A music festival described as being "idyllic, civilised, varied and fun" sounds like the twee-est thing since I heard my housemate and his girlfriend woke up at 4 in the morning to go for a swim with some seals.

But, by jove, I bloody love Latitude. With the Pimms drinkers and the Guardian readers and the cricket jumper wearers, it really is a relaxing weekend in a lovely park that mercifully I don't have to trek halfway across the country to attend.

Mr. Noel Gallagher once called Glastonbury the only real festival, the others he said were just bands playing in a field. With its poetry and theatre and comedy and cabaret, Latitude can easily justify itself as the only other real 'festival'. A little baby Glasto, if you will. Add to this a Film and Music arena and cine-geeks like me are in heaven.

continued...

This year I've been fortunate enough to be given a free pass and the job of reviewing said Film and Music Arena. So for all the many, many fans of my 'writing' (Hi Mum!) I'll be doing some stuff over the weekend that you can find over at the Latitude website.

Personal highlights for me will be the Shane Meadows and Paddy Considine double-header Q and A session - they'll also be showing off their new mock-rockumentary 'Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee'.

Jeffrey Lewis will be giving me another chance to use the phrase "Captain Blue Cock and Friends" with his lecture on 'Watchmen'. And Adam Buxton will be showing the bestest music videos from around the world ever in 'Bug'.

There's loads more besides that you can find, here

Oh, and if you read that Thom Yorke got bummed to death over the weekend that's because the silly organisers put me in the same field as him before properly researching my obsession with him. It won't really be my fault at all.