Hello. Stupid mouth. I got an infection in the socket after the tooth extraction last week and had to go back to see VSRPD (very sexy rugby playing dentist). VSRPD opened gums and scraped right down to the bone and then put me on the antibiotic metronidazole. It still hurts but I have faith in his abilities. The metronidazale means I can't have any alcohol (it's a MAJOR no-no with this drug apparently) and as I took up drinking when we moved here I'm a bit annoyed. Baileys and gin (not together) are my favourites at the mo (fresh limes in a G&T are so much nicer than lemons don't you agree?). The pills will be finished tomorrow morning but there is still a 48 hour embargo on booze after the last one so Sunday night will see me on the sofa clinking a big Baileys during the Sopranos.

I went to see a press screening of Control last night in Preston. Bloody brilliant stuff. It's Shot in black and white and just looks lovely. Sam Riley is a revelation as Ian but the whole cast were brilliant (I especially liked the one liners from Bernard and Hooky and Rob: Rob to Ian after he'd had a fit..."never mind eh, it could be worse, at least you're not the singer for The Fall"). You think you know someones history from books and music but then someone (Anton Corbijn) comes along and shows you their version of things and it adds layers and layers to your own misconceptions. Tea and toast this morning was accompanied by Closer on the hifi. By the way, one of the best selling Joy Division bootlegs is their live show recorded at Blackpool Imperial Hotel in July 1979 (supported by OMD!). I only saw them live once, Newcastle City Hall supporting the Buzzcocks. The only folk in their seats for JD that night were us under 18's (too young to get a drink in the packed bar) and they hadn't really gone 'massive' yet. I can't remember much about it actually.

The new Siouxsie album is good innit. We had friends over from Knutsford last weekend and took them to lunch at our new Booths. Booths is a lancashire chain of supermarkets with an exemplary record of stocking local produce for local shoppers. They are the Waitrose of the North. Anyway, a new flagship Booths opened two weeks ago in Lytham and it has a lovely restaurant. I had the best eggs benedict EVER and the eggs only travelled two miles from a local farm (organic of course). In fact, I think the hen walked to the shop and dropped the eggs straight into the pot. After lunch we took a walk on the green at Lytham then through Lowther Gardens and then onto the beach where the tide was so far out we couldn't even see the sea (here's a great pic of me riding my pony on the beach). It was one of those days I had dreamed about while in my last few impatient years in London and it would be trite to call it perfect but it was certainly everything I'd craved for so long.