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 - DINNER PARTIES

A novel thought - read more fiction • Just five minutes a day with a book reduces stress and loneliness and boosts concentration

Early to bed – late to rise • My New Year's resolution? To be in bed by 7pm

OLDEN LIFE

MODERN LIFE

Darling Freddy • Frederic Raphael, 94, recalls his hits Darling and The Glittering Prizes. By Simon O'Hagan

Canny Kenny at 100 • As well as the Carry On films, Kenneth Williams was a master of serious acting, children's TV and radio comedy.

How I got ahead in advertising • Maureen Lipman played Beattie in the BT ads in the eighties – and the public still ask her if she's got an ‘ology

Golden age of TV ads

All my world's a stage • Griff Rhys Jones is treading the boards again, as PM Jim Hacker – and he adores it

The strange death of Swiftian satire • 300 years after Gulliver's Travels, the right to be offensive has died

What's the point of face furniture? • I've worked out why the young and beautiful self-mutilate with brutal piercings

Easy Riders

My Ancient Greek tips for a happy life

Who's been meddling with my Quality Street?

Marlene Dietrich's tragic swan song • Mary Kenny met the star when she was drowning her sorrows and mourning the loss of her looks

The Hyacinth Bucket of Cleethorpes • Snobbish Mother takes against my new pal, the local Dennis the Menace

Weak heroes of the classroom

Tom Stoppard

The Jeremy Lewis Prize for New Writing • By Vicky Thompson – this year's winner of the annual award in honour of our late deputy editor

East Anglia's divine miracles

Peter Lewis-Crown (1930-2024)

Oh for the sound of silence • Too much noise can kill you, a new study reveals

Aloha from Hawaii • A British Museum show reveals the mighty influence of the Pacific kingdom

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

The Gropes of Roth

When Iris met Sappho

Henry VIII's granny

Dream house party

Bowie takes a bow

Modern Lewis Carroll

FILM • THE SALT PATH SCANDAL THE SALT PATH (12)

THEATRE • INDIAN INK

RADIO

TELEVISION

MUSIC • ELGAR'S DREAM

GOLDEN OLDIES • HITS AND MISSES

EXHIBITIONS • TURNER & CONSTABLE: RIVALS & ORIGINALS

GARDENING • BLUEBELLS

KITCHEN GARDEN • SALSIFY

COOKERY • THE GRAINS TRUST

RESTAURANTS • GOING DUTCH

DRINK • MAKE WINE, NOT WAR

SPORT • THE GREED WORLD CUP

MOTORING • LITTLE GEMS

End of the landline

Five golden rules for investing

Sea eagle

Day trip to Londinium • The new London Museum opens this year. The museum's former...