This week, I keep my eye on the ball at Gleneagles, pig out at the Crafty Pig and why everyone's a winner at the Marie Curie Brain Game.

Ryder Cup

Last weekend, I took my eyes off Glasgow and placed them squarely on a TV screen to watch a small ball whacked around the Scottish countryside. I, like thousands of others, was at the Ryder Cup. It's one of the strange things about 'going to the golf'. We set off bright and early in the stunning September morning sunshine to make sure we got there in time for tee. A few coffee stops and bacon sandwiches later, we realised we were going to be late.

We decided to go straight to the 14th (yes, we were that late!) and hole up, just in time to see a few perfect putts. Then it was lunch time. We wandered back across the rolling greens to the Spectators Village. Village is a cute way to describe some of the biggest and most luxurious temporary structures I have ever seen. Once there, we set up camp in the champagne tent, where we spent the rest of the day watching the drama unfold on a telly not much bigger than the one in my living room.

It was the first time I had been to such a large scale golfing tournament and I was surprised by the silliness of the crowd - much more good humoured than many other big sporting events - and their ability to shut the putt up when the golfers needed them to. However, the sheer number of folk who, like us, ended up watching the action on the small screen, indoors, seemed extraordinary.

So, given that the event is thought to have brought in a phenomenal amount of money for the area, why don't we just whack the structures up again in two years time and pretend the event is back at Gleneagles! I'd hazard a guess that half the punters wouldn't have any idea!

Crafty Pig

When McDonalds first arrived in Scotland, I remember getting dressed up with my family in our Sunday best - as you did when you went out for dinner - and going for our tea. The concept of fast-food as alien to us as the UFO-shaped burgers we bit into. It was the 80's, though, and everything American was 'cool'.

Fast-forward twenty odd years and our love affair with stateside dining has grown up. No one goes to McDonalds anymore (well, they do, they just don't tell anyone!). Glasgow has a particularly juicy, burgeoning burger scene with new joints popping up almost every week. However, there are some that are doing patties a major service by doing it ever so well.

Enter, the Crafty Pig. Through the doors on Great Western Road it's a fairly standard bar scene, nothing new to see here. The menu, however, is beefier than many others and includes hole-some delights such as the Donut Burger (yep, that's a burger in a donut!).

The Crafty Pig is from the team behind the Finnieston, so I was expecting finesse (those guys are good) and they more than deliver on taste and flavour. I had the Brisket Bun, which was deeply smokey and filling. My only wee criticism is that, perhaps, the chopped salad didn't quite cut it. It might be quick and good value for money but it's far away from fast food, and I'll be speeding back.

Marie Curie Brain Game

Question: what's a great way to have a fantastic night and raise loads of money for charity?

Last night, I hosted the Marie Curie Brain Game in Kelvingrove Museum for the third year in a row. It's a black tie event that's a huge hit with companies and sells out year upon year. I'd like to think it's down to my witty banter, but no, of course, it's simply a fantastic way for folk to support an important charity - Marie Curie Cancer Care - and show off just how clever they are! It's a pub quiz on a grand scale.

The evening began with a champagne reception, before it was down to business: a delicious three course meal with a side serving of 8 rounds of questions. For each round there is a celebrity question master, last night including weatherman Sean Batty and Miss Scotland Ellie Keating.

Just like down the local, folk take it very seriously, cheating is scoffed at and the more the drinks flow, the cleverer everyone thinks they are… Last night The Voodoo Rooms won but more importantly the real winners were Marie Curie, as the evening raised a phenomenal £70,000 for the charity.

Wee Bird Recommends

A wee jaunt away from our glorious city. This weekend (and until the end of the month) why not head up to Pitlochry to discover the Enchanted Forest, Scotland's premier sound and light show. You'll need to be fast as lightening though, tickets sell out quickly!