Contents

NOTES FROM THE COUCH Idler’s Diary 6 Arthur Smith Come to the Cabaret Voltaire 12 How I Live Gray Jolliffe, cartoonist 16 Philosophy Mark Vernon basks in the light of the Queen 20 Idler Heroes Leigh Hunt was woefully miscast as Bleak House’s sponger Skimpole. Suzi Feay resurrects his reputation 23

FEATURES Interview: Margaret Drabble Tom Hodgkinson takes afternoon tea with the literary Queen of Notting Hill 26 War on Work How the Surrealists resisted wage labour, by Abigail Susik 36

Remember: Walking in the Mountains Simon Petherick takes us back to Shangri-La 41 Poetry with Gisele Prassinos 46 Cabin in the Sky Tom Oliver on the eco philosophy of Arne Naess 48 STYLE Fashion: Caning It Stylish Sticks for Saunterers by Alice Smith 54 Idle Home Georgina Williams finds a vision of Arcadia on the leys of the Berkshire Downs 60 The Good Stuff A stylish selection: Annabel Sampson, Charlotte Brook and Julia Lasica’s pick of mermaid’s purses, coast-to-coasters and pyjamarama 67 Slow Tech Lee Osborne is back in the eighties videodrome 70

READER OFFERS… Page 11 Buy a subscription: get a free book Page 19 New course: The Idler Guide to Investing Page 155 Check out the Idler Academy’s online courses