The Oldie

The Oldie is a British monthly magazine written for older people "as a light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity", according to its website.^[2] The magazine was launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who was its editor for 22 years, following 23 years in the same post at Private Eye.^[3]

In June 2014, after Ingrams's dispute with the magazine's publisher led to his departure, Alexander Chancellor became the editor.^[4] Alexander Chancellor died in January 2017, and Harry Mount took over the editorship. That year the magazine celebrated its 25th anniversary, and its circulation continues to rise.

History and outline[]

The magazine was founded in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, previously editor of Private Eye, together with Alexander Chancellor. The magazine aimed to contrast with youth culture. The Independent on Sunday described it as "The most original magazine in the country".^{[citation needed]} The Oldie magazine is owned by Oldie Publications Ltd.

It carries articles of general interest, humour and cartoons. Its contributors include Gyles Brandreth, Craig Brown, Virginia Ironside, Stephen Glover, Raymond Briggs, James Le Fanu, Thomas Stuttaford, John Walsh and Giles Wood. It is sometimes regarded as a haven for "grumpy old men and women"—an image it has played up to over the years with such slogans as "The Oldie: Buy it before you snuff it", and its lampooning of youth subculture and what it sees as the absurdities of modern life. It was the first mainstream publication to break the Jimmy Savile sex scandal.

Despite being called The Oldie, the magazine often stresses that it is not an age-specific publication, and has many readers in their twenties, thirties and forties.^{[citation needed]} It has similarities to Punch, Viz, The Spectator, Private Eye, and The New Yorker.

Oldie of the Year Awards[]

The Oldie of the Year Awards (TOOTY) is the magazine's annual awards ceremony, hosted by Terry Wogan until 2014, and Gyles Brandreth since then, and held at Simpson's-in-the-Strand. The awards celebrate lifetime achievement, as well as "oldie" achievements and/or notoriety over the previous year, the whole ceremony being very much tongue-in-cheek. Past winners include Olivia de Havilland, Ian Paisley, David Hockney, Eileen Atkins, Stanley Baxter, Peter Blake, Glenda Jackson and Moira Stuart. At the magazine's 2011 awards, Prince Philip was named Consort of the Year; Oldie of the Year was Barry Humphries. In 2015, Oldie of the year was Ken Dodd.^[5] In 2017, David Cameron's mother, Mary Cameron, was honoured with a "Mother Knows Best" award in recognition of her signing a petition condemning a decision by Oxfordshire county council to close over 40 children's centres in the Conservative-run area whilst her son was Prime Minister.

The Oldie monthly Literary Lunches are also held in London (at Simpson's-in-the-Strand). Guests over the years have included Michael Palin, Clive James, Maureen Lipman, Colin Dexter, Joan Bakewell, Matthew Parris, Chris Mullin, Erwin James and P. D. James.^[6]

Writers[]

• Bill Knott – Wine columnist
• Stephen Glover – Media Matters
• Simon Carr – Politics
• Lucinda Lambton – Overlooked Britain
• Brigid Keenan – Getting Dressed
• James Le Fanu – Profitable Wonders
• Roger Lewis – Television
• Elisabeth Luard – Food columnist
• Paul Bailey – Theatre critic
• Richard Osborne – Music
• Virginia Ironside – Agony Aunt
• Wilfred De'Ath
• Miles Kington
• Marcus Berkmann – Film
• Tom Hodgkinson – Town Mouse
• Matthew Webster – Digital Life^[7]
• Giles Wood – Country Mouse
• John McEwen – Bird of the Month

References[]

External links[]

• The Oldie
• Webster's Internet guide – Webster writes the Internet column in The Oldie