The Oldie

The idea for the Oldie was cooked up 25 years ago by its founding editor, Richard Ingrams, and his much-lamented successor, the late Alexander Chancellor. Their aim was to create a free-thinking, funny magazine, a light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity. The Oldie is ageless and timeless, free of retirement advice, crammed with rejuvenating wit, intelligence and delight. With over 100 pages in every issue, The Oldie is packed with funny cartoons and free-thinking and intelligent articles covering a wide range of topics – from gardening and books to travel, arts, entertainment, and so much more.

The Oldie

Among this month’s contributors

The Old Un’s Notes

NOT MANY DEAD • Important stories you may have missed

GREAT BORES OF TODAY - PROTESTERS

My bottom-spanking guide to Soho • Molly Parkin introduced me to bohemian life - and to Francis Bacon, who took a passing fancy to me

Lawrence’s family friends • Seven Pillars of Wisdom, published a century ago, paid fond tribute to Ivo Dawnay’s grandfather and great-uncle

OLDEN LIFE

MODERN LIFE

The Oldie of the Year Awards • Our Champion of Champions

Growing up in showbiz • Anita Land salutes her dad, Leslie Grade, and her uncles, Lew Grade and Bernard Delfont

The Plymouth Rubens • Fifty years ago, Hunter Davies discovered Beryl Cook. Now, on her centenary, he finds he owns her long-lost self-portrait

Oh, Mandy! • Matthew Norman tormented Peter Mandelson, invented his nickname - and then had him round to dinner

The real Captain Grimes • Robert Kirkpatrick on the scandalous schoolmaster who inspired Evelyn Waugh’s monstrous antihero

Is there anyone there? No • Miranda May tried - and failed - to contact her late parents through a corrupt medium

Great Scott! • Sir Walter Scott, once internationally revered, is now sadly forgotten

Don't let it all hang out • While Sydney Sweeney exposes her breasts, oldies should cover up

Be more lemur

Mrs Jellyby's charitable side • Charles Dickens was wrong to mock do-gooders, says Mary Kenny

The Cleethorpes Twilight Zone • As I put the bins out in our dark, scary alleyway, I saw a ghastly figure. Was it the ghost of Henry VIII?

My life? Read all about it in Mum's nosy articles

Cold comfort in freezing Tenerife

Offa's Guide to Anglo-Saxon Attitudes • The King of Mercia built a mighty dyke — and built bridges with Charlemagne

Lord of the Flies - my scary sequel

Steve Cram

Oxford blues in the County Library

The Gospel according to Eliza Doolittle

Dame Jilly Cooper (1937-2025)

Bad effects of Goodhart's Law • Treat people - not their measurements

READERS' LETTERS • The Oldie, 23-31 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PA letters@theoldie.co.uk To sign up for our e-newsletter, go to www.theoldie.co.uk

Commonplace Corner

RANT

Russian roulette

Liza's lifelong cabaret

Dubliners today

Bible studies

Gold-digger

The sound of silence

OLDIE NOVEL OF THE MONTH

Two fabulous reader trips

FILM

THEATRE

TELEVISION

RADIO

MUSIC

GOLDEN OLDIES

EXHIBITIONS

GARDENING

KITCHEN GARDEN

COOKERY

RESTAURANTS

DRINK

SPORT

MOTORING

AI's insatiable greed

Gilt-edged investment tips

Join The Oldie in Cairo and down the Nile With Ellie Jones 30th January to 9th February 2027

Storm petrel

Voice of America • Alistair Cooke broadcast his first Letter from America 80 years ago. He continued for 58 years

What a...