Meanwhile his role at the centre of a luvvie architectural axis with the River Caf?s its

Meanwhile, his role at the centre of a “luvvie” architectural axis, with the River Caf?s its informal club, grates on others. From this base his power extends through a complex network of colleagues, family and friends to exert influence in everything from the design profession to national politics.His daughter-in-law Lucy Musgrave, who is married to Zad Rogers, director of last week’s much-publicised Channel 4 expos?f the Tory election campaign, Unspun: Amanda Platell’s Secret Diary, is herself director of the Architecture Foundation. His long-time business partner, Marco Goldschmied, was until recently president of the Royal Institute of British Architects. His first wife Su – the pair are still close – is married to John Miller, a respected architect and father-in-law of The Observer’s architecture critic, Deyan Sudjic. Beyond his firm and family, Rogers has a diverse group of friends including Alan Yentob, Peter Palumbo and Nigella Lawson, for whom he designed a wedding cake when she married the late John Diamond.If the Welsh officials stick to their decision to hand over control of Rogers’s design for the Assembly building to another company, the architect will be keen to find another high-profile project through which to explore the ideas of his late career and regain the respect of his peers. Aside from the Welsh building, the other projects currently in his 120-strong office are unlikely to fulfil this ambition. The gigantic scheme for Heathrow’s Terminal 5 – in development for years – has yet to be given the final go-ahead.

And several office buildings on a Chiswick business park are unlikely to live up to past highs “He did some great stuff,” says one young architect. “But the Pompidou and Lloyd’s are the pinnacle, and it’s downhill from there.” It must be a relief for Rogers that he deftly avoided any responsibility for the Dome d?cle, despite being the designer of the structure itself: it came in on time and under budget.From the outside it may look as if time is running out for Rogers. But as he enjoys his birthday tomorrow he can take heart from the example set by his hero, Frank Lloyd Wright. He looked washed-up in mid-career and came back to design some of his greatest buildings in old age, culminating in his masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

It was under construction when he died in 1959, at the age of 92.. Tomorrow should be a good day for Marjorie Evans. At half past eight in the morning, she will turn out of her cul de sac in the Monmouthshire town of Usk and start a 30-mile drive to Cardiff and the Welsh Assembly building

Tomorrow should be a good day for Marjorie Evans. At half past eight in the morning, she will turn out of her cul de sac in the Monmouthshire town of Usk and start a 30-mile drive to Cardiff and the Welsh Assembly building.
After 18 months of misery, the 57-year-old known as “the slap-case head teacher” can expect public vindication and, who knows, maybe an official apology.