Garden supper this evening. Would it be reasonable to suggest that guests might leave the table for the football?

[LemonRoses]

We have a ten people arriving for supper this evening. We plan to eat on the terrace, with a 7pm start to catch the last of any sunshine. Clearly if they arrive at 7.15, have drinks and warm spiced nuts/olives then sit down to a starter of crab, we’re not going to be serving the entree until well past 8pm.

I don’t know two of the couples. My guess would be that three, maybe four, of the men would want to see the match. I don’t think most of the women would be particularly interested.

My problem is I wasn’t aware there was a football match this evening and I rather suspect some guests will want to see it.

Do we;

• open the doors so people can pop in and out?
• suggest those that wish cut their food at table and then eat of their knees with a fork whilst watching the television?
• suggest we watch together later?
• not mention to football and hope nobody else does?
• arrange regular update messages from someone who is watching?

If a match is at 8pm, what time will it finish? Should we defer eating until after the match but add in more substantial canapés?

@RichardMarxisinnocent What is that all about? This is a whole other thread I know but why do americans (on TV, I don't know any in real life) look they are meeting cutlery for the first time with all the chopping and changing hands or holding the fork facing their body and manoeuvring the knife around it, like a toddler clutching a crayon, to try and cut the food.

Does a terrace have a ha-ha like in National Trust gardens

@FairNotFair

If I ever have to explain the essence of MN to an alien, I will show them this thread

Gold

Well, the polite thing to do would be to play both the English and the Ukrainian anthems so everyone can sing along. It would be helpful to print out the lyrics of the latter for any guests uncertain of the words. You might also want to transliterate, though I expect most of the guests know the Cyrillic alphabet (Ukrainian variety).

Is this real? 🤣

If it is, I'm a woman and care more about the football than my husband so stop the gender stereotyping nonsense please

@RampantIvy

That’s a good idea! We did that at my parents the other week - Wales match with nibbles, then main meal in the interim, first half of Italy game and then pudding in half time. Limoncello in the second half!

Just because it’s fun to make it a party when you’ve been apart for so much of the last year.

(We are part Italian and part Welsh - and part English plus some other things)

Could you rig up your TV on a window sill pointing out towards the terrace with the volume turned up and window open? Or a projector in the garden would be a good option if you can beg, borrow or steal. Might be an idea to contact your guests who may have committed to this soirée without prior knowledge of this game and now wondering if they are going to get a chance to watch it!

Bit of a presumption there won't be any women wanting to watch!
i was just going by what the OP said about the men coming to the dinner party!

I've got a football mad 15 year old girl here who has spent the last few days in an ever increasing state of excitement whilst her brother, uncle and I were like

I am going to attend SecretSpAD's garden party in full England kit and mention the vet in her shell-like ear.

You would be very welcome. Unlike the OP we do have a BBQ and even a bar in the garden

Can you update us on the outcome of the football/garden supper tomorrow please OP?

Don't assume all the men are football fanatics. My DH isn't and would hate to miss a congenial dinner party because of it.

They accepted your invitation knowing the match is on. If they wanted to watch it live they wouldn't be coming.

@Howshouldibehave

You need to move things much earlier so you’re starting on the warm spiced nuts at 5.30/6. Then you can do canapés or perhaps some cheese fondue at half time. Then Arctic roll or something for afters.

@RosieLemonade

Cherry Pavlova for dessert?

That's what I was thinking too and I'm disappointed with the omission of gammon with Cumberland sauce!

@Sacredspace

Could you rig up your TV on a window sill pointing out towards the terrace with the volume turned up and window open? Or a projector in the garden would be a good option if you can beg, borrow or steal. Might be an idea to contact your guests who may have committed to this soirée without prior knowledge of this game and now wondering if they are going to get a chance to watch it!

God, please, no!!! That would be forcing EVERYONE to watch it. Many of us are not that interested. If a host did this to me, I would be leaving early and that would be the last time I accepted an invite.

They accepted your invitation knowing the match is on

Unlikely.

Nobody knew till Tuesday that England would be playing tonight.

And the prize for the amount of unnecessary detail in one opening post goes to ...

[quote Fiddliestofsticks]@Planesmistakenforstars

The entree is the main course. Not the starter.
The main dish of a meal is called the entree. So she is serving the starter and then the main meal (the entree).[/quote]
What you have said is true in the US. But not here. In the UK an entrée (from the French to come in, enter, begin) is a starter. Then a main course is what people in the US call and entree.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

although not as confusing as the Italian “primo piatti” not being starts but the first of two main courses (usually pasta) if you were having a four course meal!

Oh yes, at our v posh (op would approve) Italian holiday hotel two years ago every evening there were two starters before the main course, we soon learnt not to have both.

I want to know how to warm nuts......

I would probably just offer to put it on the radio as background noise. Quiet enough that it won’t disturb any conversation but you will still be able to hear if anything interesting happens.

@Shoxfordian

I would just ignore it, people should be able to come to your dinner party and watch it tomorrow if they’re interested

Even I don't think that and I'll be finishing 3 episodes of Wolf Hall and trying not to hear next door cheering (I hope)! It will be impossible not to know the score until the following day.

Brilliant approach op. I am definitely watching both matches and would have been devastated (yes - I love football and this is a huge match) when I realised your lovely gathering coincided. For those saying you can catch up tomorrow - kind of like going to the opera, staying at your table for act 2 and watching on. dvd the next day. Nothing wrong with staying at U.K. table and going home if you aren’t enjoying but if you are, you need to see it live.
Have fun op.

@dappledsunshine

I want to know how to warm nuts......

And me, I'm guessing chucking a bag of KP in the microwave is not the way to go...

You can't possibly have guests round for a formal dinner party and have them eat off plates on their knees in the television parlour.

Think about the Crumbs.

I will warn you.. that crab will be very difficult to remove from the ceiling when all your guests are jumping off the settee, cheering