The release of the World Cup fixture list may have brought a great deal of joy and excitement to many football fans it also caused a few groans of dismay to those people who realised that games clashed with their garden fetes or village fund-raisers.

The release of the World Cup fixture list may have brought a great deal of joy and excitement to many football fans it also caused a few groans of dismay to those people who realised that games clashed with their garden fetes or village fund-raisers.

With June and July peak time for events around Norfolk, and many planned months in advance of the fixture list being announced, organisers are now hoping that not everyone will be glued to their television sets and will want to get out and about for a bit of World Cup relief.

As England kick off their first game of the competition tomorrow dozens of events could potentially be affected by a low turnout.

And even if non-football fans are still looking for some entertainment elsewhere the sunny weather, possibly the first decent weekend this year, could see everyone head for the beach.

One event that is taking the clash in its stride is the patchwork and quilting exhibition at Wroxham Barns in Hoveton, near Aylsham.

Organised by Sew Creative it will be open from 10am to 5pm hoping to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Resource Fund at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Kathleen Green, who was yesterday getting the exhibits ready, said they had considered there might be a drop in numbers but they knew there were plenty of ladies who would turn up.

“There might be a problem for those ladies who don't drive and can't get their husbands to bring them out,” she said.

“This event is run every two years and always in this week so we have to ride the storm with whatever it clashes with.”

But the exhibition is also open today and Sunday, 10am to 5pm, so she hoped people would still be able to visit.

Exhibitor Selma Mortimer said she thought it would be a good escape from the football.

“I'm not a football fan myself and I think this will appeal to all women.

“There are some really breath-taking pieces. I was so spell-bound by the last event two years ago that I took up quilting myself.”

Elsewhere a Broads Authority walk has still attracted plenty of bookings despite starting at 2pm, the same time as kick-off for England.

The nature walk around Lound, near Lowestoft, is going ahead with organiser Lottie Colton saying that she felt not everyone would want to be stuck at home or at the pub in front of a television.

“We can't all be ruled by the football,” she said.

The walk starts at Bunkers Hill Chapel and takes in secluded meadows, lakes and woodland looking for orchids, birds and butterflies.

Over in Cambridgeshire, organisers of a garden fete in aid of St Mary's Church in March were still remaining positive about their event.

Margaret Scotney, secretary to the church committee, said it “won't be disastrous for us” even though their event runs from 12pm to 4pm which will cut out all of the game.

“Some of the men might not turn up but we usually see the ladies and children anyway,” she said.

“It is organised the same weekend every year so there is no way we could have forseen the clash with the football. It is important to us because we need to raise the money for the church.

“We still hope England win but it is only their first game and at least it is not the final.”

For more information on things to do in the region, see Event magazine in the EDP every Friday.