Sweet Nothings

Last Sunday, as we made our way from the car park on the third day of Latitude to see The Waterboys , my friend and I realised we were playing a high-stakes game. The festival had been enjoyable enough so far, and although there’d been lots of rain on Friday night and most of Saturday the site hadn’t turned into a total mudbath. (The thing about a quagmire like the 2007 Glastonbury is once you’ve been through it and come out the other side, any festival conditions seem pretty tame in comparison. Our generation never had a Great War or a 'Nam. This will have to do.) Naturally it helps when you get to stay in a big house just outside Ipswich rather than on a soggy campsite. Overnighting elsewhere is a double-edged sword though, and not just because of the hair-raising mudslide that was the drive to the day car park. Festivals aren’t just about watching some bands/comedy/etc on the main stages - they’re about the vibes, maaan. Nothing quite beats the thrill of catching something un

Well, haven't the last couple of days been interesting? All sorts of things that could be said about News International's nefarious dealings, but this pretty much sums it up: "Hitler was nice to dogs". Brilliant. I'll probably buy the News of the World tomorrow, just to see what they fill it with. Chances are it'll only be an improvement...

An inordinate amount of my last few days has been spent in Hyde Park. Wednesday night's appetizer was a 10K race, rescheduled from April thanks to Kate'n'Wills. Just over 54:00 - not too shabby if I do say so myself, and helped by the perfect conditions and nice scenery (only partially spoiled by the sight of a man tumbling into a dirty puddle thanks to an errant cyclist. I swear they do these things on purpose.) There was of course a dirty great artificial barrier blocking off the northern section of the park - erected because we were in the middle of the annual two-week span during which the park temporarily turns into central London's biggest gig venue. The first festival, Hyde Park Calling, had been and gone, but Arcade Fire 's gig was a standalone affair and therefore not quite as corporate. I arrived in time to see The Vaccines , who one has to feel somewhat sorry for. Had they arrived a few years back they could have made a relatively gentle, low-key entry