First with the link is bryce:

Return of the lone stranger - The Guardian, May 31, 2003

Long without a record deal, all has not been as it should be with Morrissey. But a new documentary finds he's not so miserable now. Mark Simpson reports
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Girl Drowning posted scans of the article/photos on the general discussion board:

• The Guardian: Cover
• The Guardian: Page 1
• The Guardian: Page 2
• The Guardian: Page 3

An anonymous person writes:

A brief article appeared in the Evening Herald, a Dublin daily paper, today under the heading "Indie Kings of Cool cross flight paths in Dublin". The gist is that Moz was spotted chatting to Jarvis Cocker while both were waiting for their luggage to arrive in the baggage hall. While Jarvis was en-route to Galway to launch a new vodka, Moz was "in Dublin checking out studios for the recording of a new L.P." I think this at least in some way backs up the other stories/rumours of late.
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Another anonymous person writes:

A bit of Moz-spotting... chatting to Jarvis Cocker (of PULP) in Dublin Airport "baggage reclaim" today (Wednesday).

Not sure if it's related, but Paul McCartney played his first Dublin show in 40 years a few hours later.

JacquesTheLad writes:

Came across this in the Daily Record in Scotland today...They give "Under The Influence" a measly one star out of five. In the same page, they give the debut album from Girls Aloud (from Popstars: The Rivals) four stars...Anyway, here's the transcript:

Various Artists - "Under The Influence"

MORRISSEY is one of those musicians you either love or hate.

For the record, this reviewer has never really bought into the hype which surrounds the miserable, flowers-in-his-pockets musician.

Unsurprisingly then, this compilation, which has been dedicated to The Smiths' frontman, was reviewed without the need to wear rose-coloured spectacles which the contributing artists clearly wore with pride.

Aside from the fact that Morrissey's music was dreary, depressing and downright rotten, many of the artists featured, such as The Ramones, The Cats, Diana Dors and Patti Smith, must have been at a loose end one day to agree to take part in this woeful excuse for an album.

If Morrissey fans want to pay homage to their idol, then tune into his collection of dull music (God only knows there's plenty to choose from), but don't do yourself and your idol the disservice of buying this banal compilation album.

Giraffe sends the press release:

Mark Simpson's SAINT MORRISSEY to be published.
(Finally.)
Thursday 29 June, 2003

After three years in purgatory, it seems that SAINT MORRISSEY, Mark Simpson's `psycho-bio' of The Smiths' former front-man and long-distance solo-artist, will finally be published. Simpson has just signed a deal with SAF – a small, but `enthusiastic' independent publisher of music books which will see ST MOZ in bookshops in the Autumn.

Originally due to be published by Little, Brown way back in 2000, the book was pulled just before going to press. Mighty Little, Brown insisted on extra guarantees that amounted, in Simpson's opinion, to semi-authorisation. Little SAF, bless `em, have made no such demands.

Details of SAINT MORRISSEY, a fetching jacket shot, a breathless blurb, and an arch profile of Manchester's most famous and most prodigal son penned by Simpson for the Independent on Sunday last year, together with an interview Simpson gave Select magazine about ST MOZ back in June 2000, can be viewed at: http://www.marksimpson.com

For press, publicity, serialisation and distribution enquiries contact [email protected]

Disclaimer: Simpson has not met, spoken to nor had any access to Morrissey. He has not even received a postcard from him. SAINT MORRISSEY is not in any way an authorised biography, nor, for that matter, is it a `proper' biography. Simpson has not interviewed former associates and nosey neighbours, nor has he rummaged around in Morrissey's dustbin looking for evidence of lesbianism. He has just spent rather too much of his life listening to him.