celebrate the occasion but I also don’t feel obliged to do something just because the commercial sector has realised they can make money from me.
I tested the water with my friends and it turned out many of them were on the same page. My Valentine’s Day featured a healthy and varied selection of activities. It began with a visit to a bridal shop. No I wasn’t trying on dresses; I was just an excited bridesmaid helping my friend try on her dream dress. I then squeezed in a long training run. It was in danger of becoming a very slow plod by the tenth mile were it not for the incentive of being home in time to watch England beat Italy in the Six Nations rugby.
The finale of this romantic day involved alcohol, food and live music in the form of a cider festival; there was cider aplenty, a hog roast and a Wurzels tribute band. Who would want to join me for such a ‘romantic’ Saturday night? That’s exactly what I thought when I first floated the idea to my friends but I was surprised when every single one of them (and mostly couples) replied with a definite yes. They apparently had no interest in going for an awkward overpriced Valentine’s meal. I usually require the rugby or at least some sunshine to get me onto the cider but it turned out that avoiding the stereotypical Valentine’s evening appealed to so many that the festival was a sell out.