Margaret Hodge, with a Poirotesque eye for detail, describes the Proms as insufficiently inclusive on account of their unrepresentative audience. I know the feeling. Some months ago I attended a concert of raga music and was enraged to discover that not a single item by Elgar graced the programme. Later, the evening took a turn for the worse when a waiter, bewildered to such an extent that it seemed to affect his accent, informed me that there was little demand for haggis at Giovanni’s.
The following weekend, I was deflated to discover that the Spurs vs Millwall match had no half-time ballet. In fact, the whole summer was further spoiled for me by the complete absence of boxing at Wimbledon. Dejected by our rapidly fragmenting culture, I sought solace on a Buddhist retreat, where I could scarcely get a word out of anybody! What is happening to us?
