Meeting the people, p15

Behind the scenes at the museum, p43

How to navigate the V&A’s design show, p45

Arts 43 William Cook I.M. Pei’s Qatar Museum of Islamic

Art, a discreet masterpiece 44 Olden but golden Charles Spencer 45 Exhibitions British Design 1948–

2012: Innovation in the Modern Age Andrew Lambirth 46 Opera Der Freischütz; Jakob Lenz

Michael Tanner 48 Dance Artifact; La Fille Mal Gardée

Giannandrea Poesio 49 Theatre Written on the Heart; Soul Sister

Lloyd Evans 50 Cinema Avengers Assemble

Deborah Ross 51 Radio Kate Chisholm 52 Television Olivia Glazebrook Culture notes Luke Jessop

LIFE

Travel 53 Dorset Tilly Ware 56 Devon Jeremy Clarke Cornwall Tremayne Carew Pole Life 61 High life Taki Low life Jeremy Clarke 62 Real life Melissa Kite 63 Wild life Aidan Hartley 64 The turf Robin Oakley Bridge Susanna Gross

And finaly . . . 66 Chess Raymond Keene 67 Competition; Crossword 68 Status anxiety Toby Young Dave Michael Heath 69 The Wiki Man Rory Sutherland Your problems solved Mary Killen 69 Drink Bruce Anderson Mind your language Dot Wordsworth

We’re not using the right words. We don’t mean ‘drought’. What we mean is ‘pisspoor management of the water supply’ Hugo Rifkind, p28

I once read that it’s OK to talk to yourself, but there might be cause for concern if you answer yourself back. I do that all the time Charles Spencer, p44

When I saw movement I assumed my eyes were playing tricks on me and then I saw it was a cheetah. My heart sang, to tell you the truth Aidan Hartley, p63

Contributors

Tom Bower’s biographical subjects have included Robert Maxwell, Conrad Black, Bernie Ecclestone and, most recently, Simon Cowell. On p. 22, he contemplates Rupert Murdoch.

John Arlidge, whose Cuba Notebook is on p. 26, writes for the Sunday Times in London and Condé Nast in New York.

Victoria Glendinning, who reviews Kathleen Jamie’s essays on p. 37, is working on a life of Sir Stamford Raffles.

the spectator | 28 april 2012 | www.spectator.co.uk

Byron Rogers’s latest book is Me: The Authorised Biography. He reviews a tragicomic tale of athletic achievement on pages 37 and 38.

Mark Mason walked the routes of the London Underground for his book Walk the Lines. He reviews Andrew Martin’s history of the network on p. 41 — and considers men who cry on p. 24.

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