So here we are in early August and finally there appears to be a very narrow window of relief from sport.

It started back in June with the build up to the World Cup and since then it's been a fairly relentless season of Wimbeldon, cricket and all manner of marginalised sports under the umbrella of the cherry on the year’s sports – the Commonwealth games.

Setting aside occasions such as Henley regatta and Royal Ascot which frankly seem to be 10 per cent sporting interest, 90 per socialising, I think we all need a little break whilst the sun is still shining and before the football season kicks off with vengeance.

I should confess to not being a fan of any sport on television.

I can feign interest, like a large proportion of the population, if Andy Murray is playing tennis or England are playing football.

I’ll go with it for the sake of national pride but if I’m really honest, I’m not that bothered. The fact that the Commonwealth Games coincided with our holiday this year meant that, thankfully, I didn’t need to feel guilty about my distinct lack of engagement.

For a start, a sporting festival including only countries that have some tenuous connection with the UK seems a little bizarre.

Especially as some of the really good sporting nations are not invited.

It smacks slightly of school yard rivalries. ‘You can only join in our sports day if you’re one of our gang’.

I did catch snippets of it over the two weeks and what I saw I found slightly strange.

An opening ceremony which despite a very happy atmosphere in the stadium, seemed somewhat haphazard.

Countries I’d barely heard of and with such small populations that is was clear that if you come from Tuvalu and show any sort of ability to catch a ball or run in a straight line, you make the national team.

It lacked the pizazz and wonder of the Olympics opening ceremony, which was to be expected, but there is unlikely to be anywhere else it will be possible to catch sight of so many dancing teacakes. When Rod Stewart was wheeled on to croak his way through a few songs, the kids asked me if he was actually a singer. I wouldn’t have been all that surprised to see the Crankies turn up to do a slot.

The men's triathlon was about the only event I actually watched but there were nearly as many competitors that were lapped and therefore disqualified, than actually finished. I’m all for giving everyone a go, but in a games that allegedly cost a little over a billion pounds to stage, I thought the overall standard might be a tad higher?

Thankfully for Glasgow, the rain seemed a little less relentless than usual and I have heard reports that the sun actually shone on the odd occasion.

It was always going to be hard to compete with the next hosts; the Gold Coast in Australia on the climate front but did we really need such a sales pitch in the closing ceremony.

We know Australia is warmer than Scotland, they didn’t need to rub it in.

One of the highlights for me was the Scottish swimmer, Michael Jamieson receiving his medal after winning gold. I didn’t even see him win it but watching him get so choked up as his national anthem was played was undeniably moving, I’ve always been a sucker for a few tears and the thought of how proud his parents must have been was enough for me to turn on the waterworks.

The sporting celebrities of London 2012 were few and far between. No Jessica Ennis, in fairness, childbirth was a very good excuse. No Mo Farah, didn’t read his ‘I can’t do PE today because...’ letter, but at least we escaped two weeks of endless Mobot impressions.

Usain Bolt started off a little less than impressed but someone obviously gave him a slap on the wrist for acting like a bored teenager on a school trip to a museum and he livened up and injected a bit of excitement.

Ping pong, doubles squash, badminton and bowls; we’ve had it all and I’m not too sad I missed most of it.

If you love sport on television, it’s been a great summer but if, like me, you’d rather be out doing stuff than watching it, I suggest we apply for residence of Tuvalu and aim for Commonwealth glory in the Aussie sunshine in 2018.

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