Radio Oldie

The Oldie magazine’s podcast featuring discussion and debate around the lead features in the latest magazine, plus live recordings from our famous Literary Lunches. Presented by Harry Mount.

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494 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes494

Newest first

Mar 24, 2025 · 31 min
354: Simon Williams in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Simon Williams tells Charlotte Metcalf about playing Major Bellamy in Upstairs, Downstairs, and starring in The Archers. He and his wife, Lucy Fleming, play her parents, Peter Fleming and Celia Johnson, in Posting Letters to the Moon
Mar 17, 2025 · 30 min
353: Roger McGough in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Roger McGough was one of the Liverpool or Mersey Poets alongside Brian Patten and the late Adrian Henry. Today he’s known as the ‘godfather of modern poetry’ and continues to present BBC Radio 4’s Poetry Please, a role he’s held since 1979. He’s an OBE and CBE, the last awarded in 2004 for Services to Literature. On Radio Oldie he talks to Charlotte Metcalf about his latest book of The Collected Poems 1959-2024, growing up in Liverpool, performing with the Scaffold and his life as an author, playwright and poet.
Mar 13, 2025 · 13 min
352: Ben MacIntyre at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Ben MacIntyre speaking about his new book, The Siege: the Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on March 11th 2025.
Mar 13, 2025 · 9 min
351: A. N. Wilson at the Oldie Literary Lunch
A. N. Wilson speaking about his new book, Goethe: His Faustian Life - the Extraordinary Story of Modern Germany, a Troubled Genius and the Poem that Made our World, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on March 11th 2025.
Mar 13, 2025 · 11 min
350: Hugo Vickers at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Hugo Vickers speaking about his new book, Muse to Power: the Untold Story of Clarissa Eden, Countess of Avon, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on March 11th 2025.
Mar 9, 2025 · 38 min
349: Charles Moore in conversation with Harry Mount
Charles Moore tells Harry Mount how Margaret Thatcher became Conservative leader 50 years ago - and how she got on with the Queen. Lady Thatcher would have been 100 on October 13th this year. In September, Charles Moore will publish The Authorised Biography of Margaret Thatcher: Single-volume Centenary Edition.
Mar 3, 2025 · 37 min
348: Matthew Norman in conversation with Harry Mount
Matthew Norman, the Oldie’s Grumpy Old Man columnist, tells Harry Mount about creating the nickname ‘Mandy’ for Peter Mandelson – and Mandy’s outraged reaction. And he recalls meeting Bernard Manning – and his favourite Bernard Manning gag.
Feb 24, 2025 · 42 min
347: A. N. Wilson in conversation with Harry Mount
Britain’s greatest man of letters, A. N. Wilson, tells Harry Mount about the genius of Goethe, the decline of the Church of England and his addiction to journalism.
Feb 15, 2025 · 27 min
346: Ben Okri in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Sir Ben Okri, the Booker Prize-winning author and poet, talks to Charlotte Metcalf about his latest book, Madame Sosotris and the Festival for The Broken Hearted, and his collection of African stories for Everyman. He talks to her about being broken hearted, how the Booker Prize changed his life, being homeless and the acclaimed poem he wrote in response to the Grenfell Tower fire, as well as sharing his views on the current state of our unsettled world.
Feb 12, 2025 · 13 min
345: Victoria Hislop at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Victoria Hislop speaking about her new book, The Figurine, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on February 11th 2025.
Feb 12, 2025 · 8 min
344: James Stourton at the Oldie Literary Lunch
James Stourton speaking about his new book, Rogues & Scholars: Boom and Bust in the London Art Market, 1945-2000, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on February 11th 2025.”
Feb 11, 2025 · 7 min
343: Liz Hodgkinson at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Liz Hodgkinson speaking about her new book, A Mink Coat in St Neots, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on February 11th 2025.”
Feb 10, 2025 · 19 min
342: Lucinda Lambton on Britain’s Quirkiest Buildings
One of our leading architectural historians, Lucinda Lambton tells Harry Mount about Hebridean castles, eccentric lavatories and Overlooked Britain - her Oldie column.
Feb 2, 2025 · 32 min
341: The extraordinary life of Elisabeth Luard, food writer, author, painter and Oldie columnist
Elisabeth Luard talks to Charlotte Metcalf with warmth and candour about her passion for cooking and food, her extensive travels, her upbringing in Uruguay and time as a debutante in London during the 50s, motherhood, her long marriage to Nicholas Luard, the one-time owner of Private Eye and founder of the satirical Establishment Club with Peter Cook. She also describes the harrowing death of her daughter to AIDS and talks about her life now and loving - finally - having a ‘room of her own’ in Acton.
Jan 27, 2025 · 32 min
340: Peter York in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Peter York is a British author and cultural and social commentator, perhaps best know for co-authoring The Official Sloane Rangers Handbook with Ann Barr in 1982. He was Style Editor of Harpers & Queen for ten years and recently started up a new podcast about culture wars, the subject of his latest book A Dead Cat On Your Table.
Jan 22, 2025 · 12 min
339: Hugh Johnson at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Hugh Johnson speaking about his new book, Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2025, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on January 21st 2025.”
Jan 22, 2025 · 9 min
338: Tim Marshall at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Tim Marshall speaking about his new book, Prisoners Of Geography: the Quiz Book, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on January 21st 2025.
Jan 21, 2025 · 17 min
337: Chris Patten at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Chris Patten speaking about his memoir, The Hong Kong Diaries, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London's National Liberal Club, on January 21st 2025.
Jan 20, 2025 · 40 min
336: ‘A 15-Year Suicide Note’ - Robert Bathurst on the genius of Jeff Bernard’s Low Life column
Robert Bathurst, star of Cold Feet and Toast of London, is playing Jeff Bernard in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell in Jeff’s old haunt, the Coach & Horses. He tells Harry Mount what a sublime writer Bernard was.
Jan 13, 2025 · 36 min
335: Ed Stourton in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Edward Stourton has worked in broadcasting for over 40 years and was a presenter on Today for many years. He continues to present BBC Radio 4 programmes like Sunday and The World at One. He’s also been a foreign correspondent for Channel Four, ITN and the BBC and has written several books, including his recent memoir, Confessions, is now out in paperback with a new postscript commenting on how presenting news has changed during his career. He was educated at Ampleforth and Cambridge. 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.