The only way is up - well, down a bit further and then up

So apparently "happiness hits rock bottom at 35.8 years in UK". Having turned 35 on Sunday, I guess I'm on a downward spiral for another eight months before things start to pick up again...

The day passed in a bit of a blur - insert "That's because you're old and don't know what's going on anymore" line here, but the truth is that I was at ATP, where being somewhat out of it is not so much de rigeur as par for the course. It does mean, though, that I can say my birthday was spent in the company of a couple of musical chaps going by the name of Gay Witch Abortion. One in the eye for middle age there, I think you'll agree.

There were gripes - the scuzziness and disappointing facilities of the Camber Sands Pontins as compared to the festival's more recent home of Butlins in Minehead, the cold (which, naturally, I'm now increasingly feeling - c'mon Dave, hurry up with my winter fuel allowance already...) - but overall it was another darned fine weekend. Shellac are to thank for a line-up that looked less than promising but turned out to be otherwise, and were themselves in brutally fine form in their Sunday evening headline slot, but the real star turns were The Ex (playing with Brass Unbound), Turing Machine and Nina Nastasia.

You know the score - full report to follow at some point in the distant future yadda yadda...