Radio Oldie

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Helen Lederer on Not That I'm Bitter

Absolutely Fabulous Helen Lederer spoke The Oldie Literary Lunch on 13th August 2024 about her biography Not That I'm Bitter. The audience was in stitches as she spoke candidly about sex, fame and being a woman. The lunch was kindly sponsored by Charles Stanley Wealth Managers. Photos by Amelia Milne and recordings by Tom Assheton.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Dame Zandra Rhodes on Iconic: My Life in Fashion in 50 Objects

Dame Zandra Rhodes brought colour to The Oldie Literary Lunch on 23rd July 2024 speaking to the audience about her biography Iconic. The lunch was kindly sponsored by Charles Stanley Wealth Managers. Photos by Neil Spence and recordings by Tom Assheton.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Ingrid Seward on My Mother & I: King Charles III

Ingrid Seward, Royal biographer and Editor-in-chief at Majesty magazine, addressed The Oldie Literary Lunch on 23rd July 2024 about King Charles III and his mother, with royal scoops and revelations, revealing that Princess Diana and Charles HAD been in love. Listen here! The lunch was kindly sponsored by Charles Stanley Wealth Managers. Photographs by Neil Spence and recordings by Tom Assheton.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Helen McGinn, aka The Knackered Mother on Island of Dreams

Helen McGinn, wine host of Saturday Kitchen on BBC One, speaks at The Oldie Literary Lunch on 23rd July 2024 about her latest novel Island of Dreams and all things wine. Photographs by Neil Spence Photography and the lunch was kindly sponsored by Charles Stanley Wealth Managers. Recordings by Tom Assheton.

Oldie Podcast - Pattie Boyd in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf

Charlotte Metcalf is a journalist, editor, award-winning documentary film-maker and was co-presenter of the Break Out Culture podcast. She is Supplements Editor and a frequent contributor at The Oldie. Pattie Boyd was the instantly recognisable ingenue face of the Sixties, photographed by David Bailey, Terence Donovan and many more. She was catapulted to fame further by her high-profile marriages, first to George Harrison and then to Eric Clapton. She talks openly about both and her life today. Happily married for the third time, she is now a successful photographer and has recently been in the press for selling her memorabilia, including her love letters, at Christie’s, raising over £3 million.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Richard Coles on Murder at the Monastery

The Oldie hosted a Literary Lunch in Salisbury at The Guildhall on Tuesday 11th June to raise money for the Salisbury Samaritans, a charity we closely support. The lunch was sponsored by our friends at Noble Caledonia River Cruises. Our guest speakers were Katie Hickman, Linda McDougall and Rev Richard Coles. Richard Coles is an English writer, radio presenter and Church of England priest. Appearing with Jimmy Somerville in the the 1980s band the Communards, they achieved 3 UK top ten hits, including 'Don't Leave Me This Way'.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Linda McDougall on Marcia Williams: The Life of Lady Falkender

The Oldie hosted a Literary Lunch in Salisbury at The Guildhall on Tuesday 11th June to raise money for the Salisbury Samaritans, a charity we closely support. The lunch was sponsored by our friends at Noble Caledonia River Cruises. Our guest speakers were Katie Hickman, Linda McDougall and Rev Richard Coles. Linda McDougall is a New Zealand-born journalist, television producer and author. She is also known for being the wife of the late Austin Mitchell, who was a British journalist and the Labour Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby from a 1977 by-election until 2015. She is the author of Cherie: The Perfect Life of Mrs Blair and Westminster Women. She lives in North Yorkshire.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Katie Hickman on Brave Hearted: The Dramatic Story of Women of the American West

The Oldie hosted a Literary Lunch in Salisbury at The Guildhall on Tuesday 11th June to raise money for the Salisbury Samaritans, a charity we closely support. The lunch was sponsored by our friends at Noble Caledonia River Cruises. Our guest speakers were Katie Hickman, Linda McDougall and Rev Richard Coles. Katie Hickman is an English novelist, historian and travel writer. She was born in new Zealand. She is the author of ten books, including two best-selling history books, which between them have sold more than a quarter of a million copies worldwide.

Oldie Podcast - Rebecca Hossack in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf

Charlotte Metcalf is a journalist, editor, award-winning documentary film-maker and was co-presenter of the Break Out Culture podcast. She is Supplements Editor and a frequent contributor at The Oldie. Rebecca Hossack is the Australian art gallerist known for introducing Aboriginal art to England and her beautiful Fitzrovia gallery. She is both funny and outspoken about championing lesser-known artists, otherwise ignored by an art establishment that she criticizes for its focus on profit and trends at the expense of true talent.

