Welcome to the August issue of The Oldie, packed with gripping articles to keep you glued to your deckchair.
Cartoon fans are in luck. Michael Barber recalls the life, and premature death, of Geoffrey Willans, the brilliant writer who invented Nigel Molesworth and collaborated with Ronald Searle to create the marvellous illustrated books.
Mark Bryant remembers Nicolas Bentley, the publisher, circus clown and inspired cartoonist who worked with Beachcomber, Stephen Potter, Auberon Waugh and the Oldie’s founding father, Richard Ingrams.
The issue is also packed with original cartoons, including two wonderful Ed McLachlans.
Roger Lewis celebrates the 60th anniversary of the terrible, grim, delightful Carry On films. Andrew Sinclair just remembers sharing 22 bottles of red wine with Oliver Reed and Orson Welles, while Anne Robinson swoons over her new crush. And James Le Fanu pays tribute to the much-missed Oldie doctor, Dr Tom Stuttaford.
Happy holidays!
Harry Mount, Editor, The Oldie
Download the app for £2.99 here, or subscribe here.
Plus, listen to new interviews for the August issue with Sophia Money-Coutts on modern manners: drinks at 6.30, dinner at 8.30 – and get married by 30. The former features director of Tatler talks tongue-in-cheek about the world of the magazine, and her new book The Plus One which is published on 9th August. Listen to the interview here.
We have extracts from the compelling talks by Sam Leith and Mary Kenny at The Oldie’s Journalism Course. Mary enlightens course-goers, telling them that 'only a blockhead goes into journalism for money' in her session on 'How to Write a Column' – something she has been doing now, for the best part of 50 years. Listen to the snippet here.
Sam Leith, literary editor of the Spectator, talks about 'How to Write a Book Review' and proffers wisdom on how to make a review 'really sing on the page' and why you should read a book armed with a pen. Listen here.
We also have our talks from the Literary Lunch at Chichester Cathedral, in partnership with the Literary Festival. At the lunch we had Anna Pasternak speaking about Lara: The Untold Love Story and the Inspiration for Doctor Zhivago. Anna is the great-niece of the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Boris Pasternak – author of Doctor Zhivago. She tells the story of the true and tragic love affair between Boris and Olga Ivinskaya which inspired the literary classic. Listen here.
We have Christopher Somerville on The January Man: A Year of Walking Britain. Month by month, season by season and region by region, Christopher walks many of the 140,000 miles of footpaths across the British Isles. He delivered his talk as a long, glittering poem, hinged on the rambler's great love – the pub. Listen here.
Finally, we have Stanley Johnson on Kompromat. The father of our Golden Oldies columnist, Rachel Johnson, reveals that he wrote the book in 12 weeks flat, on a strict diet of 4am starts. It is a political thriller – an account of the skulduggery that might have gone on behind the scenes in the run-up to the EU referendum. Described as a ‘unique peek under the dirty doormat of politics’. Listen here.
---
Subscribe to our Literary Lunch recordings and magazine interviews by searching for 'The Oldie Podcast' on your mobile device or desktop, and click 'subscribe'.
When you subscribe to a podcast, iTunes will automatically download new episodes to your device.
Below you will find links to five FULL teaser articles but other highlights include.....