Oldie Podcast - Edward Burtynsky in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf

Charlotte Metcalf is a journalist, editor, award-winning documentary film-maker and was co-presenter of the Break Out Culture podcast. She is Supplements Editor and a frequent contributor at The Oldie. Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian artist and photographer and award-winning film-maker. A recent major retrospective at London’s Saatchi Gallery showed his large format photographs, many vast, of industrial landscapes all over the world. While they resemble beautiful abstract paintings, they depict industrialisation’s devastating impact on nature and human existence.

Oldie Podcast - Mary Killen in conversation with Tom Assheton

Tom Assheton is an editor, producer and presents the Bloody Violent History podcast. His career spans time in the army, as a land agent and owner of a cigar and coffee company. Mary Killen is a very well-known and prolific journalist and the author of several books. She’s instantly recognisable today for being on Gogglebox with her husband Giles. She’s The Spectator’s agony aunt and a regular contributor to The Oldie with a column on beauty and fashion.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Gill Johnson on Love From Venice, her first book written aged 90 plus

Writing Love From Venice has "literally given me a new lease of life" – Gill Johnson speaking at The Oldie lunch Gill Johnson told The Oldie, 'I have never published a word in my life, never have I had any ambition to do so, so how did a over 90 year old non-celebrity first time author get to write a book?' Gill stayed seated and delivered a evocative speech about Love From Venice, her book focused on her 25th year of her life, when she left The National Gallery in pursuit of her love David Ross who had 'an exotic Russian Scottish heritage'. Gill found herself working for a grand Italian family in Venice and all the stories that ensued. The book has 'literally given me a new lease of life' as Gill fought away tears, sitting next to her brother and highly esteemed wine writer Hugh Johnson (to whom she had dedicated the book) and her son, writer, Rory Ross. Rory held the microphone for Gill. The Oldie audience applauded.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Geoffrey Wheatcroft on Bloody Panico: Whatever Happened To The Tory Party

As the 5th July beckons, how topical that Geoffrey Wheatcroft spoke to The Oldie about 'Bloody Panico: Or, Whatever Happened to The Tory Party'. The election is more 'send in the clowns' than 'things can only get better'. Geoffrey retorted, 'I have never felt more gratitude to anyone than I do to Rishi Sunak, calling this election just as my book is published!' Liz Truss was due to be speaking at the Oldie Literary Lunch, but pulled out due to election commitments in Norfolk. Liz was due to speak about how the Tory party can save the world, but Geoffrey Wheatcroft would be one person that does not agree. Liz Truss's time as Prime Minister reminded Geoffrey of 19 years ago, when he published his book 'The Strange Death of Tory England' to which his latest book is a 'kind of afterthought'. The book was shortlisted for the Channel 4 Book Prize. 'Some bright spark doing the publicity' thought that it would be amusing to have a Booker prize style dinner and Geoffrey sat next-door to the leader of the Conservative party at that time, Michael Howard, leader of the Opposition. They made light banter and the same bright spark who was doing the publicity, thought it would be a good idea to film the judges of the prize in their deliberations and to show it on a huge screen. 14 years ago Geoffrey was a judge for the Orwell prize with Ferdinand Mount and 'thank god our deliberations weren't filmed'. The screen showed the judges discussing the different books. Geoffrey confided to the audience that had to listen to Michael Howard speaking in the 'most contentious tones' about his book, 'whose author he was sitting next to'. Geoffrey said that although he was teased for writing the book at the time 'without being too self-congratulatory' it was ahead of its time! Geoffrey seriously said the Conservatives weren't just heading to 'a severe defeat, but towards something a lot more terminal' Geoffrey went on to speak about Boris Johnson, whose real name is, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson and uses the stage name Boris 'a bit like Beyonce, or Sting!' In 2014, Boris had dinner with Spectator journalist, Anne Applebaum, whom he told that no one sane would ever leave the European Union. Two years later, he went back on his word. Geoffrey said 'it was a sad day for British Politics' when the UK decided to leave, due to an 'unprincipled opportunist'. Since Brexit, the Tories have 'staggered from one disaster, to one screw-up' said Geoffrey, 'they don't know who they quite are anymore'.

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Doctor Daisy Dunn on The Missing Thread

When Liz Truss pulled out of The Oldie Literary Lunch, leading classicist author, Daisy Dunn, stepped in. Daisy, who wrote the Ladybird guide to Homer, has just written 'The Missing Thread', which is a new history of the ancient world through women. Daisy set the record straight that in no way was this a history, where she had shoehorned 'some girls into the grand narrative of ancient history for the sake of equality and branding it woke, to which I respond ladies and gentleman, I write for The Spectator'. Following Geoffrey Wheatcroft's speech, Daisy told the audience: 'You will notice that I'm not Liz Truss either, for which I'm sorry. Or maybe I'm not.' Daisy met Liz Truss for the first time 'about 9 months after she left Downing Street or to put it another way, about 10 months after she arrived at Downing Street and she was actually very friendly so I am sort of sorry not to see her in some respects.' Daisy came to The Oldie lunch thinking of something that Liz had once said that 'nobody wants to be in a room, or their business to be funded, because they are a woman. Of all the things that Liz Truss has said, I happen to agree with that one'.

Oldie Podcast - John Humphrys in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf

Charlotte Metcalf is a journalist, editor, award-winning documentary film-maker and was co-presenter of the Break Out Culture podcast. She is Supplements Editor and a frequent contributor at The Oldie. John Humphrys is the legendary BBC journalist who presented Radio Four’s Today for 30 years. He talks about his Welsh upbringing, how Superman inspired him to become a journalist and what it was like digging for truth from the dominant politicians of our time, notably Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

Oldie Podcast - Charlotte Metcalf in conversation with Prue Leith for The Oldie

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Jane Tippett on Edward VIII - he was a "truly modern monarch" 14th May 2024

Wearing an elegant cream suit and American accent, almost remnant of Wallis Simpson, historian Jane admitted to The Oldie audience of the huge challenges, facing her when writing about Edward VIII. "There is no denying that the material I presented in Once A King paints a very different portrait of Edward VIII than the one that we have in recent years become all too familiar with" - a monarch with selfish ambitions and Nazi sympathies. When the Duchess died in 1986, a "suffering narrative has prevented a balanced understanding of Edward VIII." She confessed to being "clearly very much a newbie, not very much an oldie!" Jane announced: "I am no idealist, but I recognise that one book, however startling, will not overturn decades of judgements about this most controversial of British royals".

Oldie Literary Lunch Recording - Nicholas Shakespeare's favourite magazine? The Oldie, of course! Nicholas on Fleming: The Complete Man

"The Oldie, for me, has undisputedly become my favourite magazine"

The Irony for Lady Anne Somerset speaking about Queen Victoria at The National Liberal Club

It was rather ironic that Lady Anne Somerset addressed The Oldie about her latest book on Queen Victoria, at The National Liberal Club, yesterday because as Gladstone said of Queen Victoria,"there is no greater Tory in the land!" "It's wonderful to be talking to you here today, the only thing that is perhaps a bit awkward is that the event is taking place in The National Liberal Club!" The club was founded in 1882 by William Gladstone for the Liberal cause - certainly not a cause close to Queen Victoria's heart! Queen Victoria had an eye for the men, strongly supporting Lord Melbourne's Whig movement, only because "she simply adored the enchanting Lord Melbourne", finally accepting the Tories in 1841, "what does she owe them (the Tories)? Nothing but hate!" Politicians these days can sit easy. Nothing compares to Queen Victoria with her "absurdly high notions" of the amount of political control she ought to exercise. She despised Gladstone whom she challenged, but when Tory, Benjamin Disraeli, became Prime Minister in 1874, he knew how to work the monarch successfully: "Every one likes flattery and when you come to monarchy, you should lay it on with a trowel".

Twentieth Century Heroines - Podcast by Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Twentieth Century Heroines. 1.Citation 2. Edith Cavell 3. Maxine Elliott 4. Gertrude Bell 5. WW2 Operations 6. Ursula Graham Bower 7. MI9 a. Pat O’Leary Line b. Nancy Wake c. Dédé d. Mary Lindell 8. Virginia Hall 9. Special Operations Executive 10. SOE Women a. Vera Atkins b. Noor Khan c. Violette Szabo d. Odette Churchill 11. Bletchley Park 12. The Banka Island Massacre 13. Conclusion Many are names in the wartime Hall of Fame. Yet others have faded from view and collective memory. All are heroines and all sacrificed much in two world wars to defend their country and help others in need. As nurses or secret agents, from Edith Cavell to Violette Szabo, they stand as extraordinary examples of courage, fortitude, and duty. Reading from Leo Marks code poem for Violette Zabo. Read by David Hartley First published: https://www.bloodyviolenthistory.com The Oldie subscriptions: https://www.theoldie.co.uk