FEATURES
Olden Life: What was the D'Oliveira Affair? Christopher Sandford READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Modern Life: What is an incel? Richard Godwin
Carry On: a very British phenomenon Roger Lewis
The Man who made Molesworth Michael Barber
When the Soviets invaded my homeland John Tusa
My non-bucket list David Jenkins The last days of steam Paul Barnes
Britannia's rules Sophia Money-Coutts LISTEN TO THE DISCUSSION
The Genius of Nicolas Bentley Mark Bryant
I don't need a doctor Liz Hodgkinson
COLUMNISTS
Hares don't care – Raymond Briggs So many things rattle Polly's cage – Media Matters, Stephen Glover
In another world - The Way We Live Now, Dafydd Jones
The new Manhattan witch hunt – Letter from America, Melik Kaylan
I have a dream - to met my GP – Grumpy Oldie Man, Matthew Norman
We're celebrities... get our train out of here – Short Cuts, Anne Robinson
I'm in the greatest show on Earth– Gyles Brandreth’s Diary
Brexit won't break this entente cordiale – Postcards from the Edge, Mary Kenny LISTEN TO MARY AT THE OLDIE JOURNALISM COURSE
Captain Cook's tour de force – History, David Horspool
Look up and you'll see the city is a giant aviary – Town Mouse, Tom Hodgkinson
Mary's mutiny when I scoffed three Bounty bars – Country Mouse, Giles Wood
Let's not talk about stress – School Days, Sophia Waugh
Am I the John Singer Sargent of Surrey? – Home Front, Alice Pitman
My dodgy dream team – Wilfred De’Ath
Getting Dressed: Bringing the Middle East to M&S – Brigid Keenan
On the Road: June Whitfield – Louise Flind
Ancient gods keep on rocking – Golden Oldies, Rachel Johnson
Eliza Doolittle was right to 'ate haitches – Words and Stuff, Johnny Grimond
Dream home for a Georgian Hobbit – Overlooked Britain, Lucinda Lambton
Beauty Galore – Taking a Walk, Patrick Barkham on Herm
Agape at the power of selfless love – God, Sister Teresa
Geraldine Stephenson, 1925-2017 – Memorial Service, James Hughes-Onslow
The pills that sent Marilyn to sleep – Medicine, Andrew M Brown
The virtual GP - a medical miracle – Digital Life, Matthew Webster
The hotel guests from Hell – Money Matters, Margaret Dibben
Raise a glass to Dr Tom (1931-2018) – James Le Fanu
Golden Eagle – Bird of the Month, John McEwen
Ask Virginia Ironside
REGULARS
The Old Un's Notes
I Once met Oliver Reed – Andrew Sinclair READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Memory Lane – We used to fight fire the hard way, Ray Munning
Art Nouveau-Deco – British Building Styles, Nesta Fitzgerald
Readers’ Letters
Literary Lunches – lunches announced in partnership with Ilkley, Dorchester, Marlborough and Gibraltar Literature Festivals
Reader Trip – Join Robert Fox and Huon Mallalieu on a tour of the Valle d'Itria and the Salento in Puglia, 18-25th May 2019 Rant on Showers – Joe Ruston
Travel: Diamond hotels in the Emerald Isle – Fiona Duncan
Travel: The commune is alive and well - in Lanzarote – Mark Palmer
Bridge – Andrew Robson
Competition –Tessa Castro
Crossword – Antico
BOOKS
Ysenda Maxtone Graham on The Ritz and the Ditch by Diana Holderness READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Alan Ryan on Prime Movers by Ferdinand Mount
Minoo Dinshaw on Facts and Fiction: A Book of Storytelling by Michael Holroyd
Kate Womersley on The Inflamed Mind: A Radical New Approach to Depression by Edward Bullmore
Hamish Robinson on Seven Types of Atheism by John Gray
Constance Watson on Mrs Pankhurst's Purple Feather: Fashion, Fury and Feminism - Women's Fight for change by Tessa Boase
Allan Massie on Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
ARTS
Film – The Happy Prince (15) – Marcus Berkmann
Theatre – The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie at the Donmar Warehouse and Translations at the Olivier Theatre, Paul Bailey READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Radio – Only Artists, The British Empire: An Equivocation, Harry Evans at 90, PM – Valerie Grove
Television – Germaine Bloody Greer, The Trouble With Women, Nothing like a Dame – Roger Lewis
Music – Summer Opera Season, Richard Osborne
Exhibitions – Rembrandt - Britain's Discovery of the Master, National Galleries of Scotland, to 14th October , Huon Mallalieu
PURSUITS
Gardening – A good year for the roses, David Wheeler READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Kitchen Garden – Radishes, Simon Courtauld
Cookery – Teatime treat time, Elisabeth Luard
Restaurants – Richmond House, Co Waterford, Ireland and Galvin at Windows, Park Lane, James Pembroke
Drink – Oysters and Wines, Bill Knott
Sport – Trump's Golf Score? Sad!, Jim White
Motoring – On the up, Alan Judd
